Alfa Romeo's Giulietta: An entertaining driving experience

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Continuing the trend started by its Mito, Alfa Romeo's Giulietta has been positioned to attract family hatchback buyers who are seeking something witha little more design sparkle than theusual suspects.

Visually, the Giulietta is pure Alfa Romeo. From the car's dominant and distinctive shield to its dramatically styled sheet metal, there's no chance of it being overlooked in the supermarket car park.

Even its name is guaranteed to melt the heart of the sternest of critics.

Evoking memories of the company's past, the present Giulietta aims to rekindle the wealth of emotion and heritage that's been an integral part of the brand for decades. This Giulietta is not just a four-wheeled nod to Alfa Romeo's past, however.

The Italian marque has recently been pushing ahead with cleaner engine technology and, like the Mito, it boasts the firm's new MultiAir petrol engines alongside the expected diesel option.

Built on a new platform, the Giulietta aims to deliver a more rounded and entertaining driving experience than some of its more conventional rivals. Factor in the car's ‘DNA' function, which offers drivers the ability to switch between regular and sportier steering and throttle settings, and there's much to like.

Once you swing open a front doorit's plain to see that the Giulietta's extrovert character isn't reserved for its exterior. Alfa Romeo has gone to great lengths to make the cabin attractive and practical. The firm's trademark chunky rotary controllers for the ventilation system are present, along with the cowled main instruments, round vents and supportive seats.

It would be fair to describe the Giulietta's cabin as intimate by modern standards. If you want a people carrier you'll need to look elsewhere. For the rest of us, the car's intimate nature only serves to add to the overall experience.

That said, there's enough room fora growing family. The Giulietta still hasto perform as a regular car, and this is something it does rather well, thanks to its supportive seats, sensibly placed storage areas and good size boot.

With a brief to satisfy owners when on the move, Alfa Romeo has investeda lot of effort in engaging the driver. The aforementioned petrol engines are an obvious starting point.

Although Alfa's MultiAir technologyis the main focus here, the range kicksoff with a regular 1.4-litre turbo unit boasting 118bhp.

Moving up, there's a 168bhp version complete with MultiAir valve timing trickery, while the flagship Cloverleaf model gains a 1.8-litre turbo petrol unit producing a healthy 232bhp.

Of all these engines, it's the 168bhp MultiAir unit that offers the most rounded and accomplished experience. If you're on a budget, the regular 1.4 motor will no doubt get the job done, but the middle-ranking engine is just as happy to take it easy around town as it is to race along country lanes.

Power delivery is both smooth and instant, while selecting the DNA feature's Dynamic setting uncorks the engine's true potential. The same is true for the car itself, which under normal circumstances is a docile and refined machine. Nudge the DNA switch into ‘D' and the steering gains more weight to its action, plus the throttle becomes more responsive.

It's enough of a change for you to sit up and take notice, yet moderate enough to be left on all the time if you want.

For boring types there's also a 1.6-litreand 2.0-litre diesel option. The latter offers comparable performance tothe MultiAir petrol offering and, ofcourse, a more frugal footprint if that's important to you.

And, what about the Cloverleaf model? Here's a perfect example of Alfa mining its heritage and tapping into the emotion and interest held by its fans. While the badging might be discrete, the car's slightly lower ride height is easy tospot. The car's 1.8-litre engine is another nod to Alfa's past glories on and off the track, and with its turbocharger spinning this Giulietta is predictably rapid. It's destined to appeal only to genuine fansof the brand. But unlike other brandingexercises, this one shows all the hallmarks of being genuine.

Also genuine is Alfa's desire to ship the Giulietta with plenty of standard equipment and present the car as something with solid premium-class leanings. All the usual safety kit is present, plus a fully featured trip computer,audio system and plenty of electric toys and an engine stop-start function for all except the Cloverleaf model. Upgrades include satellite navigation, trim and upholstery choices in addition to tasteful wheel designs.

The Giulietta might occupy the same sector of the market as some of the more conventional-looking family hatchbacks, but Alfa's five-door offering deliversa more engaging and experience — and one more full of character than all of itsrivals combined.

From its looks to the way it drives, there's nothing else like it. And that's why it's an Alfa Romeo.

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