The Alfa Romeo Giulietta has loads of personality and an eye-catching design. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta has loads of personality and an eye-catching design.
During a lunch in Maranello, Italy, last year with the marketing manager of Ferrari, we were discussing all things Alfa when he mentioned the new Giulietta. Since I had only seen pictures of it and was much impressed by its looks, I mentioned it didn’t resemble even closely the one parked in my driveway many years ago.
Laughing, he said I was giving away my age, which may be the case, but I’m young enough to appreciate an eye-catching design and old enough to know that if you haven’t had your head in the engine bay and your arms covered in oil and grease from an Alfa Romeo’s engine, you’re unlikely to “get” what the marque is about.
South African petrolheads won’t easily forget the mechanical catastrophes that rolled off the production line in Brits all those years ago, but many will also agree that if you could swing a spanner and keep them going, few things beat the growl of the 2.0-litre aluminium block motor or the howl of the GTV 2.5-litre V6.
But Alfa has been back for a while now and from what I can see on the roads, there’s a new breed of Alfisti starting to appreciate the nuances of the famous grille with its background still firmly rooted in making drivers’ cars.
Sure, I don’t think the Giulietta will go down in the history books as one of their finest ever, but it’s a sweet ride nonetheless and if you’re in the market for a car in the almost R300 000 range, take a close look at this one.
I know I’m a self-confessed Alfaholic, but don’t be scared of all the talk about unreliability, jokes about everyone wanting to drive it but not own it, or barbs suggesting that if you’re looking for trouble, rather get married.
If the world was filled only with sensible people, we’d all be following the herd and cruising around in white appliances or whatever else passes as sensible motoring these days.
Fact is, it’s an Alfa, and when discussing cars people aren’t lukewarm; love them or hate them.
Many critics, however, haven’t actually experienced the… how can I put it… body of lies first-hand, but always know someone or have heard a story about a friend of a friend.
With a 150 000km warranty and a six-year/90 000km maintenance plan, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t at least take a peak at the showroom floor.
Once you manage to adapt your driving style to accommodate the turbo lag and flip the perky 1.4 125kW turbo-charged motor to dynamic driving, you’re in for a whole lot of fun. It takes a while to get used to the hard suspension and, with our potholes passing as roads, it’s not that easy to do. However, throw it into a corner and you realise that the Alfa DNA runs through its veins.
Coupled with a six-speed gearbox, enough rear legroom space for two teens and a surprisingly large boot, a weekend away on the open road has a lot of appeal.
Looks, as they say, are in the eye of the beholder, and the design isn’t one to suit everyone’s taste but I liked the overall appearance, particularly with the back end hunkering down and the bonnet with its lines leading to the famous Alfa grille giving it its own personality.
Inside the dials are functional and attractive, while the overall look and feel of the dashboard and cockpit befit a car of its stature.
I found the driving position perfect for my not inconsiderable frame, but one colleague found getting the seat, steering wheel and pedals into a comfortable tripartite agreement a bit of an issue.
It also has a five-star Euro NCAP rating, giving you peace of mind when the driving gods decide it’s your turn to take a beating. With a list of acronyms including ABS, EBD, VDC, CBC, DST and hill holder, all your driving comforts are taken care of as well.
It may not be as fast in a sprint or have the teutonic feel of other vehicles in its class, but personally I’d rather say I drive an Alfa at the dinner table than have guests nodding blandly at the mention of anything else.