Alfa Romeo Forum banner

Giulia is home

Tags
giulia home
13K views 116 replies 33 participants last post by  gazc 
#1 ·
Got it and loving it.
Wheels look better than I was expecting.
Parked next to a Giulietta the wheel arch clearances are much smaller which means that only having 17's isn't a big issue.
Interior looks pretty good. Virtually every trim item is improved a lot from the Giulietta. Even the carpets are much smoother.
Drove about 60 miles cross country and 10 on the motorway.
Yes you can hear some wind noise around the mirror on the motorway, only because rest of car is so quiet.
The amount of steering wheel adjustment is massive quite a surprise, first car I've had that I haven't pulled the wheel all the way out.
Steering is keen, front end seems very certain.
Throttle response in N and A is a bit soft, nicer in D.
Engine (2.0 200) pulls well and spins up pretty well.
Speed is very deceptive, I can see having the big digital speed display is going to be useful.
Voice control works fine on a memory stick of songs that was too much for the Giulietta 2014 Connect.
Screen looks good.
One of the reviews critisised nav not availabe on dashboard - this isn't true, it isn't turned on by default though.
Split fold seats are released from in the boot as a 60/40, but the centre "20" is released from inside the cabin which is possibly useful.
Start stop is quick and works seamlessly with the gearbox.
Standard stereo doesn't sound bad.
The only iffy plastics I've found are on the seat base and all the seat handles. I expect if you had the Lusso pack none of these would be present and it would then be hard to fault.
Non-smoking pack means you have two cup holders with no socket in one of them. Much better, another instance where negative review point from magazines could have been avoided by giving them the right spec car.
Seats aren't massively bolstered but felt supportive enough when cornering. Squab is slightly shorter than I'd like but Speciale/Veloce ones would sort that. Seats are slightly softer and more padding than Giulietta.
Standard wheel feels good in the hand.
Infotainment dials are all clicky and solid now, much better than pre-production.
Paddles feel and look amazing.
Box changes well, and quickly. Manual mode if pressing on is good and feels very natural. Need to learn engine noise though as I kept looking at rev counter to decide what gear I should be in. Auto mode I only really tried in A mode and I haven't yet got used to the car doing the shifting for me.
In manual mode car will redline and not change up, downshifts will happen automatically though so you can not bother shifting down when approaching a junction, doing this would be smoother for passengers.
Engine noise is Ok, but is rather it a bit loader. Traffic was pretty busy on a Friday afternoon so it might seem better if I give it a good run.
Overtaking in manual mode was impressively good and quick. Easy to concentrate on the road rather than shifting.
I'm totally happy with the engine performance. Feels like multiair Giulietta plus some.
Absolutely a better car than the Giulietta. Not even close.
I can't help but think I'd still rather a manual, I might change my mind though as town driving the auto has a big advantage.
And one for Ali - the cup holder cover on mine is absolutely smooth in operation.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#4 ·
Couple of lighting things:-
25w xenons don't have auto height adjustment (there's a light dial for height - the usual 0-3 thing) 35w xenon is auto adjusting.
I get some parking lights turn on when you turn the wheel at slow speeds, I haven't looked but I guess there's some extra LEDs that get turned on to illuminate the gutter when you're parking/turning into drive.
With Xenons there's no front fogs, what is pleasing though is that the rear fog light button fills the centre of the light switch then rather than having half of it blanked off, nice touch.
Door locked red LEDs in door handles are bright.
Some ambient lighting is present, above centre console and in door handles (I was under the impression this only came with upgraded Hifi, maybe it's improved if you select that).
Passenger sun visor mirror is lit (price lists seem to suggest that came with convenience pack - maybe it meant a makeup mirror and light on the drivers side which isn't present as standard.
Rear passenger light can now be turned on from the front of the car, it comes on with the front one (I've wanted this in the past as the kids couldn't reach the one in the Giulietta without getting out of belts).
 
  • Like
Reactions: metalgod23
#5 ·
Yes Giulia has additional LED lights for illuminating corners during slower maneuvers ;)
How come you did not spec painted brake calipers and/or 35W xenons, which comes with ALF (Adaptive Forward Lighting - changing direction when cornering, turning on high beams automatically,...)?
 
#6 ·
Because the calipers are the same whether they're painted or not and the aluminium ones actually look good to me.

I'm really not bothered about the round corner lights, the main factor for picking xenons at all was the look with lights off and with the daylight running lights on (and the fact that the foglight surrounds don't look good.

And if I'd have picked all the options I'd have spent 1000's more, I'd have really liked the leather dash..
 
#7 ·
One issue I have now is that the sculpting of the rear seats and the rigid seatbelt mounts means that the high-back booster child seat I have just doesn't fit. I've got non-backed ones that will fit, but would seem a retrograde step seeing though that's becoming "illegal" (I know it's not illegal but would you get stopped by the police for them to inspect whether the seat has the old approvals?)
I measure the flat seat portions to be 35cm wide btw.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Wow. A lot of first impressions on day one! This is the same engine I am getting in March and with 25w xenons for the same reasons of cost with 35w only coming as an expensive pack.

One question Gazc, are the DRLs LED with 25w xenons? Its not clear from the website. You have cleared up no fog light with xenons, I didn't know this.

