2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia (U.S. Spec)
By now you’re probably tired of reading
about Alfa Romeo’s new Giulia sedan, whose introduction in the United States
seems to be taking forever. Recall that Alfa Romeo showed us the Giulia—in
high-performance Quadrifoglio trim—for the first time last summer.
The good news is that the wait is almost
over. We can confirm that production of U.S.-spec Giulias commences late in the
second quarter and the first examples should reach showrooms shortly after. You
won’t have to wait that long to see the cars, though, as they’ll be on show
next week at the 2016 New York Auto Show.
This time Alfa Romeo will be showing the
regular versions of the Giulia and not the BMW M3-rivaling Quadrifoglio. The
Giulia Quadrifoglio made its U.S. debut at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show
and sits at the top of the Giulia range. Below it are Giulia and
better-equipped Giulia Ti (Turismo Internazionale) models.
In an interesting move, Alfa Romeo
decided to equip both the Giulia and Giulia Ti with the same engine, in this
case a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder delivering 276 horsepower and 295
pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a paddle-shifted 8-speed automatic
and enables the Giulia to hit 60 mph from rest in 5.5 seconds and top out at
149 mph.
The Giulia Quadrifoglio gets a
twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 that delivers 505 hp and 443 lb-ft. This model
comes exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmission. It sprints to 60 mph in
just 3.8 seconds and tops out at 191 mph.
Drive is to the rear wheels as standard
and all-wheel drive is available for the Giulia and Giulia Ti. The rear-biased
system, dubbed Q4, can direct up to 60 percent of the drive torque to the front
axle when necessary. Giulias also get a drive modes selector allowing the
driver to adjust dynamic vehicle settings. Wheel sizes range from 17 to 19
inches in diameter.
Underpinning the car is a modular platform
codenamed Giorgio. The platform provides a low center of gravity, low weight
and a near perfect 50/50 weight balance. There’s plenty of aluminum in the
construction and even some composite materials, such as in the rear cross
member.
The cabin design of the Giulia is every
bit as crisp and clean as the exterior and, crucially, it is centered on the
driver with the main controls grouped together on the small steering wheel. In
the center of the dash sits a screen used for the Connect 3D Nav infotainment
system. A variety of interior combinations are available across the Giulia
lineup, some of them including real carbon fiber.