Alfa Romeo Giulietta

THIS is the car that all Alfistis around the country have been waiting for,the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.Replacing the popular 147 and slotting in between the Mito hatchback and 159 saloon,the new Giulietta is set to be the brand`s bread and butter offering. Though the 147 was made in both three and five-door forms,the Giulietta is only designed as a five-door hatchback.It features a Volkswagen Golf-sized rear compartment but a coupe-like roofline and disguised rear door handles(as used on the 147)to enhance its sporting credentials.The shape draws obvious influence from both the outgoing 147 and the newer Mito supermini,but it looks modern than either. It has the most striking three-dimensional version of Alfa`s shield grille yet,supported by two prominent lower lateral air intakes.The muscular sculpting of the body sides leads to prominent rear haunches,with an exposed exhaust tip and a diffuser beneath a rear panel whose LED taillight echo shapes pioneered in the 156. Inside,the Giulietta echoes the twin-binnacle,driver-oriented fascia design that Alfa have traditionally used,but with the familiar centre stack replaced with a simplified,lateral panel.The interior uses novel trim textures and body-coloured metal to signify a change from Alfa traditions. At 4351mm in lenght,the car is about 150mm longer than the Golf or the 147.The 2634mm wheelbase is 50mm longer too,and although its extra length makes it look low,it is 50mm higher than the car it replaces. The new Giulietta promises exceptional handling performance and comfort levels with its sophisticated MacPherson strut/milti-link suspension setup.It is also fitted with a new Electronic Q2 system,which improves the tranfer of drive torque to the wheels and,in particular,guarantees excellent cornering behavior thus making the car safer and more enjoyable during a spirited drive or in poor road grip conditions. Alfa purists and manual lovers will be treated with a 235bhp 1750 TBi Quadrifoglio Verde(Four-leaf Clover)variant with a six speed manual`box later on in the year,but until then,only one variant is offered for the Malaysian market-the Giulietta 1.4TB Multiair with a 6-speed Twin Clutch Transmission.With 168bhp and 250Nm of torque,the turbocharged Alfa gets from 0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds on to a top speed of 218km/h.Its advanced Multiair engine also gives it excellent fuel economy,averaging over 19km/L on the combined cycle. The latest Alfa Romeo in town is available in three colours-Ghiaccio White,Alfa Red and Black-and is priced at RM178,888 excluding roadtax and insurance.