Newsgroup: it.discussioni.auto
Titolo: Giulietta, prime prove UK

Delle riviste italiane mi fido fino a là, quindi vi sciroppate :D
i giudizi degli inglesi :P
*Autocar*
Alfa makes a big thing of the Giulietta’s lightness and good power to 
weight ratio. The truth isn’t quite so clear-cut. The car does have a 
lighter body-in-white than its predecessor but it is 150mm longer, 80mm 
wider and, model for model, and only about 20 kilograms lighter than 
before. That’s a creditable achievement, but it still makes the car 
about 100kg heavier than its most obvious rival, the VW Golf 1.4 TSi.
The Giulietta comes to the UK this June in three trim levels and with a 
choice of four engines (1.4 litre/104bhp and 2.0 litre/168bhp 
turbodiesels; 1.4 litre/118bhp and 1.4 litre Multiair/168bhp petrol 
turbos).
All have Stop&Start, six-speed stick-shift gearboxes, a “DNA” switch on 
their consoles offering two different regimes (plus a Snow setting) 
that vary steering effort, accelerator response, electronic stability 
intervention and settings for the Q2 electronic differential. Veloce 
models get firmer spring/damper rates plus standard 17-inch alloys 
wheels with 225/45 tyres instead of the standard 16-inch alloys on 
205/55s.
For performance enthusiasts there will be a skirted, specially-badged 
Cloverleaf model offering a sportier-still suspension, a 1798cc “1750” 
turbo petrol engine with 232bhp on overboost, bigger brakes and the 
option of 18-inch alloys wearing 225/40 tyres.
Our test car was arguably the most advanced Giulietta of all, the 1.4 
litre Multiair petrol turbo with the seemingly impossible combination 
of strong power and torque (168bhp at 5500rpm and 184lb ft at 2500 
rpm), lively performance (135mph and 7.8 sec, 0-62 mph) and extremely 
frugal Euro 5 emissions standards (a CO2 output of just 134 gm/km and 
combined fuel consumption of 48 mpg).
The engine is exceptionally smooth and quiet at low revs, but its sound 
swells into much more of a pleasant, Alfa-style rasp when you start to 
use the power. It’s silky right up to 6500, though there’s a slight 
kick at 6300 (when an upshift light appears between the dials) to 
remind you that it won’t rev forever. Most impressive is the way this 
car keeps pulling at about 80mph; hard to believe you get close to 500 
miles from your 60 litre fuel tank.
The Giulietta is a great car to drive, balanced and accurate, but 
reasonably supple with it. The steering is sweetly weighted and loads 
gently as cornering speeds rise, but is so high geared (2.2 turns lock 
to lock) that you never need to alter your hands from ten-to-two, not 
even for hairpins. The car has class-leading grip, plus neatness and 
poise in corners and will throttle-steer neatly when driven hard. Body 
roll is present in modest quantities, but the side support of the 
comfortable seats negates it completely.
Should I buy one?
Yes-ish. Alfa Romeo ownership once carried a good deal of baggage. 
Reliability and customer service were not always strong suits. But the 
company has been overhauling its dealerships and procedures, and new 
generation owners say it’s working.
All Giulietta models, including the Cloverleaf, will be in showrooms by 
the summer. Alfa won’t yet quote prices except that they’ll start 
around £17,000 (for the 120hp Turismo petrol) and will represent good 
value against the opposition. Our estimate for the test car is 
£21-£22k. A decently-kitted Cloverleaf should cost around £25-£26k - to 
which you should happily add around £1000 when a twin-clutch, six-speed 
paddle-shift gearbox comes on song in a year’s time.
Meanwhile, Alfa seems to be moving back to its best. The Mito showed 
that it can do styling and marketing. The Giulietta is a much more 
thorough, ground-up effort at making a car owners will love to drive. 
And it shows.
*Car*
Alfa Romeo is launching the new 2010 Giulietta to replace its 147 in 
the heartland mid-sized hatch. So the new Alfa Giulietta faces up to 
some pretty competent machinery, such as the VW Golf, Ford Focus and 
Vauxhall Astra.
What’s going on? I thought Alfas were meant to look great and be 
terrible to drive. Let’s hope this one drives better than it looks...
We assume you’re talking about the Giulietta's less than beautiful face 
on this new C-segment fighter. Granted, it’s bland and formless after 
the chiselled muscularity of the old 147, but we’ve got modern 
pedestrian crash legislation to thank for that. The Giulietta's snout 
is a grower anyway and the rest of the shape makes up for it. The 
chunky hind quarters mean you need to move up from the basic 16in rims 
but the rear three-quarter view is swoopingly fantastic to these eyes.
The new 2010 Giulietta looks much bigger than the old 147
It is, but that’s because Alfa has replaced the 147 with two cars: the 
smaller three-door Mito and the five-door-only Giulietta.
The big hatch is fractionally bigger than a Golf with a generous 
350-litre boot and a back seat that doesn’t quite offer best in class 
accommodation (the squab is too low and kneeroom only average) but is 
