The name is already sonorous. "Giulia Veloce", a declaration of love to the fast-paced Juliet, perhaps bestowed in La Scala by a languishing tenor. And he is really fast, the sportiest and at the same time still affordable scion of the new AlfaFamily that wants to become a serious rival of the German triumvirate of BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Of course there is also the Alfa Giulia with the nickname Quadrifoglio Verde (four-leaf clover). However, it costs a good 72.000 euros and is an extreme athlete with its 375 kW / 510 hp. The Veloce, on the other hand, is available from just under 47.000 euros, also has all-wheel drive and is not bad parents with 154 kW / 210 hp.
The first test laps with the four-wheeler did not cause any real joy. What was not the newcomer, but the external conditions. Day-long rains in the Piedmont south of Turin caused Tanaro and Po to swell, mats from the vineyards slipped on the narrow serpentine roads and turned the asphalt into slippery slides because of the wet leaves. Ideal for a four-wheel drive, which sounds almost cynical considering the plight of the affected people in the region. Alfas European leader Fabricio Curci saw the same, was visibly affected and spoke of how seriously his industry must take climate change with its extreme weather capers.
Back to the agenda, to the Veloce. He completes the quite successfully launched Giulia series, which has already been showered with beauty prices. Good 10.000 have already been sold, in Germany, the four-door set to the top of Alfa sales. "Especially for the homeland of sporty mid-range sedans, our Giulia Veloce is particularly important," says Curci, highlighting the diesel version in particular. "Combined with standard four-wheel drive, our new diesel delivers a mix of dynamics and safety without sacrificing comfort."
The assessment of the smart Alfa boss is right. The 2,2-liter engine has no trouble with the 1,6-Tonner, as long as you do not let the rpm drop too low into the basement. When spurting on Tempo 100, the diesel ignites a short, but noticeable pause for thought before it inspires the 210 horses to gallop. With 6,8 seconds at 100 km / h, the diesel Alfa is still doing pretty well, even if he has the other Veloce (2-liter petrol engine, 206 kW / 280 PS) clearly preceded. On the other hand, both are close together (235 km / h and 240 km / h respectively). Before the Hatz you should lock the round knob in the center console in the pace stage. Then the Veloce turns the gears of the eight-speed automatic higher and hardens the steering and suspension by a few nuances. This has no influence on the sound. Alfa dispenses with artificially generated noise levels. So the engine sounds real and natural, although pithy, but not intrusive.
The standard four-wheel drive ensures computer-controlled without the driver's help always for the correct power distribution. Apart from the mentioned expensive top model, the drive named Q4 currently only benefits the Veloce. Normally, the fairly light four-door is pushed by the rear wheels. If these or their front colleagues lose the necessary grip, they will move up to half of their power. Depending on the road surface or cornering speed, this works in fractions of a second. The driver does not notice the change, but only wonders how loyal his beautiful Italian keeps the lane.
The Giulia has to give up some of what the direct rivals offer in their price list. Active lane keeping or automatic turning away, when a car comes too close in the blind spot, Alfa currently has not to offer. The same applies to the light source in the narrow headlight housings. If others have long been enlightened by LED power, the Veloce radiates with bi-xenon. Chief Curci weighs down: "The difference between LED and our new xenon technology is only slight. So why make the car more expensive than necessary? " He announces, however, that Alfa will certainly give in this area if the customers want it.
Which in turn will let the price list continue to swell. Since Alfa rightly sees itself as a premium brand, lure many extras to the shopping spree at the dealer. Although the Veloce is quite fully equipped, luxury or sports packages will make some customers weak. Thus, the base price of 46.800 Euro will leave the 50.000 Euro mark behind as fast as the name Veloce translates.
Giulia complete is now called Alfa. Really complete? Since missing a station wagon with the traditional name Sport Wagon? Fabricio Curci is closed: "We'll do it first, then we'll talk about it". Already talked about the sports SUV named Stelvio. He shares many other components with the sedan next to the platform. Among other things, the four-wheel drive. (Peter Maahn / SP-X)