It was intended to mark the beginning of a new era for Alfa Romeo, one that would see the company emerge from years of automotive obscurity and establish itself as a dominant force in the premium market. However, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio did not experience that.
It will be remembered for a very different reason, however, as it will be the final full-series production vehicle from the brand to be powered solely by an internal combustion engine. By the end of the decade, all Alfa Romeo vehicles will be battery-powered, with the current model being replaced by an all-electric model by 2025.
The company has created this final updated Giulia as one last hurrah for gasoline power before it is no longer used. The only notable upgrades are new mechanical locking rear differential, new LED headlights, and a new digital instrument panel.
Despite this, the Giulia Quadrifoglio didn't require a significant makeover. Even though only 82 Giulia sports sedans were sold in the first half of 2023, despite not being a best-seller, it is an underrated gem. And we had the good fortune to see a sneak peek of this updated version in France before it came to Australia.
Does it offer a good price-to-value ratio? What characteristics does it have?
Although the final Australian pricing and specifications haven't been confirmed at the time of publication, a significant price adjustment is unlikely given the minor changes. Expect a slight price increase from the current $143,500 to reflect the minor specification changes, as is the case with seemingly every car these days.
The 12.3-inch digital instrument display and the new LED Matrix headlights are the standout features in terms of specifications.
The brand's '3+3' design is used in the new headlights, which are full-LED Matrix type and provide anti-glare and adaptive driving beam while also using less energy.
Expect to see 19-inch alloy wheels, a carbon-fiber bonnet, a front splitter, and a rear spoiler, as well as the remaining equipment that will likely be carried over from the current Giulia Quadrifoglio. Along with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto on an 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, there are leather-trimmed sports seats, carbon-fibre interior trim, and other features.
Is there anything intriguing about the way it was made?
Little to say. It wasn't really necessary to make significant sheet metal changes because a brand-new model was already being developed to replace this one. As a result, the new headlights adopted the same shape as the previous ones.
The new digital display, which replaces the only analogue dials, fits exactly the same way. The fact that the 'telescopic' panel surround is still present, though, is a nice nod to the brand's heritage, which the company's chief designer says he wants to preserve for the company's electric future.
Surprisingly, the Giulia Quadrifoglio still looks good despite having largely remained unchanged since its 2016 launch. It stands out from its German rivals with its distinctive Italian style and capitalizes on the advantages of such a storied brand.
How useful are the interior spaces and technology?
Alfa Romeo hasn't made any significant interior space changes, but the Giulia Quadrifoglio is a direct rival to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 in terms of size at 4639mm long, 1874mm wide, and 1433mm tall. These measurements translate to a respectably sized sedan, which provides plenty of room for front seat passengers but is somewhat constrained in the back, particularly in terms of leg and foot room. For a sedan of this size, the boot's 480-liter capacity is respectable and comparable to that of its competitors.
Although the new digital instrument panel does introduce some new technology, the interior of the Giulia feels and looks the same overall. The technology and design required a significant update to compete with its current rivals, but aside from the new dash and some carbon fiber, it largely remains the same as it was in 2016. For instance, the outdated interface and graphics of the tiny 8.8-inch infotainment screen's TomTom navigation system make it difficult to use at times.
The new display does, however, offer a number of configurations, including Evolved, Relax, and Heritage, which preserve the appearance of the earlier analogue dials. To put it bluntly, these various variations are difficult to distinguish from one another because they only have minor differences. The display changes when you select "Race" mode, with a more streamlined layout giving the rev counter, speedometer, and shift lights priority.
The interior of the 100th Anniversary editions features contrasting gold stitching, including across the dashboard and a stitched "100" in front of the front passenger seat. It's unfortunate that these select few cars are the only ones with this seemingly insignificant feature because it actually has a significant impact on the cabin's presentation.
What are the most important engine and transmission statistics?
For the 100th Anniversary edition, Alfa Romeo made a few minor adjustments that increased the power to 382kW, but the rest of the range remained unaltered. That indicates the identical 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, which is said to be based on a Ferrari design and produces 375kW/600Nm. The new mechanical limited-slip differential powers the rear wheels when the engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Alfa Romeo asserts that the Giulia Quadrifoglio has a top speed of 308 km/h and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds.
How much fuel does it use? How far can it be driven?
Although not particularly economical, the Giulia Quadrifoglio's claimed 8.2 liters per 100 kilometers are respectable given the amount of power it can generate. The focus is on performance rather than economy, which is what you would anticipate from an engine with connections to Ferrari.
The 58-litre fuel tank still offers a range of about 700km, which is sufficient for a weekend road trip in your Italian sports sedan if you can manage that number.
What's it like to drive?
Like any great Alfa Romeo, its driving prowess enables you to look past some of its shortcomings. The Giulia Quadrifoglio starts to roar when you push the racing-style starter button mounted on the steering wheel.
Alfa Romeo gave us the chance to test drive the 100th Anniversary editions on the renowned but aging Autodrome de Montlhéry racetrack, just outside of Paris, which was good news because the engine is happy to rev and be driven hard.
As a result, we were able to fully utilize the capabilities of this most recent Giulia Quadrifoglio in a secure setting. However, it's important to note that the circumstances at Montlhéry were remarkably comparable to Australian roads, with a rough surface more akin to a public road than a smooth racing circuit, and with plenty of road debris (leaves, stones, etc.) to make for a more realistic experience.
The Giulia excelled with its performance and handling despite these circumstances. Thankfully, the brakes were just as effective, remaining strong and constant despite numerous hot laps and heavy stops. The engine pulled hard down the long straights all the way past 220 km/h.
Alfa Active Suspension, Active Torque Vectoring, and Chassis Domain Control give the Giulia its precise cornering ability. This technology enables quick, precise steering and a tight chassis grip through the bend. The Giulia's ability to be adjusted mid-corner is impressive because it has a directness and control that some of its more razor-edged competitors can't match.
Although our time on public roads was limited, what we did learn was that the suspension provided a controlled ride that was undoubtedly firm but didn't jar excessively. However, there shouldn't be any unpleasant surprises when this updated model arrives in local showrooms because there haven't been any significant suspension upgrades between this incoming updated model and what we already have in Australia.
What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?
The current car's safety features shouldn't be altered because of the nature of this upgrade. This means that you can anticipate active cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
The Giulia received a five-star safety rating from ANCAP when it was first introduced locally in 2017, but that rating has since 'expired' as the vehicle is now more than six years old.
What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?
Again, there's no reason to think that this barely updated model will differ significantly from what we currently have in terms of ownership. This translates to a five year/unlimited mile warranty, which was introduced in 2022 but may have been better at the time of the Giulia's initial launch in early 2017. This is because the brand has a spotty reliability history.
We wouldn't want to speculate and give inaccurate information given the data we have at the time of publication, but servicing costs do have the potential to change because they can change based on some of the changes. However, the intervals should continue to be 12 months/15,000 km.
Verdict
Hopefully Australian buyers will have the chance to purchase one of the 100th Anniversary limited edition cars, which do feature more changes and, consequently, more appeal than the Giulia Quadrifoglio's "standard" version. Even though the new dashboard and headlights aren't game-changing upgrades, the car's driving dynamics continue to be its main selling point.
Although it may not have been the beginning of an Alfa Romeo renaissance as many had hoped, the Giulia was the company's first truly outstanding vehicle in a very long time. Even though this last update doesn't significantly alter the vehicle, it's still nice to see the brand give it one last flourish.
The all-electric 2025 Giulia, which is expected to break the cycle of failed comebacks and give the world an Italian premium brand to compete with the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla, will be tasked with trying to revitalize this storied brand.