[sotbak]

Dear alfa enthusiasts now look at my thoughts about the rest of the new GIULIA range and please comment:

Mr Marchionne did a brilliant marketing trick with the presentation of the gorgeous and promising QV ahead of the other - more common - models of the new GIULIA range. All the world and not only we - the alfa romeo enthusiasts - started to talk about the car with such excitement!!! and we all dream of the day to grab one QV and squeeze her on a tight and bended B-road, as you call them in England.

But now Mr Marchionne has to face up to the consequences of his action. Why?
Because now the marketing targeted "audience" of his has to be driven in a compromise in order the majority of us, who can't afford or won't find a QV to buy , will have to settle with minor versions. But - and that is for sure - they are dull in comparison to the QV..............especially regarding the external design and also the dynamic abilities of the smaller versions.

So, there is a great marketing risk here:
To have on the one hand a great car (new GIULIA QV) that will not be produced in big numbers and also will not be that cheap so that anyone of the crazy alfisti to own one and on the other hand to fail to sell the minor models due to the disappointment of the enthusiasts that cannot possess the ....real thing!!!.

And don' t tell me that everyone will go to the after market solutions and put on his GIULIA the "dress" of a QV, because this won't make her a real QV regarding her dynamic characteristics.....

The only relief to all that is that the new GIULIA has an excellent interior - and ergonomically- way ahead of her rivals and the 3-series BMW.

 

[73GTVJim]

He was right to present the halo model first. We've bemoaned the lack of a serious performance model for years.

As to the rest, well the cooking models will always be more mundane. BMW 3 series is a perfect example. The vast sales are all OK or underwhelming at best after the M3.

 

[sotbak]

He was right to present the halo model first. We've bemoaned the lack of a serious performance model for years.

As to the rest, well the cooking models will always be more mundane. BMW 3 series is a perfect example. The vast sales are all OK or underwhelming at best after the M3.

So you do what the Germans to do in order to hit the Germans?

 

[Greener123]

They may be more mundane compared to the QV but they are still, on paper at least, better than their equivalent rivals

 

[73GTVJim]

So you do what the Germans to do in order to hit the Germans?

It works. I'm not sure what is the point of your OP. The QV is powerful and more expensive than most people can afford. The ones they might buy are not the same. So?

It's surely better that the QV exists.

 

[cue2]

The trick is to make elements of the halo model attainable as BMW do with similar alloys or other options to give customers a taste of the M. Alfa got it right to create this aspiration after failing to do so enough with the Mito and Giulietta launches and really over cooked the groundhugging stuff round the bottom of the Giulia, to the point where the QV would be outdone by a normal Giulia with the wheels off the QV. 16" wheels are std on the thing though! The new Scenic is available with 20s.

 

[100th_Idiot]

So 20 inch wheels are just better than 16 or 17????

I never knew that. Thanks.

 

[cue2]

Pleased to be of assistance.

 

[cue2]

Things the whole range of Giulias share include lightweight doors and carbon prop shaft. Those doors must be why the car looks a bit undefined in its surfacing; aluminium stampings are not so easy to do with sharp features. A 159 would be difficult to replicate in alloy as Jaguar found on the XJ when it went from steel. Trouble is , when the body has big radii it looks heavier and needs bigger wheels to look right. GM has actually worked on tightening up the look of the new Astra ,according to their design boss,
so that they could scale them down and lose the crazy 20" option. Meanwhile , the new Renault Scenic is pretty amorphous and has a 20" option... No functional benefit but "looks cool". My Giulietta actually works better in most respects with 16s but looks "right" with 18s so I do that with extra fuel and tyre cost.

 

[algae]

still...is there any chance of having automatic/TCT QVs?

 

[100th_Idiot]

Things the whole range of Giulias share include lightweight doors and carbon prop shaft. Those doors must be why the car looks a bit undefined in its surfacing; aluminium stampings are not so easy to do with sharp features. A 159 would be difficult to replicate in alloy as Jaguar found on the XJ when it went from steel. Trouble is , when the body has big radii it looks heavier and needs bigger wheels to look right. GM has actually worked on tightening up the look of the new Astra ,according to their design boss,
so that they could scale them down and lose the crazy 20" option. Meanwhile , the new Renault Scenic is pretty amorphous and has a 20" option... No functional benefit but "looks cool". My Giulietta actually works better in most respects with 16s but looks "right" with 18s so I do that with extra fuel and tyre cost.

So your message is to compromise ride and handling for bigger more expensive tyres.

 

[cue2]

Not really, but my message took longer to compose and it's more of a contribution to a discussion than your retort?

 

[73GTVJim]

To be fair, I think Cue is saying that the fashion for bigger rims is driven more by style than function and he has succumbed to it himself because the 18s look "right".

This is a common theme in many other car reviews - that a car drives or rides better on smaller rims reserved for more basic models and quickly discarded by designers and customers spec'ing their purchase.

 

[cue2]

Thanks Jim for reading what I have written following a bit of thought on the subject.
I believe it's easy to just lob a grenade into a discussion instead of a worthwhile comment but we just miss out on sharing thoughts.

 

[Biscione1750]

still...is there any chance of having automatic/TCT QVs?

In an interview with one of FCA people (might've been Phillip Krief) there was talk of a 7 speed TCT developed for the QV.

 

[Cfm78910]

I think Alfa is spot-on with their strategy with the Giulia range. Launching the QV first created hype and people started to pay attention. Most people will not be able to afford a QV and there now are models they may be able to buy. Also, to get a slice of the corporate fleet and lease market they must have more mundane options. Look at the 3-series, most of them are terribly mundane. They need the Giulia to sell in decent numbers and the QV on its own won't. I'm not a fan of M, S, etc. packages. For me the heart of a vehicle is the drivetrain and if you can't afford the QV I'd rather get a lesser model and enjoy it for what it is. You can dress a 318i up in all the M stuff you can afford, it remains a cooking 318i. As far as the wheels go I agree with what the others said. Bigger is seldom better, my GQV looks better with 18" wheels but there is no doubt my GMA rode better on 17" wheels. Anyway, time will tell but I believe Alfa is on to something with the Giulia. I'm not a huge fan of sedan vehicles but the Giulia looks good and the interior is stunning, certainly nicer than the 3 by some margin.

 

[Giorget2]

Moan moan moan.

 

[GazGJ]

Sorry to jump on the thread, but does anyone know if/when a coupe will be released?

 

[leraunch]

Sorry to jump on the thread, but does anyone know if/when a coupe will be released?

And a sportwagon!

They should have really shown a SW version along with a sedan. To have not to have built one and rely on a later SUV for large family sales is an oversight in my opinion. How difficult would it be to add this to the range and give people more of a choice across the Alfa range.

 

[Ruskins]

Well apparently estates dont sell much outside of the UK/Eur.

In Reading on my way home i seem to see as many 3 series estates as salons.