Coming from a remapped 2.2JTS petrol producing about 190bhp and less torque, I am unsure how the 2.0 multiair was going to compare. Can you give me a bit more insight into the engine performance? I have ordered the petrol super pretty much blindly.

I also have Harmon Kardon upgrade, so does it mean I will have more ambient lighting?

Also, are the steering wheel control buttons backlit at night? Remember reading somewhere it may not be the case, if true that would be daft!

Thanks.
 
#9 ·
Wow. A lot of first impressions on day one! This is the same engine I am getting in March and with 25w xenons for the same reasons of cost with 35w only coming as an expensive pack.

One question Gazc, are the DRLs LED with 25w xenons? Its not clear from the website. You have cleared up no fog light with xenons, I didn't know this.

Coming from a remapped 2.2JTS petrol producing about 190bhp and less torque, I am unsure how the 2.0 multiair was going to compare. Can you give me a bit more insight into the engine performance? I have ordered the petrol super pretty much blindly.

I also have Harmon Kardon upgrade, so does it mean I will have more ambient lighting?

Thanks.
The 25w xenon comes with all LEDs for the other lights at the front. The only changeable bulbs are the Xenons which are supposed to be "lifetime-ish". They are replaceable and they're a standard fit (the manual does say what the type code is) but probably about £180 each when I looked on Amazon.

I was ordering blind on the 2.0 as well. Pretty much what I was expecting I think. I quite liked the performance of the Giulietta and I would say it was a bit hotter, there's more torque that's pretty noticeable. What with being new I wasn't deliberately pushing high up the Rev range.
I can't see how much use an extra 80hp would get from me. 50-80 is effortlessly dispatched already.

The performance is similar but a bit faster than the 1750 159 which I found quite a bit poker than the 2.2.

Once I get the hang of the box and which gear to be in I think the performance is going to be pretty enjoyable. It definitely in the sports category. I'll try and feedback some more once it's blasted down a few slip roads and embarrassed a few 320d rep mobiles.

One place I haven't got any ambient lighting is in the foot wells, that's a possible. Maybe there'll be lighting around the door midrange units? (The standard has tweeters and woofers on the rear door, woofers on the front then tweeters on the dash), the HK adds a subwoofer, midrange units in door, extra midrange unit on dash and two on the rear parcel shelf.
 
  • Like
Reactions: metalgod23
#16 ·
Congratulations gazc, that's what we wanted to hear; excellent first impressions.
I expect to be joining the Giulia 2.0 club in one weeks time.

Ref wind noise, I noticed when I drove two examples at Millbrook a few weeks ago that both exhibited a little bit of wind noise at high speeds, can't remember exactly how fast I was going at the time, maybe around 100 MPH on the 'bowl'

Ref Xenons, I opted for Sport Pack + which apparently has 'adaptive' xenons. I know what adaptive xenons are (look on youtube anyone who wants to know more about these) but my question is, will these be 35W, does anyone know?
 
#18 ·
Grazie a te MacGeek! It just gets better and better, can't wait.

If I have a complaint, it would be with my dealer, never dealt with them before but have no reason to doubt their abilities; it's just that they have never ever called me with status update re. delivery - or about anything else for that matter unless I initiated the exchange. Disappointing.
 
#20 ·
All good info coming out. Does anyone know if the 2.0petrol is cam chain like the 2.2JTS or belt?
 
#22 ·
I saw something about this when I followed a few links relating to Giulia suppliers, actually to the FCA Global Modular Engine which the 2.0 benzina seems to be part of. Can't remember the website or route to it though. Unless anyone knows better, the engine does not have MultiAir as such i.e. not like the 1.4 MA.

I believe that the chain assembly is a state of the art item supplied by Automotive Products (might be wrong about that) featuring low stretch characteristics. If you dig around you might find something. Or maybe it's the sort of thing MacGeek would know??
 
#21 ·
My dealer's other site - quite a way away - is Audi. It seems that some of the Audi 'distant and impersonal' attitude may have rubbed off on the Alfa operation. Is that likely to be one of the secrets of Alfa's future success - not!
I will tell them how I have found dealing with them once I get the car and am happy with it; no point in rubbing them up the wrong way just yet...
 
#28 ·
From the earlier point about painted or standard calipers. Even the unpainted ones get script writing at the front.
 

Attachments

#29 ·
Lovely car there Gaz. :smokin:

Personally if it was me I would be getting the oil changed halfway between the official services.

I know it is a bit early to be talking about camchain issues, but it should help prevent them a few years down the road, as well as helping increase the life of the engine/turbo.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Top Down
#37 ·
Hi, That's a great review, especially as you've only just got the car. Looking forward to updates as you become more familiar with it. Regards not over-revving it, I work on the drive it like you stole it philosophy. A quick question if I may, what is the service interval for the 2.0 and does your service manual say what the QV one is?

Cheers
 
#42 ·
Hi there's been a couple of queries about manual stuff like nav and servicing. All the manuals are available on the Fiat ELUM site, this goes for all models.
The connect nav has a separate manual, so some of the bits about the interaction between the console and the infotainment screen are split between the two.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top