The Alfa Romeo Giulia has been around for quite some time now, and although global sales might not be what Alfa had hoped them to be, it is still one of their most successful models. It marked a huge return to form for the brand, after several years of essentially reskinning Fiats this was the first real Alfa Romeo built from the ground up by actual Alfa engineers.
No expense was spared in the development of the car, and although there were initially murmurings of this sharing a platform with the Maserati Ghibli, something that would have been perfectly understandable, that wasn’t the case at all. The Giulia was an all new car, it resembles the rebirth of the storied Italian brand and some of the related models have become instant classics.
10 Design
Executive cars will usually favor a more neutral design language, but this is an Alfa, so they saw fit to abandon that particular motif.
Although it was designed in-house by Marco Tencone, it could just as easily have been something outsourced to one of the prestigious design houses, such is its class. It is easily the best looking car in its segment.
9 Independent Development
One of the biggest factors that contributed to making this particular model so unique is Fiat’s willingness to give Alfa Romeo designers and engineers free rein.
Any modern vehicle will encourage parts sharing with other models, but for better or worse, the Giulia was designed as a stand-alone model. Since then, the Stelvio has joined the fray and shares a platform and all the engine options with the Giulia.
8 Driver Engagement
All Alfas put the driver first, from the original sports cars to the modern Fiat derived people carriers, all of them make the driver an integral part of the vehicle.
Unlike other manufacturers that prioritize comfort and ease of use, an Alfa wants to be driven, and that is very much baked into the Giulia. Even the entry level model is a lot of fun to drive, with a compliant ride and excellent handling.
7 Rear-Wheel Drive
Since the 80s when Fiat took over and phased out the transaxle cars, Alfa Romeo have primarily favored the front-drive layout, infamously making a front-drive GTV in the '90s.
It has always been about cost-cutting, as it allowed the brand to share platforms and drivetrains with several other FCA (now Stellantis) models. So moving back to a rear drive and all-wheel drive platforms was a big shift.
6 Finishing
In the past, or at least since the financial difficulties of the 70s, Alfa’s fit and finish has never really been up to standard.
That has changed, with high quality materials used throughout the Giulia. Even the plastics they do use feel solid, and there is an elegant simplicity to the cabin.
5 Build Quality
The Giulia is not without its problems, but it is a leap forward compared to previous models and is now ahead of most of its Stellantis stablemates and closer than ever before to its German competition.
It is still the alternative rather than the staple in this class, it is one of those cars you need to experience and certainly not something you would want to just sit in the back seat of.
4 Weight Distribution
Right from the outset, Alfa engineers wanted to achieve a 50/50 weight distribution that helps with both refinement and performance.
On the performance front, that design feature is felt most with the all-wheel drive Quadrifoglio, which has become an instant classic.
3 Incredible Quadrifoglio
All-wheel drive grip, a 50/50 weight distribution and one of the most incredible engines to ever find a home in an Alfa make it one of the most desirable performance cars on the market.
Alfa wisely launched this, effectively their halo car, before any of the other models, and it did wonders for their marketing.
2 Ferrari At Heart
The base model is no slouch, making 280 horsepower, but the Quadrifoglio is an entirely different animal.
The twin turbo V6 is essentially a Ferrari engine with two cylinders less, it sounds amazing, and it has just as much bite as it has bark with it churning out a massive 500 horsepower. It can rocket the big exec from 0-60 in under 4 seconds.
1 They Made A GTA
For all the Alfisti out there, the true mark of any Alfa Romeo performance car is if it gets a GTA variant.
The Quadrifoglio was an obvious candidate for this, and the limited edition GTA/GTAm cars are the purest of GTAs. All of which have already been sold, all of which are already collectable.