Alfa Romeo Giulietta Pre Model 1750 TBi Cloverleaf 5dr Car Review - February 2012

Despite a considerable power advantage over a similarly priced 5-door VW Golf GTI 2.0-litre TSI, performance is near identical. The Alfa Giulietta 1750 TBi Cloverleaf has a top speed of 150mph and reaches 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds. The Alfa may not be as engaging to drive as its German rival, but it does provide an excellent compromise comfortable ride quality and energetic performance. The 235bhp engine produces an impressive 251 lb-ft of torque, but it delivers this smoothly and with both excellent grip and stability when cornering. The steering does lack the feedback you would experience in its rivals, but it does make up for this with sharp braking and a crisp 6-speed manual gearbox. It provides a comfortable driving experience, and aside from a slightly cramped pedal box the dashboard and controls feel well thought out and constructed.

The Alfa Giulietta’s looks certainly leave a lasting impression, with the wedge shaped grille an attractive frontispiece to a purposeful, clean-lined body. With the rear door handles concealed in the C-pillars, the car could be easily mistaken from distance for a three-door hot-hatch, rather than the practical five-door it actually is.

The Cloverleaf is identified by a large badge on it’s front wings, and is also set apart from other models in the Giulietta range by its distinctive alloy wheels which aid the low, sporty appearance, and come as standard. Other standard features include leather seats, climate control, cruise control, driver airbag, passenger airbag, front side airbags, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, and MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity. Useful additions such as parking sensors and satnav are optional extras, as they are on the Golf, but both can be added much more cheaply on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf than on its VW rival.

The Alfa offers a spacious, comfortable experience for both driver and passenger. A pair of six-foot adults would fit comfortably in the rear seats, but the standard black leather interior does give a slighty claustrophobic feel, and makes the cabin feel less roomy than it actually is. Again it matches the VW Golf GTI, with an overall Euro NCAP safety rating of 5. The Giulietta also exactly matches its rival in the boot capacity department, with 350 litres of boot space.

The Guilietta is equipped as standard with driver, passenger, and front rear airbags. Another safety feature is the Vehicle Dynamic Control, a standard feature on the Giulietta which aids the driver in loss of control situations such as skids. Alfa Romeo have suffered from a poor reputation for build quality in the past – especially when compared to VW – but may have turned the corner in this regard, and first impressions of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta are that it feels as solid and as well-built as the other cars in its class. Peace of mind comes from a three year warranty which, unlike the Golf, is for unlimited mileage. In terms of CO2 emissions, the Giulietta emits 177g/km.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750 TBi Cloverleaf’s price tag of £25,510 is Golf GTI-rivalling, as is its fuel economy figures of a combined 37.2mpg. Where the Giulietta beats both its rival - and other cars in its class - is with lower insurance costs, with an insurance group of 31. However, its CO2 emissions of 177g/km mean the Giulietta just creeps into the higher Road Tax Band I. As a brand, Alfa Romeo is still struggling to shake off a reputation for questionable build-quality and reliability and, as a consequence, this does tend to have an adverse effect on depreciation. Expect to see the Giulietta suffer from quicker depreciation than other cars in its class.