Alfa Romeo Giulia – pricing begins from £29,180
Giulia pricing and specification now announced - but will it be enough to fend off rivals?
Alfa Romeo has revealed full pricing and specification details for the new Giulia range, which goes on sale in the UK later this year.
The range kicks off at £29,180, which is more than entry-level models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Jaguar, but like the Japanese and British offerings in the class the Alfa offers a more powerful entry point than its German rivals.
The sub-£30k starting price gets a 2-litre petrol turbo model in unbadged trim, with 197bhp at its disposal through a standard eight-speed ZF automatic transmission – as with the range-topping Quadrifoglio, no manual is available in the UK market.
> More: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio video review
Standard specification includes 16in alloy wheels, a 6.5in central colour display, cruise control, climate control, DAB and a Ferrari-like starter button on the steering wheel, but it’s hard not to see people upgrading to Super specification from £30,880. The wheels grow by an inch in diameter, the central display swells to 8.8in and includes navigation, the seats become trimmed in a leather/cloth mix and you can personalise the dashboard to a degree with two-tone trim options.
Alfa’s 2.2-litre JTDM-2 diesel engines are also available in Super specification, producing 148bhp and 178bhp respectively – prices start at £30,750 for the former and £31,950 for the latter.
Next up is Tecnica trim, which builds on Super spec with power-adjustable seats, a rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, a cooled glovebox, chrome window trims and privacy glass. The two diesel units are the only engines available, at £30,995 for the 150PS version and £32,195 for the more powerful of the pair.
Speciale is the top trim level – it gets the top-end diesel, costs £34,150, and adds a decent array of features: 18in alloy wheels, bi-Xenon headlamps, metal-finished pedals, aluminium interior trim, heated seats and steering wheel leather sports seats and steering wheel, and a ‘Sports’ bumper design front and rear.
Sitting above these is the Quadrifoglio we’ve already driven and enjoyed. Pricing takes a leap to £59,000, but you do get a Ferrari-derived turbocharged V6 for your troubles, Alcantara-trimmed sports seats, active aerodynamics and more.
> Also read: Alfa Romeo 4C review
The Alfa’s pricing puts it broadly on par with rivals, but we’re a little concerned by the stingy equipment list of models lower down the food chain – those German rivals certainly offer a great deal more kit, with options like full LED headlamps making Alfa’s offer of bi-Xenons (and only then on the top trim levels) look rather old-hat.
The news that no manual gearbox will be available may also be offputting to some, and is another feature widely available on rival vehicles for those who still prefer to mesh their own cogs.
Hopefully, the way basic petrol and diesel Giulias drive will be enough to make up for these apparent deficiencies – for that, we’ll have to wait and see.
