With its organ-type aluminium throttle pedal mashed
to the floor, the Veloce upshifts at a conservative 5600-
5700rpm. And if you flick it into manual mode – via
either the correctly configured gear lever (forward for
a downshift, back for an upshift) or a pair of exquisite
bladed-metal shift paddles fixed to the steering column- the drama is all over by 6100rpm. Unlike its naturally
aspirated ancestor, which thrives on being caned like
a racehorse, the eight-speed Veloce whips through
its tightly-stacked ratio set with rapid-fire precision,
without the need to point its tacho needle towards
numeral ‘7’. And it works.
It’s the Giulia Veloce’s chassis performance, however,
upon which its “unique spirit” is reliant. Without the
range-topping QV’s torque vectoring to aid turn-in,
but with adaptive damping still part of its dynamic
repertoire, this is our first taste of the Giulia’s rear-
drive ‘Giorgio’ platform completely naked. And we’re
convinced it’s brilliant.
For starters, the Veloce rides! Even wearing
beautiful charcoal 19s clad with bespoke AR-stamped
Pirelli P Zeros – 225/40R19 front, 255/35R19 rear –
the Giulia Veloce eviscerates the vertical pitch and
over-firm brittleness of some German rivals, instead
charging down the Jaguar XE’s path towards sporting
suppleness. And it even feels that way with its DNA
drive-mode selector – now fashioned into an HSV-style
dial rather than the chintzy old plasti-chrome flick
lever – switched to ‘Dynamic’.
Traversing the amusement-park lumpiness that’s the
westbound section of Melbourne’s Calder Freeway, the
superb body control of the Veloce’s firmest setting is
a revelation. It’s one of the few sport modes that can
actually be enjoyed on Australian roads, and yet if
the surface starts to get really craggy, you simply hit
the button in the centre of the dial for ‘soft’ damping.
In a stroke of rare genius (but really just common
sense), the Giulia Veloce maintains its firmer steering
weighting, sharper shift programming and throttle
response, and broader ESC threshold, yet instantly
delivers a more absorbent, impressively level ride,
without the need to scroll through numerous screens to
set up an ‘Individual’ mode.
About the only criticism we can level at its double-
wishbone front/multi-link rear suspension set-up is a
vaguely noticeable lack of cohesion between its front
and rear damping rates in ‘Normal’ mode. The Veloce’s
front end is ever so slightly out of phase with the
rear during rebound, though it’s only on excessively
undulating surfaces that you notice it.
Otherwise, the Giulia Veloce is near-impeccable.
It doesn’t feel anywhere near as large as its leggy
2820mm wheelbase might suggest, shrink-wrapping
around you like every great driver’s car should. Even
the view over its delectable three-spoke steering wheel
(with Ferrari-style start button, which we love) and its
interestingly shaped dash somehow feels more intimate
than it should for a car of this size.
Once you start to guide its front wheels into any
kind of turn, be it at traffic lights in the city or through
a 45km/h bend at close to double the speed, there’s
a wonderfully consistent connection between your
New-gen Giulia succeeds where it counts inside, fingertips and where the Veloce’s nose is pointing.
namely its gorgeous dials and steering wheel, its sexy
aluminium pedals, and its classy trim. It even has a
pair of highly useful centre cupholders, able to house
two large takeaway coffees, but its door pockets are
the pits. Constructed in comparatively cheap plastic,
the fronts can barely squeeze in a 600ml water bottle.
They’re the only real sad-panda disappointment in a
stylish cabin Alfa can be proud of.