Alfa Giulietta hatch by Bob Nettleton

A new version of an Alfa Romeo classic the Giulietta, heads a “Do or die” charge to revive the fortunes of one of the true icons of the Italian car industry.

The Giulietta name goes back over 50 years and is associated with so many of the company triumphs during its golden years through the 1950’s and 60’s. Alfa Romeo has kick started the Giulietta name again, in a model that assumes the company’s small car mantle that started with the much loved AlfaSud to the more recent and not so loveable 147.

Much is expected of this newest generation Giulietta not the least of which is steer the company back into more profitable times. So is the car good made of the right sort stuff to pull off this mighty tough assignment? Given the car was only launched less than15 months ago it is a touch to soon to answer this question with any certainty, other than to say the early signs for Alfa’s new Messiah look promising. It has had a great reception from European and UK motoring media and sales have been upbeat in Europe and Great Britain where the financial mood is anything but.

Two versions of the five-door Giulietta hatch are offered here, both six-speed manuals. The $46990 entry model uses a 1.4 litre 125kw turbo charged multi air engine. The range topping $54990 version provided for this road test runs a 173kw 1.8 litre turbo motor that is hotter than a pepperoni pizza. This engine is the real European hot hatch deal. This motor was seen here late last year in the larger and heavier Alfa Romeo 159 sedan – unleashed in the lighter Guilietta it is transformed into a real tearaway.

A claimed 0 to 100km/h sprint time of 6.8 seconds should silence those doubting the cars performance credentials. A large slab of the motors considerable 340 Nm worth of torque is working hard from just 1900rpm. This amount of low speed power delivery more than matches many diesels and none of which offer the sporty addictive exhaust note of the Alfa. The use of a bit of DNA can alter the cars driving dynamics. DNA stands for Dynamic, Normal and All weather driving modes that are activated via a switch located beside the gearlever. Normal mode is for town driving, Dynamic for a sportier driving experience with an over-boost on the turbo adding a bit of extra sting in the performance tail. The All weather option is for wet or icy conditions. A decent enough idea in theory but teamed with a motor as good as this one the system becomes a bit obsolete.

Refined, smooth, responsive, it signals an emphatic return to engine design and engineering form by an Italian automotive great. The six-speed manual gear change is light crisp and as accurate and allied to a nicely weighted and well modulated clutch, that does not bite or snap at the slightest error by the driver.

This Alfa Romeo sets the pace in many areas but passenger and load space is not among them. At best it is adequate although the less charitable may put it the cramped category, but that would be a bit harsh.

Both Giuliettas go courting buyers armed with lengthy equipment lists headed up with features such as dual zone air conditioning, fog lights, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and leather steering wheel with audio controls. The range topping test car also has a roof raising window pumping Bose HiFi, dark tinted windows, 18” spoke design alloy wheels, while the sports seats have oh so Alfa leather with red stitching.

The $8,000 premium you pay for this model buys another 75kw of power and sports suspension that lowers the car by 10 mm over the entry level 1.4 litre powered model. Beefy tyres on wheels positioned on the outer most corners of the car, give the Guilietta a wide aggressive stance. On the move it feels like it has been primed to dart and dive effortlessly through tight corners and over undulating roads. At last a small Alfa hatch that consistently displays the handling and road holding talents expected from one of the Europe’s most admired sport car names.

There have been some ride comfort trade offs as you would expect when the spring and damper setting are ratcheted right down so the car can dazzle and delight through the bends. At speeds under 70km/h the suspension tends to grope its way along the road surface, with the driver and passenger feeling almost every little bumps and indentation along the way. While you would not expect the ride in a car like this to be a comfy as Grandmas feather bed it should be a much smoother operator than it is.

What is the verdict? A great return to refinement by this iconic Italian car maker.