Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce Review

Alfa Romeo Ireland has dropped a car for Alfa aficionados into the Giulia range. Arriving in a blur of exclusive ‘Misano Blue’ paint, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce attempts to bridge the gap between the standard Giulia petrol and diesel models, and the range topping grand symphony that is the 510hp Giulia Quadrifoglio.

The Giulia Veloce’s long bonnet houses a tuned 2.0-litre turbo petrol that produces 280hp and 400Nm of torque. 0 to 100 kmh is a blink-and-you‘ll-miss-it 5.7 seconds and power is fed to the rear wheels via an eight speed automatic gearbox.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a beauty by any book and in Veloce spec it’s lowered, bolstered with sports bumpers and at the back there are two large tailpipes nestled in a rear diffuser. The Giulia Veloce is shod with 18” alloys, and Veloce is written in elegant script above the front wheel arches.

Inside the interior is mostly the same as the standard Giulia. Full leather upholstery comes as standard as does 25W Bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, front and rear parking sensors, a rear view camera, power folding exterior mirrors, and heated 6-way electric front seats including electric side bolster support. Infotainment is provided via Alfa Connect™ with an 8.8” touchscreen with 3D Navigation split screen function, rotary pad control and 8 speakers. The interior quality is okay but there are some very ordinary materials used in places.

On the road the Giulia Veloce doesn’t hang about. Plant your foot to the accelerator and the Giulia Veloce takes off as if it’s being being chased by a fleet of Ferraris. The acceleration is smooth, linear and urgent. There is no great accompanying roar from the engine, which I was slightly disappointed by, but it does sound more angry with the DNA switch turned to Dynamic.

The Giulia is a real handling star even in its most basic guise. It’s light, agile and floats through corners with real elegance and ultimate precision from small turns on the steering wheel. The ride only shows up its firmness over really bad surfaces so for day to day driving, the Giulia Veloce doesn’t carry any compromise.

With pricing starting from €54,495, the Giulia Veloce is a bigger investment over the more basic petrols and diesels in the Giulia range. This is an enjoyable car with sweet steering, handling and acceleration that’s pleasingly urgent. Alfa has failed to wow inside the car and I think Veloce buyers deserve a bit more fanfare inside. But the Giulia has a certain magic to it that will never fail to get it noticed.

Caroline Kidd

Model tested: Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
Price: €54,495
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol
Power: 280hp
Torque: 400Nm
0-100km/h:  5.7 seconds
Top speed: 240km/h
Economy: 6.1/100km
CO2 emissions: 141g/km
Motor tax: €390 per year