Alfa Romeo Giulia: The Rear-Drive Saloon That Reset Alfa's Executive Range

Alfa Romeo's Giulia was the marque's first saloon since the 159 left the range in 2011, and it returned rear-wheel drive to a mass-market Alfa after two decades away. The line-up stretches from a four-cylinder base car up to a 510 PS twin-turbo V6 that tops the range.

Where did the Alfa Romeo Giulia come from?

Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne asked in 2013 for a clean-sheet, rear-drive sports saloon that would return the company to its roots. Philippe Krief, a former Ferrari technical director, became chief engineer with a team of ten. The car had two and a half years to be designed and built.

Marco Tencone led the design team at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, working at the Fiat Mirafiori site in Turin under Lorenzo Ramaciotti. The programme ran late because Marchionne sent the first design back to the drawing board, which pushed the launch back.

The Giulia was shown to journalists at the Alfa museum in Arese on 24 June 2015. Only the top-of-the-range Quadrifoglio was on display, and the event fell on the company's 105th anniversary, when a fresh logo for future models also made its debut. The car sat inside a relaunch plan of 5 billion euros for an eight-model line-up, with a worldwide sales target of 400,000 by 2018, up from 74,000 in 2013.

A rear-drive compact saloon that brought Alfa's sporting image back into the executive segment on one clean, purpose-built platform.

What makes the Giulia handle differently?

The Giulia uses a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a target weight split of 50 per cent at each end. Independent suspension is fitted all round, with double wishbones at the front and a multilink arrangement at the rear. A carbon-fibre driveshaft and aluminium suspension parts help keep weight down, and the drag coefficient sits at 0.28.

All-wheel drive is offered on non-Quadrifoglio models through Alfa's Q4 system. In normal running the system sends all torque to the rear wheels, and it can move up to 60 per cent to the front when grip runs out. Reviewers were impressed with the steering, which the Sunday Times described as fast, with only two turns lock to lock.

Reviewers at the Guardian set it beside the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, labelling it a midsize executive saloon. The Daily Telegraph praised the steering for avoiding the artificial dartiness common in modern systems, but it found the plastics still behind rivals. The Sunday Times said the interior fittings were not as good as the price suggested.

How much power does the Quadrifoglio make?

The Quadrifoglio uses a 2,891 cc twin-turbocharged V6 that makes 510 PS (375 kW; 503 hp) at 6,500 rpm. Peak torque is 600 Nm (443 lb ft), available between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm. Alfa quotes 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 307 km/h (191 mph).

The engine was developed by engineers with a Ferrari background and derives from Ferrari's twin-turbo F154 CB V8. It shares the California T's bore and stroke of 86.5 mm by 82 mm. Single-scroll IHI compressors sit in the manifold, peak boost reaches 1.4 bar (20 psi), and cylinder deactivation switches off the right bank of three cylinders.

Combined fuel use is 8.5 L/100 km (33 mpg-imp; 28 mpg-US) with CO2 of 198 g/km, and the EPA rates the car at 20 mpg combined. The Quadrifoglio weighs 1,734 kg (3,822 lb), which works out to 3 kg (6.6 lb) for each PS.

How fast was the Quadrifoglio around a circuit?

The Quadrifoglio set a saloon record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, covering the lap in 7 minutes 39 seconds with a manual gearbox. A later automatic version recorded 7 minutes 32 seconds in September 2016. On Top Gear's test track it managed 1:21.40, and Car and Driver measured a standing quarter mile of 11.9 seconds at 195 km/h (121 mph).

In a Motor Trend head-to-head the Quadrifoglio beat the BMW M3 Competition and ranked above the Mercedes-AMG C63 and Cadillac ATS-V. On The Grand Tour's wet test track it finished only 1.1 seconds behind the all-wheel-drive Honda NSX, which is a strong result for a rear-drive car.

Away from the road, the Giulia gave rise to an electric touring car. Romeo Ferraris and Hexathron Racing Systems announced the Giulia ETCR in December 2019 for the PURE ETCR series. The car made its debut season in 2021 and was campaigned again in 2022. Maurizio Soro led the engineering at Hexathron, while WSC Technology supplied the spec drivetrain and battery, with peak output of 500 kW (670 hp).

Which special editions were built?

Alfa built a long run of limited Giulias, each with its own theme. Some used race-inspired parts, while others celebrated anniversaries or partnerships. Production runs ranged from 10 cars to 500, and each carried its own badging or trim. The main releases from 2018 onwards are listed below.

• NRING Edition (2018): shown at the Geneva Motor Show with carbon-ceramic brakes, Sparco carbon seats and NRING badging.
• Racing Edition (2019): a tribute to the C38 Formula One car, with 520 PS (382 kW; 513 hp) and a weight cut of 28 kg (62 lb).
• GTA and GTAm (2020): 500 units, 540 PS (397 kW; 533 hp), 100 kg (220 lb) lighter than the Quadrifoglio, with 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.
• 100th Anniversario (2023): 100 units marking the 1923 Targa Florio win by the RL Quadrifoglio.
• Super Sport (2024): 275 Giulias celebrating the 1928 Mille Miglia win by the 6C 1500 Super Sport.
• Quadrifoglio Collezione (2025): 63 cars across all markets, a nod to the 1963 Giulia Ti Super that introduced the clover badge.
• Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa (2026): ten examples built by BottegaFuoriserie and shown at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show.

