The Alfa Romeo Giulia has been awarded a number of accolades around the world since its launch.

And seeing as we haven’t been in one for quite a while, it was high time to see what the fuss was about surrounding the sedan offering.

The vehicle granted to me was the $59,895 base model which starts off the 2.0 litre, eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive range that extends up to the $71,895 Veloce.

Not to be confused with the six-cylinder, twin-turbo Giulia Quadrifoglio which a whole different beast altogether, priced from $143,000.

Exterior

From the outside, the Giulia looks like an ordinary luxury sedan; that’s not to say it’s bland, just that, aside from the Alfa V-shaped grille, there’s nothing outstanding.

The body is smooth and sleek and the turbine-style alloys do catch the eye.

Interior

The cabin is where the Giulia really shines, nicely fitted out with red leather interior.

Red seats, red dash panel, red armrest, red door panels all contrast with the black really brightening up what as a gloomy test drive day.

The dashboard is minimalist as expected, with soft touch materials and a matte black finish in place of the common shiny gloss.

The seats are embossed with the unmistakable Alfa Romeo badge on the headrests and the rear bench has nice deep bucket seats for passenger comfort and dedicated ISOFIX ports.

Features

Highlighting the dashboard are the dual-zone A/C controls and the 8.8” touchscreen above a clearly presented, single USB slot and a soft close hatch.

This is linked to the dial control below the rocker gear shifter for digital radio and sat-nav etc.

The driver gets a colour driver info display with g-force indicator, powered seat with memory, flat-bottomed steering wheel and long paddle shifters with a nice press allowing you to change gears more easily during rotation.

Boot space is adequate for this size of sedan and while the rear bucket seats are ergonomic, rear legroom can be cramped especially with taller occupants up front.

I love convenience and intelligent design and in the Giulia the ignition button is located on the steering wheel.

A rare but smart location that doesn’t leave you hunting for the button behind the steering wheel.

Drive and Engine

A drive in the Alfa Romeo Giulia is a fantastic ride with all the traits you’d want from a luxury sedan.

Quiet, responsive and possessing faithful steering, there’s also great power coming from the 2.0 litre, 147kW/330Nm engine.

There are three drive modes in Alfa’s ‘DNA’; dynamic, natural and all weather.

A go in all modes and driving conditions (especially wet) produced a fuel economy of 12.7L/100km after a week.

My only issue was the tyre clearance when at full lock during slow turning manoeuvres where the wide tyres seemingly scrape the inside of the wheel arch.

It not only creates a disturbing noise but can throw the vehicle slightly off course but is no surprise with the wide 225/45 tyres (the rear ones are wider still at 255mm).

Safety

The Giulia has the essential advanced safety such as blind spot, lane departure, and autonomous emergency braking contributing to its five-star ANCAP rating.

Standard front and rear sensors, reverse camera and active cruise control are also included.

Good Bits

• Red/black interior
• Ride and power
• Features and safety
• Rear bucket seats
• Steering wheel ignition button

Not So Good Bits

• Wheel scrape at full lock

Summary

I’m not sure the Giulia will make much impact on the stranglehold of German competition like, say, the BMW 3-Series or a Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

But if you’re like me and prefer not to follow the status quo and go for something different at a good price, then the Alfa Romeo Giulia is a brilliant option.

Facts and Figures: 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia

• Engine: 2.0L turbo petrol producing 147kW/330Nm
• Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
• Safety: 5 Stars
• Warranty: 3 Yrs/150,000km
• Origin: Italy
• Price: from $59,895