Alfa Romeo Giulietta: Fancy touch to family car

Alfa Romeo's Giulietta makes its rivals seem dull. Photo / Supplied

There are actually only two types of car brands in the world: those whose names you'd be happy to wear on a T-shirt and those you wouldn't. Ferrari? Yes. Honda? No.

And that's the wonderful thing about Alfa Romeo: this Fiat-owned (and therefore Ferrari-related) marque offers a few family cars which are not too far removed from mainstream prices, yet they still boast the kind of heritage, style and desirability that put them firmly on the "I feel special" list.

You'd have every reason to feel pleased with yourself driving the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta. This small hatchback - replacement for the 147 and rival for the likes of the Volkswagen Golf - looks sensational, boasts a cutting-edge range of engines and is extremely well equipped.

Our entry Giulietta 1.4 test car boasts the high-tech 125kW/250Nm MultiAir turbo engine from the smaller MiTo QV, with a six-speed manual transmission and stop-start function. At $46,990, this model is arguably even more impressive than the flagship $54,990 Giulietta QV, which punches out 173kW/340Nm from its 1.8-litre turbo but misses out on MultiAir technology and drinks 1.6 litres more fuel per 100km.

You can forget about the patchy handling of some Alfas past. Giulietta is built on a brand-new platform; the steering and chassis feel solid on New Zealand roads. The 1.4-litre engine is full of character at medium-to-high revs.

And yet in some details the Giulietta still seems like a work in progress. The MultiAir engine is lethargic below 2000rpm - a problem exacerbated by the manual-only transmission. I'd be inclined to wait for the forthcoming dual-clutch TCT two-pedal gearbox, which will partly address the issue. The Giulietta's brake pedal has little progression - it's either on or off, which makes it hard to drive smoothly in the city.

As with the smaller MiTo QV, the pushbutton DNA system dulls the car's steering/throttle responses to such an extent in Normal mode that you'll click to Dynamic every time. Our test car even had a couple of minor electronic glitches: the instrument illumination went dead momentarily when I clicked the DNA lever, and the seatbelt light for the passenger side malfunctioned, indicating an active belt when there wasn't anybody in the seat.

Things like these probably won't be dealbreakers, but they are a reminder that while Alfa is making huge strides in dynamics it's still not quite there in terms of detail build quality compared with the Germans and Japanese.

Engine magic

MultiAir is an innovative engine technology that will feature on a range of future Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Chrysler models. MultiAir powerplants do not have a mechanical inlet camshaft; they have computer-controlled electro-hydraulic valves, which operate in a greater range and tailor the operation of the engine for whatever combination of performance and economy is dictated by driver demand. That's why the Giulietta's seemingly tiny 1.4-litre engine pumps out 125kW/250Nm and still returns 6 litres per 100km in the combined cycle.