Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce facelift is driver-focused with sharper features
PHOTO: sgCarMart
PUBLISHED ONDecember 04, 2023 3:21 AMByJeremy Chua
Having an espresso is one of the best ways to start the day. Even after seven hours of sleep, it's the sound of the bean grinder and the aroma of a freshly pulled shot that wakes you up and makes you look forward to the rest of the day.
However, I'm not sure how many folks still enjoy a good espresso, especially when there are fancier (and typically sweeter) coffee drinks available. These are enjoyable, but to me, an Italian espresso remains the way to go.
That's how one should view the Giulia Veloce. It doesn't have the fancy ingredients found in newer rivals, but it's imbued with everything that a driver's car should have, and to some, that's all that matters.
A sharper suit
The Giulia Veloce is a handsome car to begin with, so designers knew better than to mess with it. Still, they saw fit to enhance the Trilobo grille and equip the car with new head lights, which are each underscored by a trio of daytime running lights.
Walk around the car and you'll notice the sharp creases that give the car its muscular character. The 19-inch 'telephone dial' or tele-dial wheels are standard, as are the staggered tyre sizes. Minimal fender gaps also add to the sedan's athletic stance.
The rear end also remains unchanged. That's not a bad thing, though, because again, it's a good-looking car, with road presence that makes it impossible to ignore.
Just as hard to ignore is the driver-focussed cockpit. If you're a keen driver and this is your first time in a Giulia, you'll immediately notice how the driving position is spot on, so you only need minor adjustments to the steering wheel and seat.
Speaking of seats, the red sports seats strike a balance between cushiness and supportiveness, with the thick bolsters preventing you from sliding around during spirited bouts of driving.
The upgrades to the Giulia's cockpit are obvious as well. There's a new digital instrument cluster that replaces the analogue gauges, along with a redesigned steering wheel. To your left is a new infotainment system, which lets drivers tweak the settings for the new suite of driver safety features.
These improvements are good, but a repackaged and roomier backseat would have been even more welcome, for it remains compromised by the large floor protrusion. This makes the sitting position for the middle occupant rather awkward.
Still an athlete
The Veloce is currently the sole Giulia variant that's officially available in Singapore and most drivers will find its performance more than adequate.
Beneath its shapely bonnet is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder tuned to produce 276bhp and a healthy 400Nm of torque to the rear axle via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Zero to 100km/h is over in 5.2 seconds. That certainly reflects the Veloce name, which means 'speed' in Italian.
But if you imagined the Giulia's power delivery to be like an Italian having an animated conversation — complete with rapid hand gestures — you'll be in for a surprise. That's because rather than frantic, the Giulia Veloce is always linear and tractable.
The full torque figure arrives at 2,250rpm instead of below 1,500rpm. Thrust from the turbocharger kicks in at around 3,000rpm, so the most urgent performance is between here and the 5,500rpm redline.
What's cool is that you can redline the motor without doing stupid speeds. Redlining the first and second gears only gets you to about 70km/h, which might seem slow, but frankly, it's more than enough for daily drives, since most cars aren't capable of such acceleration.
Things become more fun when you slide the gearshift lever left to activate manual override. In this mode, you command the gearbox using those oversized metal paddle shifters. Because they're fixed, there's no danger of tugging the wrong paddle in the heat of the moment.
Indeed, with its balanced weight distribution, the Giulia deftly slices through corners without complaint, even if you get it wrong. The car moves with gracefulness and feels more long-legged than it is. You can tell the Giulia enjoys all types of bends, whether they're tight and narrow, or wide and sweeping.
There's a playfulness to the Giulia's character as well. Though unlikely to step out of line, you'll realise that the car's agility also has a touch of cheekiness. It gives you a wink after saying, "Don't worry, I won't scare you."
The brakes, though progressive, could use a tad more bite. Meanwhile, the steering, while accurate and nicely weighted, is strangely light when it's centred.
Italian flair
The Giulia Veloce is up against the 3 Series, which is its biggest rival and segment benchmark. BMW has spent decades honing this model, and it shows. Officially, though, the 318i is the only variant available, and it doesn't have the Giulia's punch.
However, the 3 Series does have plenty of tech and a more advanced operating system to showcase it all. It's very much like one of those coffee-based drinks that are cool, sweet and flavourful. It makes the Giulia Veloce, which is like an espresso, seem staid.
But while an espresso may seem one-dimensional to the uninitiated, it has its own flavours and nuances, just like the Giulia. As a sweet-handling front-engine, rear-wheel drive sedan, it's already imbued with everything that a driver's car should have. And to some, that's all that matters.