{"id":31670,"date":"2023-11-09T10:56:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T14:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31670"},"modified":"2023-11-09T10:56:35","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T14:56:35","slug":"payne-alfa-giulia-is-still-a-classic-italian-dish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/11\/payne-alfa-giulia-is-still-a-classic-italian-dish","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Alfa Giulia is still a classic Italian dish"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Pontiac<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Alfa Romeo is going through some big changes these days with its second SUV, the Tonale plug-in hybrid, and a barnful of pure electric vehicles planned by 2027. EVs, SUVs, yada yada \u2014 they\u2019re all the rage. But for you purists out there, you should know the Italian brand is still stamping out a terrific gas-powered sedan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">There are few cars that will put a bigger smile on your face than a 2024 Giulia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Grip the fat leather steering wheel, rotate the Drive Mode selector to D (Dynamic), and Giulia wants to play like a puppy copped up on a leash in the garage all night. Where to play in Oakland County? Any twisty road will do, as the Alfa turns on a dime.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403529007-alfa-romeo-giulia-fr-34-curves.jpg?width=990&amp;height=558&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"573\" height=\"323\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_gl_i_nt\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_gl_vg\" data-c-tc=\"17\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_t\" data-c-et=\"Gallery: 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Italian brand has been doing this a looooong time and the rear-wheel-drive Giulia is one of the sharpest tools in the luxe shed along with the Cadillac CT4 and BMW 2-series coupe. The 2 has a Gran Coupe sedan version but its, um, Mini-based front-wheel-drive platform isn\u2019t in the same league as the others. Giulia is athletic and utilitarian, though six-footers should beware of the cramped back seat (I could barely sit behind myself). I love my Model 3 for its innovation, but Tesla has a ways to go to catch up with its luxury peers on handling.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The smiles begin long before you touch that D dial. The Alfa is one of the sexiest sedans on the road, its sculpted flanks, wide stance and signature tri-lobo grille instantly recognizable as not-that-Audi-or-BMW-like-all-your-neighbors-have. For 2024, Giulia has updated its lighting signature to match the new Tonale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">McLaren this week threw cold water on the idea that sportscars will be going all-electric anytime soon due to the inherent challenges of EVs trying to pack 300 miles of range\u00a0<em>and<\/em>\u00a0reduce weight for performance.\u00a0 An all-wheel-drive Giulia weighs a significant 600 pounds less than an AWD Tesla.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Inside, you\u2019ll grin at the ON button located on the steering wheel\u2019s left spoke. Like Porsche\u2019s left-console key location (a throwback to running Le Mans race starts when drivers would jump in and turn the key at the same time), Alfa wants you to know it\u2019s serious about this performance business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Drive Mode dial, shift paddles, binocular cockpit. Everything about the interior communicates performance. The \u201824 model has also upgraded interior tech with all-digital instrument display. But dig deeper and the Giorgio platform, introduced in 2016, shows its age.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403539007-alfa-romeo-giulia-rr-34.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia comes in rear-wheel-drive (pictured) or all-wheel-drive.\" width=\"516\" height=\"291\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403539007-alfa-romeo-giulia-rr-34.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403539007-alfa-romeo-giulia-rr-34.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia comes in rear-wheel-drive (pictured) or all-wheel-drive.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia comes in rear-wheel-drive (pictured) or all-wheel-drive.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The 2024 Honda Accord in my driveway at the same time I was testing Giulia has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charge pad, and a head-up display. Giulia lacks these modern amenities, which are expected in most new mainstream cars, much less luxe models.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The lack of head-up display is a particular miss in a performance car. Bimmer puts its head-up displays to good use with a racecar-like, horizonal tachometer so the driver never has to take their eyes off the road when paddle shifting. The Alfa is every bit as engaging, and would benefit from similar tech on road.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Or on track.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">For a healthy $25K premium, the Giulia Quadrifoglio is also on offer for 2024. The QV (as Alfa likes to call it) loves to be pushed to its limits on tracks like M1 Concourse in Pontiac. I was happy to oblige. The sedan\u2019s 111-inch wheelbase is playful, and its Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires provide excellent stick.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6 sings a lovely aria complete with trombone shift accompaniment \u2014 BLAT! BLAT! BLAT! \u2014 from the quad pipes as I upshifted through the 8-speed automatic transmission. The automatic\u2019s shifts are much quicker than a manual can manage \u2014 but again it would benefit if you could shift the steering wheel paddles by using a head-up tachometer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403535007-alfa-romeo-giulia-seats.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia boast twin digital displays - but the aging chassis lacks modern amenities like wireless Apple CarPlay and charging.\" width=\"538\" height=\"303\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403535007-alfa-romeo-giulia-seats.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403535007-alfa-romeo-giulia-seats.