The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is one of those cars that will remain forever in the history of the car. To be convinced in a few minutes it is enough to get on, or rather get off, on board and drive it for a few kilometers. The Giulia Q asks only this, it wants to be driven and possibly fast, thus opening the doors of the motoring paradise to the lucky (or aspiring) driver. If this sounds like a declaration of love, yes it is, but it is also pronounced with total clarity and availability of mental faculties. Obviously the Giulia Q has flaws and just read any social network to find out how it is put on the cross: obsolete bi-xenon headlights instead of full-LEDs, not the latest infotainment and the now infamous feeling of wheels and control buttons on the central tunnel. On the lack of a station wagon version of all Giulia, however, a separate chapter could be opened, but not today. Today is the time to celebrate the sublime performance of the Giulia Q.
What we tried was the restyled version, which arrived exactly four years after the presentation of the original model. Under the hood there is always the Ferrari-derived 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo which, with its 510 HP and 600 Nm of torque, pushes it to 307 km / h and from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.9 and 3.8 seconds. Times achieved also thanks to the 8-speed automatic transmission – ZF with torque converter – which can reduce shift times by up to 150 milliseconds. But the beauty of the Giulia Q is that you don’t need to go in search of these numbers to have a guaranteed good mood. This Alfa reconciles with driving even at urban speeds, even when parking and is not an exaggeration. It all starts with the steering, which in addition to being extremely direct, has a unique feeling. It manages to convey so many sensations, that it is as if your palms are attached to the front axle shafts and not the gorgeous 19-inch wheels, the four available designs of which are all so beautiful that it is almost impossible to choose.
Then comes the rigid chassis which allows the active suspension to work very precisely. The Giulia Q has a basic behavior that is slightly understeer, just to give an extra touch of safety, but is very willing to accommodate the driver who wants to play with load transfers, given that the weight distribution is perfectly balanced on the two aces. To put the Dna Pro selector in Race mode you need the so-called “handle” and it is better to do it only on the track, since the power discharged on the rear wheels and managed by the torque vectoring is really great and arrives instantly. The Chassis Domain Control unit does what it can, but if it exaggerates it cannot bend the laws of physics. In any case, the Giulia Q gives enormous satisfaction even when driven with a sporty attitude on a road full of curves, in the safest Dynamic mode. The soundtrack from a dual mode exhaust system with four outputs which in Race mode becomes more aggressive, always remembering that it is a turbo engine, with its inherent limitations in terms of sound.
Speaking of equipment, however, inside there is a new steering wheel, the gear lever is covered in leather, the seat belts can also be red or green. The seats have a sporty setting, very containing and upholstered in leather and Alcantara (as an option there are those with carbon shells by Sparco). The infotainment system has also been completely renewed with an 8.8 ”touchscreen, a redesigned interface and connected services. The updated Giulia Q also has the new level 2 driver assistance systems developed jointly with Bosch. The driver can let the car control the accelerator, brake and steering under certain conditions thanks to the lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and active cruise control systems which, in addition to regulating the speed according to the distance from the vehicle in front, keeps the car in the center of the lane.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifglio, the card
What it is: the restyling of the high-performance version of the Alfa sedan
Dimensions: length 4.64 meters, width 1.87 m height 1.43 m, pitch 2.82 m
Luggage compartment: 480 liters
Engine: 2.9 turbo petrol, 6 V 90 cylinders, maximum power 510 HP, maximum torque 600 Nm
Gearbox: automatic with 8-speed torque converter
Rear-wheel Drive
Advantages: performance, style, driving pleasure, ergonomics
Defects: outdated technological gadgets, command feeling
Production: Cassino, Italy
Prices: The Giulia Quadrifoglio price list starts at 91,000 euros, but is currently in promotion at 86,500 euros
