Alfa Romeo’s great-looking and fast Giulietta hatchback has been upgraded for 2012 and there’s good news on three fronts – at last there’s an automatic transmission, there’s an available diesel engine and the entry price remains unchanged at $36,990.
And for ‘Hot Hatchback’ enthusiasts, the extra good news is the racy, range-topping Alfa Romeo QV – faster and lighter than the Volkswagen Golf GTi according to Wheels magazine – is also unchanged at $41,990.
Alfa Romeo being Alfa Romeo, the Giulietta didn’t come with just any auto – nope, Alfa has fitted a twin-clutch version developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies with steering wheel paddle shifters for sporty manual changes and fuel-saving Auto Start-Stop. The auto comes standard in the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta turbo-diesel ($41,990) or optional in the 1.4TB petrol model ($38,990)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta’s diesel is a 2.0-litre common-rail turbo-diesel delivering 125kW of power and 350Nm of torque from as low as 1750rpm. Compliant with Euro 5 emissions standards (exhaust C02 rated at 119g/km) Alfa’s turbo-diesel provides combined cycle fuel consumption of just 4.5l/100kms but is capable of sprinting from zero to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds.
The full range is:
Giulietta 1.4TB (6-speed manual) $36,990
Giulietta 1.4TB (6-speed automatic) $38,990
Giulietta 2.0 JTDM (6-speed automatic) $41,990
Giulietta QV 1.7TBi (six-speed manual) $41,990