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia boast twin digital displays - but the aging chassis lacks modern amenities like wireless Apple CarPlay and charging.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia boast twin digital displays - but the aging chassis lacks modern amenities like wireless Apple CarPlay and charging.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Unless you plan regular track days, the more affordable, still-sensual Alfa Veloce is plenty of car. Veloce possesses the same inherent goodies as its steroid-fed brother \u2014 Brembo brakes, magnetic shocks, limited-slip differential. And its 280-horse turbocharged engine is one of the most satisfying 4-bangers in the business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Still, as I grinned my way across Oakland County, that $55K sticker made me pause. There is plenty of good hardware in the compact car segment for less than $50K, beginning with my favorite hot hatch class.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Drop $45K on a VW Golf R and you get similar turbo-4 performance \u2014 plus all-wheel-drive, modern tech, better rear seat space, and better hatchback utility. What you don\u2019t get is a century of Italian heritage.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">My friend Mehul bought a Giulia because he had coveted an Alfa sedan from the days his father owned a Giulia GTA. It had left a mark. Unforgettable style, fun-to-drive, Rosso.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Rosso means red in Italian, but it also references the blood that makes your heart beat a little faster. It\u2019s a rare yearning that the Italian brand still manages to evoke from sheetmetal. It\u2019s a quality that, I\u2019m afraid to say, eludes the newly introduced Tonale SUV, as competent and stylish though it is.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Which is why I was pleased to see the Giulia back for \u201824. The other emotion Alfa has provoked over the years is less flattering: anger at its lack of reliability. After a blizzard of electronics failures, Car and Driver wrote off its long-term 2018 Quadrifoglio tester with the headline: \u201cAfter 40,000 miles with the Alfa Giulia, our heart is broken.\u201d Ouch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403531007-alfa-romeo-giulia-quad-34-fr.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The track-focused, 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio comes with a 505-horse, twin-turbo V-6 engine.\" width=\"493\" height=\"278\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403531007-alfa-romeo-giulia-quad-34-fr.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/01\/PDTN\/71403531007-alfa-romeo-giulia-quad-34-fr.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The track-focused, 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio comes with a 505-horse, twin-turbo V-6 engine.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The track-focused, 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio comes with a 505-horse, twin-turbo V-6 engine.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Under the leadership of CEO Jean Philippe Imparato and North American boss Larry Dominique, the brand aims to change that. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have quality, you don\u2019t have a premium brand,\u201d Dominique likes to say.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">From a basement dweller in J.D. Power\u2019s Sales Satisfaction Index in 2018, Alfa leap-frogged the field last year to No. 1. This March, it also took the top spot for J.D. Power\u2019s Initial Quality Study (tracking the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles over the first 90 days of ownership). That\u2019s a good start, and key to Alfa\u2019s renaissance in the U.S. market.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-6\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"5\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Giulia is already tops in the Initial Grins Study.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Vehicle type:<\/strong>\u00a0Front engine, rear- and all-wheel drive, five-passenger sedan<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Price:<\/strong>\u00a0$44,670 including $1,595 destination ($55,140 RWD I-4 Veloce and $81,855 V-6 Quadrifoglio as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Powerplant:<\/strong>\u00a02.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder; 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Power:<\/strong>\u00a0280 horsepower, 306 pound-feet of torque (I-4); 505 horsepower, 443 pound-feet of torque (V-6)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Transmission:<\/strong>\u00a08-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Performance:<\/strong>\u00a00-60 mph, 5.6 seconds (I-4, Car and Driver); 3.6 seconds (V-6, Car and Driver); top speed, 193 mph (V-6)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Weight:<\/strong>\u00a03,522 pounds (I-4 RWD); 3,820 pounds (V-6)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Fuel economy:<\/strong>\u00a0EPA 24 mpg city\/33 highway\/27 combined (I-4 RWD); 23 mpg city\/31 highway\/26 combined (I-4 AWD); 17 mpg city\/25 highway\/20 combined (V-6 RWD)<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-7\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"6\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Highs:<\/strong>\u00a0Italian style; athletic swagger<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Lows:<\/strong>\u00a0Tight rear seat; lacks latest luxury tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Overall:<\/strong>\u00a03 stars<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pontiac\u00a0\u2014 Alfa Romeo is going through some big changes these days with its second SUV, the Tonale plug-in hybrid, and a barnful of pure electric vehicles planned by 2027. EVs, SUVs, yada yada \u2014 they\u2019re all the rage. But for you purists out there, you should know the Italian brand is still stamping out a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31670"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31670"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31671,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31670\/revisions\/31671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}