Auto Trader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAR
Sitting at the top of Alfa Romeo’s Giulia range is the Quadrifoglio, or QV for short. It’s a fast, Italian, four-door sportscar that produces 375kW and 600Nm costs $143,900 (AUD).
STRENGTHS
- Drivetrain: Alfa Romeo poached technicians from Ferrari and used them to develop the QV’s 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. There are ties between it and Ferrari’s triumphant twin-turbo V8, and it feels suitably exotic in the way it delivers power. It’s an absolute rocketship and it sounds good, too. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is the only transmission available in Australia.
- Dynamics: Once you adapt to the QV’s ultra-fast steering, there’s an extremely well-engineered chassis ready to be exploited. The QV is great to drive quickly and will stand up to track day use.
- Styling: Every Giulia is gorgeous to look at, and the flagship QV is especially attractive. Its handsome proportions and elegant lines are enhanced with aggressive, sporty additions like a deep rear diffuser and carbonfibre accents. The engine start/stop button is attached to the steering wheel for yet another touch of Ferrari.
- Comfort: The QV is better at keeping its occupants comfortable than most of the QV’s rivals. It has a sophisticated adaptive damper setup that successfully softens off the ride to make it capable of daily driving. The QV also has excellent front seats.
WEAKNESSES
- Space: Room in the back is a little limited inside the Giulia when compared to some rivals, and the QV’s rear bench seat only accomodates two people. There is no middle rear seatbelt.
- Brakes: Alfa uses a brake-by-wire system for the Giulia, which means a computer electronically controls the brakes based on pedal input, rather than connecting the pedal directly to the calipers.
- That means the pedal feel isn’t as natural or progressive as expected, and at low speed it is difficult to use the QV’s brakes smoothly.
- Build: Some of the QV’s minor controls and switchgear feels a little cheap. Our test car had a few other small blemishes in the overall build quality, including trim that wasn’t correctly installed and a bonnet latch that wouldn’t open. Not all QVs will be the same, but it is something to look at closely if buying one.
ANY RIVALS I SHOULD CONSIDER?
The QV is up against a strong set of competitors including the formidable BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 from Germany. However, the Alfa does things slightly differently and is definitely worth a look if either of those other cars are on your shortlist. It’s Italian individuality makes it a highly attractive alternative to the norm.