2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Photo by David Arnouts.
2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Photo by David Arnouts.
2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Photo by David Arnouts.
2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Photo by David Arnouts.
2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Photo by David Arnouts.
Published on 7/14/2011
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I spent a weekend in this impressive Alfa, and I was struck by how enjoyable it makes regular driving--and that the Giulietta is, in fact, a conventional car.
People do take notice, which is interesting because it doesn't stand out in the mind-blowing fashion of, say, an Audi R8 spyder. But I did get a honk from a guy in a TT on the way home, and traffic seemed to cluster around me in search of a better look more than I would have liked. The most comparable cars are the Volkswagen GTI and the Mazda Mazdaspeed 3, which have tons of power and panache in small packaging.
The engine and transmission are well paired. The six-speed is smooth with throws bordering on the long side, and the clutch take-up is supple and easy. The tranny is so interactive; it makes the pilot want to dart to outside lanes and downshift past sluggish traffic, which I did on a splendid June morning made all the better by the Alfa's dynamics.
Speaking of which: I punched up to the sport setting and was rewarded with a tighter drive, heavier steering off-center and much better punch. It's a subtle transition but noticeable and fun. No need to use the all-weather setting in summer.
This Giulietta lives up to its melodic name in looks and charisma. Like a beautiful woman, this Alfa wears its jewelry well, and the LED headlights and circular patterns in the wheels standout, adding just a flash of bling in all the right places in tasteful style. The curvy black sheetmetal, the famous Alfa badges, the lines and creases--it all presents in a fashion that brings the romanticism of the brand to life.
Inside is a touch tight, though many comparable cars have similar close quarters. The black seats with red stitching are comfortable, sharp and supportive. The dashboard is easy to read and understand, and it's nice to have real switches to turn off features such as the running lights and auto start/stop--which works flawlessly, by the way. I recorded at least seven instances of the system kicking in on my route home.
My initial impression: I could live with this car, and I would love the looks and the feel of it. This is a great entry car for modern enthusiasts seeking the allure of Alfa Romeo.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR—AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: If Fiat can maintain some of the Italian exuberance when this Giulietta is remade as a Dodge small car, this would be a good thing for Chrysler. This car as equipped, with a small, high-revving MultiAir engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, is a blast to drive, fortified by the Honeywell turbocharger. As noted by Greg, the driving feel is pure Euro, the kind of thing we find in a VW GTI, the new Ford Focus or the Mazdaspeed 3. That's the substance, and it's evident in engine responsiveness and a well-sorted chassis--especially in dynamic-driving mode--along with great brakes and a nice shifter and clutch. Add a little Italian flair in the slick and sporty five-door styling (love the hidden rear-door handles and rear hatch release built into the big Alfa medallion), and this car is a notch above all but the Focus from my view.
Inside, the little extra touches and trimmings make the Giulietta a special place to spend time. I love the big silver shift ball and the extra-supportive seats.
Though Greg reported no problems, I have some serious concerns about this application of the stop/start fuel-saving mode. The system shuts down the engine whenever the car is stopped, idling in neutral, with the clutch released. It's supposed to automatically fire back up as soon as the clutch is depressed, but on several occasions, I had depressed the clutch, shifted into first and was releasing the clutch and hitting the accelerator--but the engine hadn't restarted. It wasn't until I pushed the clutch pedal back to the floor that the engine jumped back to life--long enough to leave a big gap in traffic and prompt a few horn honks.
I sure hope that's just a little flaw with this car, because stop/start holds serious promise for saving fuel, but it has to be as dependable as pushing on the gas pedal and having the car go--instantly. Luckily, the system can be shut down, but that sort of defeats the purpose.
I picked up a significant change, for the better, in the engine response and chassis tautness in dynamic-driving mode. I could see little reason to drive in the soft mode, unless your regular drive route is pockmarked with potholes. Pitching the car hard into a corner can tax the suspension to the maximum, but the car holds the road well, even if it sounds harsh doing it. The brakes on this car are quick to respond and strong.
In short, I love most everything about this car and hope Ralph Gilles and the Chrysler team can bring it to us mostly intact as a sporty Dodge small-car entry.
ART DIRECTOR CHERYL BLAHNIK: I had this for a day and I was excited to get in it because I don't make it out to Europe, and it's a car we don't get in the United States. That said, people notice that this car is something different. It received lots of looks and inquiries as to its origin. I even had a lady follow me into a bank parking lot and ask if this car was going to be in the States soon. She was by far the most excited person to talk about this car with me.
I really like the curved lines that make it look elegant and sporty. I sure hope Dodge can continue to keep that form and feel. As Gritz mentioned, the simple thinking of hiding the back door handles gives it just a nice touch of style and sophistication. The hatch visually works on this car, and yes, it does remind me of a VW from the back.
But I'm also not sold on the start/stop system. On several occasions I felt like I couldn't even take off smoothly from a stop and kept having to apologize to our intern for my horrible shifting ability. And there are the times when you want to pull out on to the road from a stop and join the traffic, but with this car I felt like I had to wait because I didn't want to start slowly and have people slam on their brakes because I couldn't get out there quick enough.
One thing I'm really curious about is the price that this would fetch as a Dodge. Once you get past the stop/start issue, it really was a fun car to drive around in. Put the car in the dynamic mode, and it was really fun. The interior had a streamlined feel. Did anyone else notice the constant creaking on the dash area? For a new car, I really find this unacceptable, regardless of price or manufacturer.
Honeywell Turbo Technologies provided AutoWeek this Giulietta for the purposes of evaluation and to demonstrate the turbocharged engine.
2011 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
ON SALE: Europe (not for U.S. sale)
PRICE: $34,000 (est)
DRIVETRAIN: 1.4-liter, 170-hp, 184-lb-ft turbocharged MultiAir four-cylinder; FWD, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3,009 lb
0-62 MPH: 7.8 sec
FUEL ECONOMY: N/A
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