Alfa Romeo has introduced the updated Giulietta ahead of its debut at next week’s Geneva Auto Show. The Giulietta is a Golf-sized hatchback that’s been one of Alfa’s best-selling models since its introduction in 2010.
The aesthetic updates are surprisingly minor. For its sixth year on the market, the Giulietta receives honeycomb inserts in the grille and in the air dam that’s built into the lower bumper, new emblems, as well as the usual assortment of additional paint colors and alloy wheel designs. In other words, it will take a well-trained eye to tell the updated Giulietta apart from the model that’s currently sitting in showrooms.
Alfa has never been synonymous with tech, but the automaker is looking to change that by fitting the Giulietta with the latest version of parent company Fiat-Chrysler’s touch screen-based UConnect infotainment system. The Giulietta also inaugurates a new feature called Alfa Performance that lets the driver time track runs, access vital information about the car, and receive real-time driving tips on a smartphone.
For enthusiasts, the Fiat-owned car maker offers a range-topping, Golf GTI-baiting version of the Giulietta called Veloce, a heritage-laced nameplate that means “fast” in Italian. The Veloce uses a turbocharged 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine that’s closely related to the mill found behind the passenger compartment of the 4C. It sends 240 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, though an overboost function allows the turbo four to deliver 250 pound-feet for short bursts. The Giulietta Veloce hits 62 mph from a stop in 6.6 seconds. Handling is improved by a firmer suspension setup and upsized Brembo brakes on both axles.
Buyers who don’t need 240 ponies under the hood can choose from a wide palette of gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines whose outputs range from 120 to 170 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is the only configuration available.
The updated Alfa Romeo Giulietta will go on sale across Europe in the coming weeks with a base price of €22,200, a sum that converts to approximately $25,000. Alfa has no plans to bring the Giulietta to our shores, but there’s a chance we’ll see the next generation model sold alongside the 4C, the Giulia, and the upcoming Stelvio crossover.
