Alfa Romeo Giulia - 2.2-litre Turbodiesel or 2.9-litre V6, Your Choice!

I'm assuming, if you're reading this, that you have eyes. That's why I won't be judging the new Giulia's aesthetics on your behalf - something you're more than capable of doing. In fact, all I will do is present the information that we now know about the long-awaited Alfa Romeo Giulia.

We've already known for a few months that a 2.9-litre Ferrari-inspired V6 will show its face in a performance-orientated Quadrifoglio Verde version. For those unfamiliar with the brand, it's the equivalent to Volkswagen's R Audi's RS and BMW's M. A 0-62 mph time of 3.9 seconds will definitely throw you into the back of your seat, that is until you reach the top speed of 190 mph, all made possible by 510 horsepower and 600 Nm of torque. Although available with a manual transmission across the channel, us Brits are only blessed with an automatic, however it is the highly praised 8-speed ZF 'box.

For most of us though, the 2.2-litre turbodiesel is adequate. Just like many manufacturers these days, Alfa Romeo will offer you this engine in two different states of tuning, 150 or 180 horsepower, with 380 or 450 Nm. That's a substantial amount of power on a compact saloon.

Just like all Alfas, you'll be offered the choice of drive modes: Dynamic, Natural or Advanced Efficiency (D.N.A.). The QV version also gets a Race mode.

An active aero splitter at the front gives the Giulia a drag coefficient rating of 0.32, but can also help provide additional downforce for better grip. Not that you need that with the guzzling V6!

The instrument cluster features a 3.5-inch colour display, or 7-inch display for those who choose to upgrade it, displaying items such as fuel consumption and ideal gear shift points. The 8.8-inch infotainment display, controlled predominantly by a rotary knob, features iOS and Android connectivity, DAB, Bluetooth and satellite navigation. To add to the experience you can specify a 900W 14-speaker 5.1 surround sound system developed by Harman/Kardon.

The Giulia comes with a host of safety equipment including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning. There's also a choice of 25W or 35W adaptive xenon headlights.

Standrad equipment includes the well-regarded 8-speed automatic transmission, alloy wheels, LED tail lights, dual-zone climate control and cruise control. Mid-spec Giulias will come with part leather upholstery and larger alloy wheels. These two models are available with both versions of the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine.

The Giulia QV gets a special bodykit, 19-inch alloy wheels, 35W xenon headlights, leather and Alcantara upholstery and other performance-orientated kit.

Full specifications and pricing will follow nearer to the date of sale in September. Being a rival of the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series, we can expect pricing to be in the region of £30,000.

Updated Alfa Romeo Giulietta

The new Giulietta went on sale on the 1st of April with a raft of improvements including a new honeycomb grille and revised headlight and fog light designs. New alloys and some redesigned 'Alfa Romeo' and 'Giulietta' badging made for some unthought-of improvements that instantly make the car look fresh.

It's available to the public in 4 trims. Kicking off the range is the standard Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Despite having a standard name, the kit included is far from it. It has air conditioning, a multi-function steering wheel, 16-inch alloys and all-round electric windows. Also included is a 5-inch Uconnect infotainment display with USB and Bluetooth functionality, as well as Alfa's DNA drive mode selector.

Step up to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Super for dual-zone climate control, cruise control, 16-inch alloys, front fog lights, rear parking sensors, air vents for rear passengers and a front centre armrest. This is likely to be a hit among customers.

The Giulietta Speciale features sports suspension, aggressively styled bumpers, front and rear parking sensors, Brembo brakes and Alfa's classic 5-hole 18-inch alloys.

Then there's the no-nonsense Giulietta Veloce. Italian for 'fast', that's exactly what it is. Sporty styling, oversized tailpipes and a 237 bhp 1750cc turbo-petrol engine all make for one quick hatchback.

All engines are turbocharged and feature stop/start to help save fuel. The 1.4 Turbo Benzina (turbo petrol in Italian) produces 118 bhp and 215 Nm whilst still returning 45 mpg and emitting 144 g/km of CO2. Nought-to-sixtytwo 9.4 seconds.

Add MultiAir to that engine to get 148 bhp and 250 Nm. It shaves more than a second off the sprint time, yet promises 50 mpg and 127 g/km. Definitely one to consider.

The 1.4 Turbo Benzina MultiAir can also be had with the ALFA TCT dual-clutch transmission, however power increases to 168 bhp (same 250 Nm of torque). It's almost a second quicker again, yet promises almost 60 mpg and 114 g/km of CO2.

The last petrol is the iconic 1750cc TBi with the ALFA TCT. No less than 237 bhp and 340 Nm allow it to get to 62 mph in just 6 seconds flat, whilst still returning 40 mpg and emitting 157 g/km. It has a top speed of 152 mph.

As regards diesel power, the 1.6 JTDM-2 produces a measly 118 bhp, however with 320 Nm of torque it's good for 0-62 mph in 10 seconds flat with manual transmission (add 0.2 s for ALFA TCT). Both transmissions promise 75 mph and 99 g/km of CO2 making it free to tax.

