and combined with a slightly odd floor shape – it rises
up towards the seat, like the shallow end of a pool –
there’s a concern the Giulia’s driving position may fall
into the flawed trap of so many Italian cars from the
past. More time behind the wheel reveals it’s a moot
point, especially compared to the high-pedal, distant-
wheel relationship in the old Giulia Super. ‘Italian Ape’,
they called it, in much less racially sensitive times, yet
my 5ft 10 frame finds both driving positions malleable
and comfortable.
There’s a synergy in both rear seats, too. Just like
the 1970 Super, the Veloce’s rear bench is shaped for
two, and offers useful, if far from class-leading levels of
space and support. Vision is quite good from back there,
too – certainly better than over the driver’s shoulder,
the overly chunky B-pillar redolent of the 159 – but it’s
nothing compared to the glassy Cinemascope offered
by the thin-pillared original Giulia. And we’d avoid the
headroom-swallowing optional sunroof if you intend to
carry anyone approaching 6ft in the rear.
But in terms of the things that matter – voluptuous
styling, striking street presence, superb dynamic
performance, and sporting accelerative spirit – the
Giulia Veloce nails it. Packed to its headlining with
equipment for the $71,895 ask, from both the outside
and the inside, the Veloce appears to be worth tens of
thousands more than it is.
And for the first time in generations, bringing along
a legendary Alfa Romeo model like the original Giulia
sedan fails to expose any sporting shortcomings in its
worthy descendant.
Whoever said you sometimes need to hit rock-bottom
to climb back to the top probably wasn’t expecting it
to take this long for Alfa Romeo. But if the new Giulia
is anything to go by, the Italians are back in a big way.
Benvenuto all’Italia!
Model
Engine
Max Power
Max Torque
Transmission
L/W/H
Wheelbase
Weight
0-100km/h
Economy
Price
On saleAlfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
19 95cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo
206kW @ 5250rpm
400Nm @ 2250rpm
8-speed automatic
4643/1860/1436mm
2820mm
1490kg
5.7sec (claimed)
6.1L/100km
$71,895
NowGiovanni Patone is Italian to the
core.Not only did he welcome our
invitation to bring along his gorgeous
’70 Giulia Super with enthusiasm,
but he egged us on to drive it hard.
With a 1570cc twin-cam, twin-Weber
four and a sweet-shifting five-speed
manual gearbox, the original Giulia
remains a surprisingly quick car.
Revving it out to just over 5000rpm
(redline is six-five), the Super easily
keeps up with modern traffic, whileon the motorway, 120km/h sees
the tacho resting comfortably just
above 3000rpm. Giovanni reckons its
preferred cruising speed is 140km/h
and given the power uplift (and
induction lushness) above four grand,
we believe him. Dynamically, you
work a lot harder in the old Giulia as
it rolls through corners, weighting up
its lovely three-spoke wooden wheel.
But it hangs on gamely, and the harder
you drive it, the sweeter its balance.