The most famous line from the classic 1969 film The Italian Job is: “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off.” Well, speaking of things Italian, the latest Alfa Romeo Giulia will blow your socks off too.

We may as well address the elephant in the room straight away. Yes, Alfa Romeo has a reputation for unreliability, but to be fair, if you go onto social media you’ll find plenty of Alfa owners who are perfectly happy. Also, in a highly respected reliability survey of best and worst executive cars, the Alfa Romeo Giulia was sandwiched between an Audi A6 and a diesel-powered BMW 3 Series. Furthermore, you get a 3-year/unlimited mileage warranty so any problems should be solved quickly and for zero cost in any case. Nuff said. Let’s concentrate on the positives.

Several things point to a more rosy future for the Italian manufacturer. 

Firstly, Alfa Romeo is now part of the enormous Stellantis Group. This means that shared research, engines, platforms and interior tech, should see reliability perceptions eradicated.  

Secondly, when it comes to style, the latest Alfa Romeo Giulia looks terrific in an understated way. The design just work and I reckon it’s arguably the best-looking car in a class which includes rivals like the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE and Mercedes C-Class.

And thirdly, the Giulia, like the majority of Alfas that have ever been built, is terrific to drive. It’s also well-equipped and decently priced. The latest kit is smart and easy to use.

So, what’s on offer?

As with most manufacturers, Alfa Romeo has waved goodbye to diesel in the Giulia. You get a choice of two petrol engines but there’s no hybrid which is a shame because business drivers are missing out on attractive BIK (benefit in kind).

The one you see here is the 276bhp 2.0 litre Giulia in Veloce trim. You can also get a 2.9 litre V6 Quadrifoglio which churns out an impressive 513bhp and a sub 4.0 second 0-60mph dash. The 2.0 Giulia is hardly a slouch though with 0-60mph arriving in 5.7 seconds. Overall, you can expect around 39.2mpg.

All Giulia models get an 8-speed auto gearbox. I’m not quite sure why we don’t get the 6-speed manual ‘box which is available in other countries, though. There are large paddles behind the steering wheel and unlike most cars, the paddles don’t turn with the steering wheel. They remain static. They also make reaching the indicators and wiper stalks a bit tricky but, on the plus side, they look dead cool.

In the 2.0 litre Giulia, as well as Veloce trim, you can go for entry-level Sprint trim or top of the range Tributo. The Quadrifoglio version gets its own spec.

The Alfa Romeo engineers have used a lot of lightweight materials in order to make the car as nimble as possible. The 50-50 distribution has also helped, as does the really quick, precise steering. If you want to push on through some sweeping bends, you’ll love it. You’ll also love the way it powers out corners - classic rear-wheel drive. It sounds nice too.  

The handling is pin-point sharp and dare I say it, fun. It is an Alfa Romeo after all. Some of you will find that the ride is on the firm side at town speeds, but the pay-off is that the car comes alive on the quicker stuff. You have three driver settings: Dynamic, Natural or Advanced Efficiency, think Sport, Standard and Eco. The settings sharpen the car’s responses in terms of steering and throttle. I’d say Eco is worth avoiding because it removes the character which, let’s face it, is what any Alfa is all about.   

You’ll be forking out £39,995 to get the entry-level Giulia in Sprint trim. The interior is really smart, works well and feels light-years away from previous models. The seats are positioned fairly low in the cabin but they’re comfortable and supportive. In front of you is the 8.8-inch touchscreen which is crisp and clear and it also has a rotating wheel situated between the front seats which allows you to select options on the screen and set your sat nav etc. It accepts Apple and Android connectivity. Chuck in active cruise control, DAB radio, climate control, sat nav, front and rear parking sensors, rearview camera, and a good-looking 12.3-inch driver display, gives you what amounts to a decent list of standard kit. 

You also get a raft of safety gizmos and Alfa has credentials here with the Giulia getting top marks in the Euro NCAP safety tests.

I’d probably go for Veloce trim which adds stuff like heated front seats and steering wheel; leather upholstery for the front sport seats, and a limited slip differential. All trims get new headlights which look great and provide a terrific view of the road.

The bottom line is that if you’re looking for a car in the executive bracket but fancy something different to the usual German mix (and Jaguar) then this Alfa Romeo Giulia is a hugely tempting proposition, especially if you enjoy driving your car rather than just viewing it as a means of getting from A to B. It’s a sports saloon that really is worth getting out of bed early for on a Sunday morning and taking for a blast. 

Throw in the fact that it’s a stunning-looking car and you end up with something that a lot of drivers should try. We were surprised by how good it was.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Alfa Romeo