Alfa Romeo Giulietta released | Autocar

Alfa Romeo is to rejoice its 2010 centenary yr through launching the all-new, five-door Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Corporate bosses see it as a Volkswagen Golfing rival, and consider it will grow to be the best-selling Alfa Romeo in historical past.

The automobile replaces the 147 and has been via 3 identify adjustments already. At the start known as 148, it was once then renamed Milano. That identify has now been modified because of force from Alfa staff within the company’s house town of Milan, who’re unsatisfied with using the identify following Alfa’s choice to relocate to Turin. The company has now settled on calling it Giulietta.

Alfa plans to release the Giulietta in Italy in overdue March. The United Kingdom release will coincide with the Goodwood Pageant of Pace in June, the place Alfa Romeo would be the featured marque.

The automobile will likely be made as a five-door best. It includes a Golfing-sized rear compartment however a coupe-like roofline and disguised rear door handles (as used at the 147) to fortify its carrying credentials. The form attracts glaring affect from each the outgoing 147 and the brand new Mito supermini, but it surely seems extra fashionable than both.

It has probably the most hanging 3-dimensional model of Alfa’s defend grille but, supported through two distinguished decrease lateral air intakes. The muscular sculpting of the physique aspects ends up in distinguished rear haunches, with dual exhausts and a diffuser underneath a rear panel whose LED tail-lights echo shapes pioneered within the 156.

Suspension is MacPherson struts on the entrance and a brand new multi-link design on the rear.

Inside of, the Giulietta echoes the twin-binnacle, driver-oriented fascia design that Alfas have historically used, however with the acquainted centre stack changed with a simplified, lateral panel. The internal makes use of novel trim textures and body-coloured steel to indicate a metamorphosis from Alfa traditions.

At 4.35m in period, the auto is 130mm longer than the Golfing or the 147. The two.63m wheelbase is ready 50mm longer than the Golfing’s or 147’s, and despite the fact that its further period makes it glance low, it’s 50mm upper than the auto it replaces.

Alfa engineers say rear seat area and boot capability are “the similar or larger” than a Golfing’s and that the whole weight is “just a little bit heavier” than a similar 147’s, although the body-in-white is lighter.

Patrons will likely be introduced 3 other designs of 16in, 17in and 18in wheel – a thick-spoke design, a multi-spoke and Alfa’s acquainted ‘phone dial’ design.

A variety of the Fiat Crew’s transversely fixed four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines, all turbocharged, will force the entrance wheels, starting from a 120bhp 1.4-litre petrol to a 170bhp 2.0-litre diesel. Later subsequent yr there will likely be a 230bhp Cloverleaf type.