at least competitive.
So what’s underneath the new Giulietta? A Fiat Bravo chassis? Hardly 
going to battle for top honours with that arsenal!
That’s why Alfa left it in the parts bin, instead developing an all-new 
lightweight steel platform that will underpin the next wave of Alfa 
Romeos – plus the next Fiat Bravo. Using high-strength steel means the 
finished car weighs 1365kg, little more than the smaller 147 and much 
less than Vauxhall’s porky Astra. It bodes well...
But is the Giulietta any good?
Oh yes. For a start the Giullietta rides with a suppleness that’s been 
sorely lacking in recent Alfas, even on our optioned-out test car with 
its sportier dampers and 17in wheels. It steers crisply too thanks to a 
new fully electric twin pinion steering rack whose motor is mounted 
away from the steering column to minimise artificial sensations through 
the rim.
With just 2.2 turns between the stops it’s fast but never nervous 
around the straight ahead and with a realistic build-up of weight as 
the cornering speeds rise. And they really can rise: the Q2 electronic 
differential standard on every single model provides a staggering 
amount of traction, even on rain-drenched tarmac and the body control 
on our sport-equipped car was good.
Sounds like the new Alfa Giulietta deserves a decent engine to make the 
most of it. What’s under the bonnet?
There are five engines at launch, all turbocharged and featuring direct 
injection. The bottom rung is a 1.4-litre with 118bhp that does 62mph 
in less than 10sec and achieves 44mpg. But add Fiat’s brilliant 
Multiair hydraulically operated valvetrain system and power climbs to 
168bhp, the 0-62mph sprint drops to 7.8sec, fuel consumption improves 
by 5mpg and CO2 falls by 15g/km. This is an impressive motor but it’s 
been tuned to work hard in the mid range and doesn’t take kindly to you 
trying to introduce needle to red zone.
If you need more speed there’s the 232bhp 1750 TB, a Golf GTI rival 
that’s good for 62mph in 6.8sec and 150mph flat out. Or if 50mpg isn’t 
good enough there are a couple of diesels: a 104bhp 1.6 or 168bhp 2.0 
JTDM common-rail diesels, Alfa claiming that the gap between the two 
isn’t as great as the numbers suggest. All are powered by a six-speed 
manual gearbox but there’s a dual-clutch option for most engines too. 
And every unit bar the 1750 gets start-stop as standard.
Bit flaky inside though I’ll bet!
Have you driven an Alfa recently? I’m guessing not because while 
they’re often disappointing to drive, there are rarely letdowns when it 
comes to fit and finish these days. Perhaps the Giulietta isn’t quite 
up there with the Golf, but it’s not far off. There’s chunky soft-touch 
material on the dash top and doors; clear, hooded dials; and rubberised 
toggle switches instead of boring old pushbuttons. This is a place in 
which you’d be happy to spend a lot of time.
Gripes? The metal-look but really plastic gearknob feels cheap, 
uncomfortable and slippery; there’s not enough space in the cabin to 
stash mobile phones wallets and MP3 players; the front seats need more 
lateral support and the back seats, while competitive on space, are 
short on under-thigh support. But the front seat comfort, the range of 
driving positions available and the boot are a match for the 
Volkswagen’s.
It leaves the Golf behind for kit too. Climate control, six airbags, 
the Q2 diff and the DNA selector are standard across the range which 
starts at around £17k with the brilliant Multiair driven here costing 
more like £19k.
Verdict
No more excuses? None needed. The Giulietta is the first Alfa Romeo in 
a long time that actually drives better than it looks. Of course being 
an Alfa it’s beaten in some areas by less interesting rivals.
But the Giulietta is fun to drive, stylish and cleverly engineered – 
exactly the car Alfa needs. And if the success of the far less 
accomplished Mito is anything to go by, it’s going to be a smash. Place 
a bet for this to become the European Car of the Year 2011.
*Evo*
Voto: 4/5
Pro: Meglio di Golf.
Contro: si compra più con la testa che con il cuore.
In sostanza và molto bene, paragonabile alla Golf che è un riferimento 
per la categoria, ma ha meno personalità delle precedenti Alfa, cosa 
che, secondo loro, è il principale problema di questa macchina...
Citazione:
What is it?
Alfa Romeo’s new 1-series, A3 and Golf rival, the Giulietta. It’s a big 
step forward from the Alfa 147 it effectively replaces, and promises to 
properly take the fight to its rivals, rather than simply being a 
stylish alternative. Here we’ve driven it in 168bhp 1.4 Multiair petrol 
form.
Technical highlights
It sits on a new platform, unexcitingly named ‘Compact’, that bears no 
relation to the Fiat Bravo, as rumoured during the car’s development. 
Instead the suspension boasts MacPherson struts up front and a 
Multi-link setup at the rear, and there’s an abundance of 
weight-focused materials – including high-strength steel – to make the 
Giulietta’s 1365kg kerbweight competitive.
Alfa’s Q2 diff comes as standard across the range, being made active by 
