Road test | Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: the epitome of the sports sedan

The Alfa Romeo Giulia was directly influenced by Ferrari throughout its synthesis. The Italian brand has said it over and over again, attesting that its chief engineer, Philippe Krief, had previously overseen the development of a certain Ferrari 458, no less. The speech undoubtedly strikes the imagination, but how can the weight of this immense sporting heritage really be transposed to a simple compact sedan? By means of a perfectly imperfect virtuosity.

Design

Six years after its launch, the Quadrifoglio variant of the Giulia – which translates to “four-leaf clover” – obviously no longer exudes the freshness of its introduction. The romanticism of the dress, however, remains intact and captivating. The magnificent balance of the lateral proportions inspires a progressiveness from the long bonnet towards the reduced rear overhang. Its facies remains the iconic triangular grille of the brand, called Scudetto or “small shield” in Italian.

The almond headlights amplify the curved wings of this sporty livery, which is also adorned with various carbon fiber parts, including the roof and bonnet, but above all an active front spoiler. The rear portrait is defined by the stacked exhaust pipes and the large diffuser which slightly hide the much more fleshy rear tires (285 mm wide), the diameter of which is however not extravagant (19 inches).

On board

In its early days, the Giulia was downright no-match when it comes to finish ahead of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 of this world. The selection of materials and the assembly were more in line with the world of general-purpose compact cars. Admittedly, it is not yet perfect, but this 2021 cuvée benefits from many improvements made over the years.

 

The Quadrifoglio put to the test by the use of numerous carbon fiber moldings completed by a dashboard draped in leather with red stitching. There are still plastics that sound hollow, especially in the enclosure of the control pod, but their dosage is not substantial. Moreover, accessibility at the front is facilitated by narrower skirts which widen towards the rear. The seats are also very spacious. The same cannot be said for the rear, whose space essentially compares to that of a coupe.

Under the hood

Any Alfist will tell you with emotion: the soul of an Alfa Romeo is poured out under its hood. The piece of resistance of this Giulia Quadrifoglio is therefore inevitably its heart, a rather thin 2.9 L V6 which touches the firewall to ensure the balance of the masses (50:50). Its 90-degree V and its two turbochargers express a direct affiliation with the V8 of the Ferrari 488.

The soundtrack, hoarse, is inevitably different. Naturally, it’s addicting, but we don’t denote a musical crescendo completely parallel to the thrust it provides, which can cause us to inadvertently reach maximum revs. Never mind, this engine is beautifully progressive, expressing itself with a certain reserve at first gear to really loosen the legs in the following reports. There is great finesse in this performance, led by the brilliance of the ZF transmission, whose eight gears can be selected by means of large paddles attached to the steering column.

Behind the wheel

In the not-so-distant past, the mere mention of the existence of a compact rear-wheel drive sedan whose power exceeded 500 hp bordered on delirium. War on power obliges, it is now made the norm in this European preserve. It is clear that the chassis of this Giulia shows no sign of overwork, quite the contrary. Combining harmoniously with its exceptional mechanics, it presents an equally exceptional and communicative agility, worthy of a ballerina.

Admittedly, the multiplication of the direction which makes it nervous and ultra-precise has an immense role to play, but one would undoubtedly have appreciated a variation of its more marked firmness in curve. Without being able to boast of being as configurable as the competition, this Giulia conceals another surprise: its comfort. When the active damping is less strained, it sails over bumps without disturbing the passenger compartment, which allows us to swallow the kilometers in a surprising placidity.

Embedded technologies

Despite a recent refresh all the same focused on its infotainment system, this Giulia lends itself to belligerents who offer a much more pleasant and modern experience. The small 8.8-inch screen projects image definition that sets us back almost a decade. The transition between the menus is not visually smooth either, but you can navigate through the menus more easily than before.

As is made the standard, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are integrated, but only with a physical connection, despite the presence of induction charging. The instrumentation block is essentially physical, which is not problematic but exposes the advanced age of this architecture. The Harman Kardon audio system offers an acceptable rendering, without standing out.

The verdict

You don’t buy an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio with your head, that’s undeniable. With its price tag exceeding $ 90,000, its cramped rear cabin equipped with an outdated infotainment system and its uncertain reliability, the Italian targets by default a passionate clientele, aware of its imperfections. His charisma translating into a virtuosity that is as tangible as it is intangible, which makes the experience extraordinary and above all still refreshing.

We also feel a lot more serious in its preparation than before, the journeys no longer being disturbed by suspicious noises at the slightest passage over a crevasse. Above all, this car marks the end of an era for this illustrious brand, as Alfa Romeo will gradually take the electric route to complete the transition in 2027. We can say that it will have marked in its own way the world of the sporty sedan, this Giulia Quadrifoglio, and that’s exactly what it had to do.

Notebook

Fairly contained fuel consumption

For the performance offered, the 2.9 L twin-turbo V6 offers very decent fuel efficiency. During the test, the average remained at 9.5 L / 100 km, beating estimates thanks in part to the deactivation of the displacement, the eight-speed transmission keeping its engine speed low on the highway and to its front spoiler which can retract to reduce drag.

A braking system that has evolved

Equipped with electromechanical assistance, the Giulia’s braking system is much more flexible than before, which makes driving in an urban context more pleasant.

Dynamic management system

To ensure this exceptional performance, this Giulia Quadrifoglio employs a control module called Chassis Domain Control which acts as a kind of conductor by analyzing numerous data in real time to bring in various active mechanical organs to make the behavior predictable. and entertaining.

The sum of the details

The Giulia Quadrifoglio makes use of a carbon fiber transmission shaft, ensuring greater mechanical responsiveness by reducing inertia.

An interesting entry-level version

If your bank account doesn’t allow you that high-performance livery, the turbocharged (280 hp) four-cylinder version of the Giulia is a sleek and more dynamic alternative to the big players in the segment. It is also equipped with all-wheel drive as standard and its starting price is significantly lower ($ 55,285).