Video: Alfa Romeo Reveals The Giulia

2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia (Credit: Alfa Romeo )

BMW, Mercedes and Audi are all officially on notice, because Alfa Romeo has finally revealed the Giulia. The new model is supposed to be the pinnacle of the Italian automaker’s performance offerings, which if true means it should be pretty impressive.

To start off, the look of the Giulia is striking. While that’s a subjective thing, it outshines the blandness of the A4 and foregoes any of the funkiness currently plaguing the 3 Series. It also is obviously an Alfa Romeo, thanks to the signature triangle front grille.

One of the best elements of the Giulia is the 5.0-liter six-cylinder turbocharged engine. It was created by engineers the company says have a background with Ferrari, which is evident when you hear the thing growl (see the video below). It’s not all bark and no bite, though, with 510 horsepower to back things up. Alfa Romeo says the sedan can go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds, which is a respectable time.

Another great point about the Giulia’s design is that it has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. The suspension up front is a double wishbone with a semi-virtual steering axis, while in the rear the Italians used a multilink setup. From the sound of things, the Giulia should handle incredibly well.

When Alfa Romeo designed the Giulia, it’s obvious that performance was the main objective. Instead of being loaded with a bunch of semi-useless gizmos that only marginally improve the driving experience, the Italians decided to concentrate on features that should make people fight over who gets to drive the sedan next.

Among these features is torque vectoring and a double clutch that works with the rear differential. The car also has an integrated brake system, which uses an electromechanical system to mix old-fashioned servo brakes with stability control electronics. Alfa Romeo says the setup nets record-breaking stopping distances.

When you’re powering around on country roads or the race track in the Alfa Romeo Giulia, you can use different common controls with ease. The steering wheel has the main controls integrated into it, like a Formula 1 racer. This is the kind of car the Germans need to watch closely.