Both the GTA and GTAm used the same 540 PS engine, yet they were built for different purposes. The GTAm is a track model with two seats, racing harnesses and Lexan side and rear windows, weighing 1,580 kg (3,483 lb). The road-going GTA weighs 1,605 kg (3,538 lb) and gained a track widened by 50 mm, plus new springs, shocks and bushings. Piston cooling moved from two oil jets to four to keep power constant and improve reliability.

Super Sport models from 2024 carried 520 PS, a mechanical limited-slip differential and Synaptic Dynamic Control suspension. Buyers chose from Rosso Etna, Nero Vulcano and, on the Giulia only, Bianco Alfa paint. Interiors used red carbon fibre and numbered stitching to mark each car within the 275-car run.

The Giulia SWB Zagato, unveiled in December 2022, was a one-off two-door with a shortened wheelbase and the GTAm engine, paired with a six-speed manual. Smaller runs followed, including the Competizione in 2023, the Tributo Italiano in 2024 and the Intensa in 2025.

How safe is the Giulia?

The Giulia scored 98 per cent for adult occupant protection in its June 2016 Euro NCAP test, and it earned five stars overall. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it a Top Safety Pick+ award on 3 October 2017, with the top rating in all five of its tests.

That Euro NCAP adult score was the highest achieved by any car at the time, even though the rating system had become stricter in 2015. Every Giulia has active safety equipment as standard, including forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection.

The braking system is based on Continental's MK C1 electronic brake control, which the Giulia was the first car in the world to use. Stopping from 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 38.5 m (126 ft) in the Giulia and 32 m (105 ft) in the Quadrifoglio. A Forward Collision Warning-Plus package was offered in the US for an MSRP of $500.

Where was the Giulia built and sold?

The Giulia was assembled at FCA Italy's Cassino plant in Frosinone province, central Italy. Pre-series output began in late August 2015, and official production started on 19 April 2016. Sales followed in the main markets, with Australia receiving the car in May 2017 and Japan following in October 2017.

Other markets came later. Singapore received the car in early 2018, and China was the first market to see the 2020 model year version. The facelift was announced in late 2022 and reached North America as the 2024 model year. Alfa also announced a return to Malaysia in late 2025, after a hiatus since 2013, with the Veloce Q2 on sale from early 2026.

Police forces have also used the Giulia. Italy's Polizia di Stato took two Veloce patrol cars in 2016, finished in light blue with white side stripes. The Carabinieri received two Quadrifoglios in navy blue that looks almost black, with flashing lights above the chin spoiler. In 2022 the Guardia di Finanza adopted the 2.0 Turbo 200 CV as its standard car.

The facelift brought 3+3 LED matrix headlights and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. The range was simplified to Sprint, Ti, Veloce and Quadrifoglio, with diesel and 200 PS petrol versions dropped from the lineup.

What awards did the Giulia win?

The Giulia collected awards from across Europe and North America, including the 2016 EuroCarBody Award and the German Golden Steering Wheel for the most beautiful car of 2016. It was also named Motor Trend Car of the Year for 2018, and Car and Driver put it in its 10Best list for the same year.

• Auto Europa 2017 and Driver's Choice Best New Luxury Car, 2017
• Evo Car of the Year, best sports saloon and best super saloon, 2017
• Newcomer of the Year from Quattroruote, 2017
• Wards 10 Best Interiors, 2017
• What Car? Performance Car of the Year, 2020

What are the Alfa Romeo Giulia specifications?

The table below gives the core figures for the base petrol car, the Veloce and the Quadrifoglio, with the diesel Advanced Efficiency model shown separately. Each row names the version it applies to, so the performance figures do not blend into the cheaper cars.

Frequently asked questions

Is every Giulia rear-wheel drive?

No. Non-Quadrifoglio models could be ordered with the Q4 all-wheel-drive system, which can send up to 60 per cent of torque to the front axle. The Quadrifoglio stayed rear-drive throughout, with a torque-vectoring rear differential.

What gearbox does the Quadrifoglio use?

The standard transmission is an eight-speed automatic from ZF. A six-speed ZF manual was offered as an option in European markets. A dual-clutch gearbox was announced early on but was later dropped from the plans.

Where does the Quadrifoglio name come from?

Quadrifoglio is Italian for four-leaf clover, a badge that first appeared on a production Alfa in 1963. The name has since been used for the company's most powerful performance models.

How light is the GTAm?

The GTAm weighs 1,580 kg (3,483 lb) and is a two-seat track model with racing harnesses and Lexan windows at the sides and rear.