Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce Review: A Simply Brilliant Sports Saloon

Pity the non-Quadrifoglio versions of the Alfa Romeo Giulia. In the eight years the car’s been on sale, it’s been the range-topping, fire-breathing twin-turbo V6 version that’s stolen all the headlines and won all the plaudits.

All along, there’s been a whole range of Giulias sitting below the recently-updated cloverleaf, doing the heavy sales lifting. Once, it was available with a fleet-friendly 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel or a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol, in 198bhp and 276bhp forms.

This choice was slimmed significantly, though, with a 2023 facelift, which also introduced new interior tech and those lovely SZ-referencing triple LED headlight signatures. The diesel and lower-powered petrol were omitted, leaving the 276bhp version as the only sub-Quad option. The sole gearbox choice remains ZF’s trusty eight-speed automatic, and it’s still rear-drive only.

Trim levels are now the £39,995 Sprint, the £44,995 Veloce as tested here, and the £48,495 limited-edition Tributo Italiano. Highlights of the Veloce trim are some brilliant body-hugging sports seats, those delectable 19-inch teledial alloys and a mechanical limited-slip diff. Interestingly, that’s something it’s always had, despite only just making it onto the Quad.

So, a Quadrifoglio it ain’t, but the 2.0-litre car is absolutely not a poor relation. It feels like one of the very last old-school sports saloons around and is all the better for it.

It’s the first Alfa in years where style and substance have sat side-by-side. Looks are obviously a subjective thing, but it’d take a very bold individual to call the slinky Giulia less attractive than its staid German competitors.

In the past, most Alfa reviews would make the point about the gorgeous styling, then start to delve into the many flaws. Not any more.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: the interior quality isn’t up to competitors’ standards. Some of it is okay, and some of it is fantastic like those huge aluminium gearshift paddles. Poke around, though, and there are a lot of cheap, flimsy-feeling plastics for a car that’s aiming for the premium market.

Usability-wise, it’s a different story. There’s lots of reassuring evidence that Alfa has thought about the fundamentals, which is an odd thing to type. You can navigate the 8.8-inch infotainment screen by touch or via a BMW iDrive-style rotary controller. The car remembers your driver assist preference each time you get in it, and you get proper physical controls for heating and ventilation. Little things, but they add up.

On the move, any quibbles with interior quality fade further into the background. This is a fantastic driver’s car. We’re a little spoiled nowadays by big power, not least in the 512bhp Quadrifoglio, so it can be easy to forget that, in real life, 276bhp and 295lb ft of torque are a lot. Weight is a fairly modest 1429kg.

All of this means a 5.7 second 0-62mph run and 149mph top speed. In the real world, this is a properly quick car, especially with the ‘DNA’ drive mode selector in ‘D’ for Dynamic, which sharpens up throttle response and shift time.

The engine is a peach, too. For a turbo unit, it has a real appetite for revs, gaining them voraciously as the gearbox bangs out shifts (or you take delight in doing it yourself with those gorgeous paddles). With eight gears to get through, it can occasionally get a bit frenetic, but it’s never dull. There’s a lot of piped-in noise, which won’t be to everyone’s liking, but it’s a pleasingly throaty, Twin Cam-esque warble that makes the best of the four-pot engine rather than trying to disguise it.

Just as energetic as the engine is the ultra-quick steering rack, with a ratio of 11.8:1 (contrast that with arguably its biggest rival, the BMW 330i’s 14.1:1). It means your hands are always kept busy, but the result is beautifully direct, feelsome steering that’s an absolute joy through tight bends.

The chassis is a huge strong point, too. The Giulia uses a double-wishbone suspension at the front and a multilink setup at the rear. Weight distribution is close to 50/50. While the ride can get choppy over broken surfaces, the car breathes wonderfully with bumps and compressions. Get on the power through a corner and you feel the work the diff is doing as it hooks up and allows for a playful shimmy.

The only major weak point dynamically is the brakes. The Giulia uses a brake-by-wire system, eliminating the physical link between the pedal and brakes and doing everything electronically. That lack of mechanical link can make the pedal feel a little squidgy and difficult to modulate, especially around town. Also, Alfa calls the setup ‘Integrated Brake System’, or ‘IBS’. Hmm.

When you’re not pretending to be Gabriele Tarquini, the Giulia is a deeply pleasant daily companion. In Normal mode, it’s a smooth and effortless car, although a rather laggy throttle often leaves you lurching away from a standstill. The ultra-quick steering is useful in tight streets and car parks, too.

On a longer run, refinement is good although not class-leading, and you can settle into a fantastic, relaxed driving position. Legroom for rear passengers is acceptable, although you might struggle behind taller drivers. In a week of mixed driving, the Giulia’s MPG hovered around the low-to-mid 30s. Resist its earnest attempts to goad you into exploiting its fantastic chassis and you might get closer to the quoted 39.2mpg.

It all comes together in a hugely desirable package. The Giulia is quick, stylish, and sensational to drive. If quality and refinement are your number one priority, look elsewhere, but anyone else who doesn’t give the Alfa a second glance is making a huge mistake.

I’m not immune to the charms of even a very flawed Alfa, so it gives me deep satisfaction to find that you needn’t justify the Giulia with lots of tired clichés about soul and character. Make no mistake, it has those too, but they’re wrapped up in a simply brilliant sports saloon.