Alfa Romeo Julia Review, Pricing and Specs
Overview
Beneath the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia’s seductive sheetmetal lies a sharp-handling sports sedan with Italian heritage. The Giulia is one of our favorite entry-luxury sedans and its driving character is the number one reason why we put it on our Editors’ Choise list for 2019. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 280 horsepower provides snappy acceleration and sounds great doing it. An eight-speed automatic is standard, as is rear-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive can be had as option. The cabin is upscale and well appointed, particularly in the upscale Ti Lusso and Ti Sport models; touchscreen infotainment, ambient interior lighting, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, and a steering-wheel-mounted ignition button are all standard. Want an even more hot-blooded Italian sports sedan? Check out the Giulia’s high-performance Quadrifoglio variant, which we review separately.
What’s New for 2020?
Alfa Romeo has revamped the infotainment system in the Giulia (and its sister, the Stelvio SUV) and has replaced last year’s 6.5- and 8.8-inch non-touchscreen offerings with one, 8.8-inch touchscreen interface that’s standard across the range. All models also receive a new 7.0-inch display between the speedometer and tachometer in the gauge cluster. SiriusXM satellite radio is now standard and several connectivity features are available for 2020, including a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Alfa is making automated emergency braking and forward-collision warning standard for 2020 and is adding a host of new driver-assistance features as options, including a semi-autonomous driving mode. Interior refinements include a redesigned center console with more storage, a wireless smartphone-charging pad, and more premium knobs and dials. Three new colors are available: Anodized Blue, Lunare White Metallic, and Verde Visconti Metallic.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
- Base: $40,640
- Sport: $42,090
- Ti: $42,640
- Ti Lusso: $45,140
- Ti Sport: $45,640
Since the Giulia’s best trait is its crisp driving dynamics, we’d double down and go with the mid-range Ti model and spec the Performance package, which includes an active suspension and a mechanical limited-slip rear differential, both of which elevate the Giulia’s handling performance. The Ti comes standard with leather-upholstered seats with heat and 10-way power adjustments for the driver and front-seat passenger, a heated steering wheel, wood interior trim, aluminum doorsill protectors, 18-inch wheels, and front and rear parking sensors.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Giulia’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder makes 280 horsepower, sounds intoxicating, and feels gutsy when driven hard. The Giulia pulls away from stoplights with zeal while singing soaring Italian arias. Our rear-wheel-drive test car’s 5.7-second zero-to-6o-mph time and an all-wheel-drive model’s time of 5.5 seconds places the Giulia midpack in its segment in our acceleration testing; the Audi A4 did it in 5.2 seconds and the four-cylinder BMW 330i managed 5.4 seconds despite the fact that both cars have less horsepower than the Alfa. All Giulias come with a drive-mode selector with three unique settings: Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency—cleverly making the acronym DNA—each of which alters the car’s transmission, engine management, and steering feel. Agile and lively at all times, the Giulia is a driving enthusiast’s sports sedan. The front tires are very responsive to driver inputs and speak clearly to the driver through the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Body roll is well controlled, and in hard corners the Giulia remains flat and predictable. It’s easy to drive quickly and aggressively, but it’s equally comfortable when driven sedately.