the Dynamic mode of the car’s DNA system.
What’s it like to drive?
Very good; its ride is supple and it handles with similar panache to a 
VW Golf, itself a benchmark in the hatchback class. And with the gutsy 
petrol-powered Multiair engine up front, you have plenty of power and 
torque available from low revs.
That DNA system is vastly improved, too; Normal mode is still a bit 
flat, and if you’re a keen driver you’ll need to flick into Dynamic 
each time you get going. As well as the activated diff, the car’s 
torque is upped 14lb ft and the steering is sharpened (while a natty 
pair of performance graphs appear on the sat nav screen); the result is 
a front end that’s easy to point into corners, and which pulls you out 
of them with ease thanks to Q2 and a really responsive throttle.
But - and it’s a big but for an Alfa Romeo - the sparkle’s missing. 
Previous generation Alfas have been flawed but undeniably characterful 
to drive. The Giulietta turns the brand’s personality on its head, 
dishing up a very impressive and competent driving experience that 
doesn’t really have you gagging to go back.
How does it compare?
To a Golf, very well indeed. It feels as well built nowadays and like 
we’ve said, driving the pair in close succession draws up surprising 
parallels. Stack the Giulietta up against any of its countless other 
foes – Megane, Focus, A3, 308 etc – and it’ll more than likely win you 
over. With prices set to start at around £17,000 (£19K with this 
engine), it’s very competitive in class.
Anything else I need to know?
You’ve a choice of Standard or Sport setups - the latter is best. 
Standard gets you marginally softer suspension and 16in wheels, and 
while it’s more compliant than the stiffer, 17in wheeled Sport, the 
differences are small and without the bigger wheels, darkened lights, 
side skirts and suchlike that Sport brings, the Giulietta’s a frumpy 
looking car.
La domanda che si fanno è:
It’s not a petrolhead’s car. Does that mean it’s not a proper Alfa?
la QV prende mezza stella meno del 1.4 170cv
What is it?
Here is the top model in the new Alfa Giulietta range, the 232bhp 
Quadrofoglio Verde or Green Cloverleaf. It outpowers a Golf GTI, 
doesn't quite match a Mégane 250 and has an engine smaller than both. 
If you were hoping for a replacement for the the old 3.2-litre, 
V6-engined 147 GTA, you'll be disappointed – but downsizing is the way 
of the world now.
Technical highlights
The engine is the 1.8-litre, direct-injection turbo unit already seen 
in the 159 and Brera, which uses extremely variable valve timing to 
scavenge combustion chambers for great low-speed torque and minimal 
turbo lag. The new 'Compact' platform shares only the floor sections 
with the 147, and the new suspension uses much aluminium. The platform 
can take four-wheel drive so expect a future 'Compact'-based SUV.
What’s it like to drive?
Stung by criticism of the smaller Mito's stodgy, rubbery electric power 
steering, the Giulietta has a new system with the motor on the rack 
instead of the column - less friction; less inertia. The result is a 
much more natural steering feel and a welcome transparency. The 
standard-fit Q2 system functions as an electronic differential to brake 
the inside front wheel when understeer threatens, and it works well. 
VDC (Alfa's ESP) intervenes readily in the DNA system's Normal mode, 
but not too annoyingly. The throttle response is pretty dull, though.
Switch to Dynamic and it's a much better Giulietta. The throttle 
sharpens so you can enjoy the hefty low-end torque better and hear that 
deep, crisp engine note. The steering weight rises but in a natural 
way, not by artificially increasing resistance. And the brakes change 
from spongy to quite sharp, thanks to 'pre-fill'. Dynamic also loosens 
the tail a little before VDC intervenes, but this is still not a car to 
be pointed keenly into a bend on a trailing throttle and caught with a 
dab of power. It's too tied-down and inert for that, which is a shame 
for an Alfa Romeo.
This is more a GT than a proper hot hatchback, an impression heightened 
by the engine's inability to pass 6250rpm, and a trick has been missed. 
It does ride well, though, even on its shallow-sidewall 225/40 R18 
tyres.
How does it compare?
The Giulietta's chassis engineers rate the Audi A3 highly and think a 
Ford Focus poor, which tells you a lot. The QV should be a rival for 
that Golf GTI and Mégane 250 but it lacks their dynamic sparkle. 
Instead it's good A3 or BMW 1-series alternative, which is what Alfa 
Romeo wanted. As far as the mainland European market is concerned, Alfa 
is probably right.
Anything else I need to know?
Expect a price around £22,000, but you might be better off saving a 
little and going for the 168bhp 1.4 MultiAir, driven here. Why? Because 
it's lighter in the nose, keener to turn, more playful on the throttle 
and ultimately more fun.
Scusate il post mastodontico e pianalitico :D, ma così c'è tutto.
L'auto pare buona e il motore consigliato è il 170cv a benzina; per il 
resto staremo a vedere

