Alfa Romeo Giulia review

The Italian five-seater saloon is an exquisite car that commands your total commitment.

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Sick of German cars? Bored of Japanese motors? Looking for something posh yet sexy? Well, Alfa Romeo is a brand that fits the bill.

The gorgeous Giulia is perhaps the most exquisite model Alfa makes. The four-door saloon has curves in all the right places — in fact, it looks like it goes to the gym every day — it’s just a joy to feast your eyes on.

The beauty of the five-seater saloon doesn’t stop there. Step inside, and the Giulia leaves you spellbound. The seats cocoon you, and the dashboard wraps around you. The scent of the leather seats seduces you. The Italian-made machine could be your automotive mistress. Yes, really — you could, and maybe should buy this car for all these reasons.

But there’s always a down to earth moment in life. And where the Giulia is concerned, it’s the plastics that drizzle on the car’s chips. No, the saloon hasn’t had plastic surgery – it’s just the cheap materials are there – hidden away behind and to the side of the leather lusciousness. It’s a shame – they’re not even that well-hidden. On closer inspection, the fit and finish aren’t all that either. Indeed, around the automatic transmission gear-shifter, the plastic frame lifts if you push the lever hard into ‘Drive’ or ‘Reverse’.

And yet these flaws in an otherwise intoxicating motor aren’t deal-breakers. The car drives as pleasingly as it looks. Perhaps even more so. The rear-wheel-drive Alfa steers with precision, and the automatic gearbox changes up and down the cogs fluidly. The suspension ensures the Giulia stays flat in corners, and when you want to sit back and hit cruise control, the Italian munches motorway miles comfortably, effortlessly and efficiently.

This car shouldn’t be your mistress — it should be the one you commit to. It’s a keeper — no two ways about it.