New Giulietta

[frankfassi]

Has anybody driven the 88kw version for 25k yet.
Any thoughts?
It obviesly hasnt has as muck kw or torque but maybe still ok to drive?

[Victor Lee]

Found this recent review of the 88kW version -

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/first-drive-review-alfa-romeo-giulietta-20130610-2nzp6.html

[frankfassi]

I guess that summs it up.  Biggest turn-off would be the steel wheels with plastic hubs.
Still should go for a drive in one!

[Craig C]

Steel wheels may be a bonus if you are a regular snow visitor and need chains, or wanted to swap with someone who is.

[Craig_m67]

I test drove a 1.4MA TCT and then a 1.4 manual back to back the other week. I preferred the pov pack manual to be honest, there was more than enough power for zapping though city traffic.  The TCT was fun, nicer than a DSG (looking at golfs too) but it didn't gel with me. The 1.4 felt just as quick and powerful as the 1.4MA TCT, perhaps its the delivery as you're more removed from the drive.

I didn't notice much trim difference between the two models, just the chrome trim around the windows, no tomtom dock, climate vs aircon and the wheels. The steelies look fine, although I would replace them with teledials (personal preference) when the the first set of tyres were ground off. The chrome window trim does look smart, although I note its missing from the earlier cars ?

I'm yet to drive a 1.4MA manual back to back with the 1.4 povpack, but unless the engine is super sparkly and obviously better.. I'll be considering the base (with less multi air gubbins to go wrong). Or waiting for a good QV in my colour to arrive 2nd hand.

That said, I really want the pana roof, which they won't let me special order unless I go with the 1.4MA.. So I'm stuck. Otherwise I would have ordered it already (Luke!! If you're reading), in Profundo Blu please

The dealer here (Brissy) is happy to get leather done locally. There was black 1.4MA TCT in the show room on the weekend with Beige leather (as opposed to alfa butter yellow) and it looked great, you wouldn't have know it wasn't factory (logos stitching everything immaculate). Cost $2k.. which is good value I reckon

I was quite surprised at how big it actually was, compared to the 156SW it will replace.. makes the decision easier as I considered it smaller.. It's not.

[frankfassi]

Interesting and thanks for the feedback.
I drive a Mito 1.4 TB TCT Multiair and love it. I did get an ECU plug and play upgrade and also fitted a cone air filter. It drives absolutely beautifully. Just bought a twin charged Skoda Fabia for the missus and also not a bad car with even more hp and torque however it's not an alfa. Now there is one more thing that I didn't know when I bought the brandnew Skoda: We are having another baby which is fantastic but the Skoda might not have enough space at the rear. My plan is to sell the Skoda privately and hopefuly not loose too much money. Buy the 25k Giulietta and upgrade the engine via chip and cold air intake, exhaust etc. later. These cars are good for upgrades like this. Not sure if the Giulietta actually has sufficient space either. I would hate to sell my Mito and keep the Skoda for my travels to work and then buy another brandnew family car whih is not an Alfa. Nooooooo...
Let's see. I will drive the Giuletta in the next few days to see what to do.

[Nate Dog]

Theres one thing i really and truly don't get.

How the $%#@ do Hyundai sell any i30's?
Seriously, 25k for one of these or much much more for a sh!t3 Hyundai?!?
Its seriously a no brainer.
These should all be sold out..

[Garibaldi]

I totally agree, it is a lot of car for the money but having sold new cars for the last 25 years I do have some idea how new car buyers think.

New car buyers, enthusiasts aside, generally are a conservative lot, they tend to stick with brands they know and can trust. They really don't care how well a car handles, whether it turns into corners well, how balanced it is, whether it understeers or oversteers or whether it will win the traffic light Grand Prix. All they really want is a good looking car that is practical, totally reliable, doesn't cost a fortune to run and will be worth something at trade in time.

Now we all know that the the Alfa Romeo brand has come a long way in the last 20 years or so and does make stylish, and now very affordable and reliable driver's cars but the trick is to convince the car buying public that this is now the case. Unfortunately older car buyers remember the bad old days of Alfa Romeo and wouldn't touch one and the younger ones know very little about the brand. So now it is all about education and exposure.

The best thing that ever happened in this country was Alfa Romeo becoming part of the Fiat- Chrysler group. Now the brand is getting the exposure it deserves and the pricing is sharp but it will take time for it to gather momentum. Australia is one of the most competitive new vehicle markets in the world. We have more new vehicle makes and models per head of population than any other country. I am sure that Alfa Romeo sales will increase but it will take time. Hopefully Fiat-Chrysler have the time and resources to sustain the brand during this period.

[frankfassi]

I do have to say (again) that my Mito is one of the best cars I ever driven. I feel like I can almost leave every other car behind at the lights. Not in the long run of course. Every time I'm at the Alfa dealership I want to tell other customers who are looking around not to buy the Mito because i don't want anybody to have one. That makes my car more unique.If I ever work as a car salesman for Alfa I reckon I can sell a Mito to anybody who's looking. Just get them for a test drive. These days the sales guys should be more agressive and passionate about the product they sell. In the past few years i've bought four new cars and all sales guys used the same boring phrases and techniques through different brands to sell cars. I'm not really having a go at them just would hate if Alfa disappears as a brand in Oz for the lack of sales. Anyway getting off topic still wondering about the 88kw Giulietta...

[Hdanalis]

I went to a dealer in Brisbane this weekend...... very disappointed by the lack of knowledge of the salesman.... He tried to tell me the QV came in auto also...... Luckily I was already sold on the car and bought elsewhere - wanted to try the base model too but couldn't bear he salesmans' obvious lack of knowledge on all things Guilietta...... And he kept trying to sell me the tomtom as an extra, even after telling him I don't use the one in my current car..... 

[mbakermarco]

Well said, "Garibaldi" - I too have been in the new car business for many years and although an out and out Alfisti, wouldn't like to rely on Alfa sales to pay my way in life ! There is too much history, too much negative bias, too little knowledge of the brand out there to make it happen in numbers. And, the appalling residual values really just finish the Alfa business case off totally.

Having said that, maybe that's the romantic charm that we all buy into - something that non alfistis just don't "get" - Hypothetically, if the brand became seriously mainstream overnight, would it not lose its appeal to us ?

I run a new vehicle supply broker / car finance brokerage, and in many years of business, can count on the fingers of one hand the number of Alfa new car enquiries I've had. Since being in Australia, not one........

I'd say I could source a Giulietta for less than $25,000, but it's a lot of car for the money even at that advertised figure.