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194 Posts
So I have had my Giulia Veloce for just over a week now and thought that I would start my first thread. Feel free to add your own pics and experiences but here is my input for now:
Ordered at the start of March when my dealer was first able to give finance details on the Veloce model, my car arrived in the UK in mid-May and was at the dealers by the end of the month. I hadn?t ordered anything too fancy, just metallic paint, chrome window trim and boot anchors. This is to be primarily my ?company car?, fulfilling the need for a motorway cruiser with reasonable economy but combined with the ability to offer something a little more sporty for personal use (I have other sporty cars but after many years in Euro diesel boxes it was time for a change for my ?daily?). The ability to tow might be useful at some point, so this was checked carefully prior to purchase (ignoring what was printed in various ARUK brochures, which was absolutely incorrect). Decent room in the back seats is also a benefit, as is split/foldable rear seats (an advantage of buying a mid-range model).
For test drives, I started with the ubiquitous blue Diesel version before a petrol model was available but hadn?t driven a Veloce until I collected my own. 200bhp had proven pretty rapid so an extra 40% of power should be immense. Having now tasted it, I can say that it is! I am easing in gently, mostly using A mode (particularly for my first business trip, when I returned 42mpg on a long drive up the A1) but have tested N and D a couple of times now. Crikey, you do have to be careful with the throttle! It is just so easy to exceed the speed limit without trying. I learned this lesson over twenty years ago, owning a particularly rapid car that I loved but was just too fast for UK roads (faster than the Veloce even), which made way for cars more suited for short bursts of acceleration at lower speeds. The Alfa?s capabilities will not be called upon on a daily basis! (A Quadrifoglio would be an absolute waste.)
Having rear-wheel drive available every day is a joy and although the engine is quiet, it?s nice to know that it?s a quiet petrol engine and it does make itself heard when you open the taps. Automatic transmission is something I haven?t had for over twenty-five years but am getting used to again, and rather enjoying it. The paddles are great, though not used too often yet (I do like the ?MacGeek? downshifting technique, though).
Trim wise, the Veloce had everything that I wanted from my Alfa, in terms of fabulous seats, the paddles, foldable door mirrors, electrochrome internal mirror, etc. I had specced up a Super with as many of these things as possible (which didn?t include the seats) to almost the price of the base Veloce, so the choice was simple. It?s a pleasant experience inside the car.
Outside looks great; the paint is just sublime. The blue looks flat in the dusk but when sunlight hits it, the metallic sparkles and the colour can appear light, dark and even purple at times. The infamous Turbine wheels suit the car very well, and I am very happy with the overall appearance. People who have driven in front of me tell me how good it looks in the mirror.
I can?t complain about overall quality; it all seems to be nicely-built, nothing feels loose or shoddy. My experience so far is a good one. The dealer has been very helpful all along the process, including changing the finance agreement to the better offerings of the current quarter.
I have learned a lot about Giulia from this forum over the past few months, which has helped enormously, so thanks to all on here.
Ordered at the start of March when my dealer was first able to give finance details on the Veloce model, my car arrived in the UK in mid-May and was at the dealers by the end of the month. I hadn?t ordered anything too fancy, just metallic paint, chrome window trim and boot anchors. This is to be primarily my ?company car?, fulfilling the need for a motorway cruiser with reasonable economy but combined with the ability to offer something a little more sporty for personal use (I have other sporty cars but after many years in Euro diesel boxes it was time for a change for my ?daily?). The ability to tow might be useful at some point, so this was checked carefully prior to purchase (ignoring what was printed in various ARUK brochures, which was absolutely incorrect). Decent room in the back seats is also a benefit, as is split/foldable rear seats (an advantage of buying a mid-range model).
For test drives, I started with the ubiquitous blue Diesel version before a petrol model was available but hadn?t driven a Veloce until I collected my own. 200bhp had proven pretty rapid so an extra 40% of power should be immense. Having now tasted it, I can say that it is! I am easing in gently, mostly using A mode (particularly for my first business trip, when I returned 42mpg on a long drive up the A1) but have tested N and D a couple of times now. Crikey, you do have to be careful with the throttle! It is just so easy to exceed the speed limit without trying. I learned this lesson over twenty years ago, owning a particularly rapid car that I loved but was just too fast for UK roads (faster than the Veloce even), which made way for cars more suited for short bursts of acceleration at lower speeds. The Alfa?s capabilities will not be called upon on a daily basis! (A Quadrifoglio would be an absolute waste.)
Having rear-wheel drive available every day is a joy and although the engine is quiet, it?s nice to know that it?s a quiet petrol engine and it does make itself heard when you open the taps. Automatic transmission is something I haven?t had for over twenty-five years but am getting used to again, and rather enjoying it. The paddles are great, though not used too often yet (I do like the ?MacGeek? downshifting technique, though).
Trim wise, the Veloce had everything that I wanted from my Alfa, in terms of fabulous seats, the paddles, foldable door mirrors, electrochrome internal mirror, etc. I had specced up a Super with as many of these things as possible (which didn?t include the seats) to almost the price of the base Veloce, so the choice was simple. It?s a pleasant experience inside the car.
Outside looks great; the paint is just sublime. The blue looks flat in the dusk but when sunlight hits it, the metallic sparkles and the colour can appear light, dark and even purple at times. The infamous Turbine wheels suit the car very well, and I am very happy with the overall appearance. People who have driven in front of me tell me how good it looks in the mirror.
I can?t complain about overall quality; it all seems to be nicely-built, nothing feels loose or shoddy. My experience so far is a good one. The dealer has been very helpful all along the process, including changing the finance agreement to the better offerings of the current quarter.
I have learned a lot about Giulia from this forum over the past few months, which has helped enormously, so thanks to all on here.
.