There's also a 2.0 JTDM-2 with 148 bhp and 380 Nm. It can return almost 70 mpg, and emit just 110 g/km. If you want this with ALFA TCT, you'll have to excuse the extra 25 bhp. It does fall shorter on torque though, with 30 Nm less. It sits in the 65 mpg region, with CO2 emissions up to 113 g/m.

For fleet customers only, there's a Giulietta Tecnica. It's available with all the diesel engines and replaces the old Business Edition with a 6.5-inch Uconnect infotainment system, automatic lights and wipers, electrically folding door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, 16-inch alloy and privacy glass. It costs between £19,250 and £22,590.

To put that in perspective, the cheapest costs £18,450 (Giulietta 1.4 Turbo Benzina), and the most expensive is £28,480 (Giulietta Veloce 1750cc TBi).

Rivals for the Giulietta include the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Audi A3. The Veloce beats the iconic VW Golf GTI to 62 mph by a whole 0.5 seconds (which doesn't sound like a lot but definitely earns you bragging rights).

Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV

A bit of background... The new QV models debuted in March 2014 and went on sale in that summer to celebrate over 90 years of Quadrifoglio Verde and to mark the 60th anniversary of the Giulietta. 'Quadrifoglio Verde' is Italian for 'Four Leaf Clover' and marks out the performance versions over the standard models, like VW's GTI, Ford's ST and Vauxhall's VXR.

Just like the 4C, the Giulietta QV gets its power from a 4-cylinder 1,750 cc turbocharged petrol unit twinned with a 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission known as the ALFA TCT.

Thanks to a new Launch Control, Alfa Romeo have managed to slice 0.8 s off the 0-62 mph time of the previous Giulietta QV, cutting it down to 6.0 s. The QV Intake Engine Sound makes the car sound a lot more potent that it is, but that's not to say that it's not already formidable enough! Alfa has managed to squeeze 240 bhp out of the engine, producing 340 Nm of torque.

Meeting Euro 6 standard, the Giulietta QV emits 162 g/km (15 g less than before). A claimed 40.4 mpg doesn't make it too much more costly to run than somme other standard family hatchbacks.

Alfa Romeo's D.N.A. system allows the driver to switch between Natural (everyday driving), Dynamic (for an extra punch) and All Weather (for additional traction).

Launch Control comes as standard. So do the QV Intake Engine Sound, large twin exhausts, lowered sports suspension, side skirts and red Brembo® brake callipers. Tinted rear windows and 18-inch alloy wheels help it to stand out even to the untrained eye, and front and rear parking sensors make it a sensible choice.

It ticks all the hot hatch boxes outside, but what about inside? The flat-bottomed steering wheel finished in contrast stitching is accompanied by paddle shifters, and the QV logos subtly remind you what you're driving. The Alcantara® and leather sports seats are finished in Quadrifoglio Verde-themed (green and white) stitching and so are the gear level and handbrake.

For those daily commutes, you want the Giulietta QV to drive like a normal car. Well, most of the time! The 6.5-inch Uconnect™ touchscreen does just that. It comes as standard with sat nav, voice controls, DAB, USB and Bluetooth® connectivity.

Prices start at just over £28,000 but Alfa also made 500 'Launch Edition' models (100 of which went on sale in the UK). Obviously they're long gone, but it may be worth keeping an eye out for one. Kit included carbon-fibre mirror covers, a carbon-fibre spoiler, upgraded side skirts, 18-inch 5-hole alloys and a personal plaque to denote which model of those 500 your car is. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde Launch Edition costed £2,160 more than the standard Giulietta QV.

The Giulietta QV is in a large group of hat hatches and race-tuned cars. Here's a list of some of the most popular along with the size and power output of the engine, price estimate, 0-62 mph time and boot size. (The Giulietta QV has a 350l boot)

• SEAT Leon Cupra, 2.0-litre, 261 bhp, £26,000, 5.9 s, 380l
• SEAT Leon Cupra 280, 2.0-litre, 276 bhp, £27,000, 5.7 s, 380l
• Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, 2.0-litre, 360 bhp, £38,000, 4.6 s, 341l
• BMW M135i, 3.0-litre, 326 bhp, £31,000, 5.1 s, 360l
• Audi S3, 2.0-litre, 296 bhp, £30,000, 4.8 s, 390l
• Volkswagen Golf GTI, 2.0-litre, 217 bhp, £27,000, 6.5 s, 343l
• Volkswagen Golf R, 2.0-litre, 296 bhp, £31,000, 4.9 s, 343l
• Renault Mégane RenaultSport 275 Trophy, 2.0-litre, 275 bhp, £29,000, 6.0 s, 377l
• Vauxhall Astra VXR, 2.0-litre, 276 bhp, £27,000, 5.9 s, 285l
• Ford Focus RS, 2.3-litre, 316 bhp, sub-£30,000
• Honda Civic Type R, 2.0-litre, 306 bhp, £30,000, 5.7 s