ITALIAN cars are just oozing with sexiness, and with the new Giulietta, you can even use this hot hatch as a family car as it comes with five doors and a 350-liter boot. Sime Darby Auto Italia (SDAI) has brought in only one variant of the Giulietta, the 1.4 Turbo MultiAir with a 6-speed TCT tranny (the Selespeed replacement, a twin-clutch gearbox in other words).
The engine makes a healthy 170hp and 230Nm, the latter is available from as low as 1,750RPM.
Though turbocharged, the MultiAir system which employs an electro-hydraulic variable valve actuation technology allows this car to maintain a good fuel consumption – claimed at 5.2L/100km. Yet, 0-100km/h is still a sizzling 7.7 seconds and top speed is 218 km/h.
Standard spec includes Stat/Stop System (that can be switched off), dual zone climate control, Blue & Me system (Bluetooth pairing for your smart phones), Alfa Romeo DNA system (three driving modes – Dynamic, Normal and All-Weather), bi-Xenon headlights with AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System function, it follows into corners), leather interior and many more.
In terms of safety, you get six airbags, ABS, EBD, HBA, Vehicle Dynamics Control, MSR (Modular System Regulator), CBC (Control Brake Cornering System), HHC (Hill Holder Control), ASR (Anti Slip Regulation System), DST (Dynamic Steering Torque System), TTC (Torque Transfer Control System) and a few more acronyms. Most importantly, the Giulietta was awarded a 5-star Euro NCAP rating.
As with any other Alfa Romeo, handling is one of the car’s key feature. Using Fiat’s new C-Evo platform (also used by Fiat new Viaggio and Dodge Dart), the front end receives space saving MacPherson struts while the rear gets a multilink system with aluminium wishbone. Thanks to that, the multilink set up is 10 kg lighter than the usual setup.
Three colours are available (Ghiaccio White, Alfa Red and Black) and price is set at RM178,888, excluding road tax and insurance. All Alfa Romeo cars come with 2-year unlimited mileage manufacturer warranty.
On the side, SDAI has announced that it is working hard to bring in the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) version soon. The QV model packs 232 hp and 340N of torque while top speed is 242 km/h. Zero to 100km/h is done in 6.8 seconds.
SDAI also announced the opening of its Parts and Service Centre in Kuantan. This makes it easier for Kuantan folks who buy an Alfa from Kuala Lumpur to have their cars serviced.