> Scusate il post mastodontico e pianalitico :D, ma così c'è tutto.
Anzi, grazie. Sembra più che buona. Vedremo che dice Sport Auto.
Chissà la GTA con il doppia frizione...
-- 
Kamox
[29; 280]
www.ringers.it

 Chiss� la GTA con il doppia frizione...
Eh ma non ha la TP, nemmeno il dedion...
-- 
8tto (39,136+73+32+36,MI)
FocuZ, Setru�, Diana, Maggiolo
Sei gay? Probabilmente sei anche pedofilo. Lo dice il cardinale Bertone.

 Eh ma non ha la TP
Trascurabile, l'80% dei possessori di Giulietta crederà che abbia la
TP.
P

Vado a comprare un cappello per togliermelo :P

 This is more a GT than a proper hot hatchback
questo lo dicono praticamente tutte le testate, ed è corretto se deve 
uscire anche la GTA che sarà lei a doversela vedere con GTI e megane 250.
Sembra un'auto davvero riuscita, mi fa piacere
sani
-- 
Denetor

 TP.
LOL
:)
-- 
f a s t f r e d d y 

 Sembra un'auto davvero riuscita, mi fa piacere
Però il fatto che sembri una golf/A3 non mi fa ben sperare nelle 
qualità di guida, ovvero: piantata a terra e sottosterzante.
147 ha un milione di difetti ma almeno da guidare ha i suoi perchè.
Aspetto di poterne guidare una per giudicare secondo i miei parametri

 Eh ma non ha la TP, nemmeno il dedion...
<rompicazz mode on>
Davvero. Per come l'hanno fatta sarebbe una bellissima Lancia! Questa si 
dovrebbe chiamarsi "Delta"!
<rompicazz mode off> 

 boxer (bé, quello viene dopo)?
E la valvole al sodio? E la camera di scoppio emisferica?
Ah, i doppiocorpo sono due!
-- 
Il popolo ha scelto Barabba.

 Ah, i doppiocorpo sono due!
E la ruggine? E il cambio di merda?
Ciao, Alex.
-- 
Quelli che hanno una Impreza e comprano una Bmw serie 1 .... si contano
sulle dita di una mano ... di uno che ti fa il dito medio !
(JPN, 200cv/l, 39)
http://www.heniadir.com/Subaru
 

Denethor ha scritto:


Non hai mica detto una cazzata, sai?
Non ci avevo pensato subito..ma hai sintetizzato bene una
sensazione che avevo..
-- 
questo articolo e` stato inviato via web dal servizio gratuito 
http://www.newsland.it/news
 segnala gli abusi ad 
ab...@newsland.it

 Non hai mica detto una cazzata, sai?
Ma infatti io ero serissimo... 


Ops...
-- 
8tto (39,136+73+32+36,MI)
FocuZ, Setruà, Diana, Maggiolo


 Ops...
Ops che? Ah, bhe, ho cambiato il nick, si, mi piaceva troppo questo nuovo! 
:) 

 Eh ma non ha la TP, nemmeno il dedion...
Si può sempre rimediare su una Smart nel caso...
-- 
- JF - (ge, 34, 42, 120++)
"Per fortuna c'è sempre la mia A112"