Alfa Romeo: Safety platform starts love affair

The Giulietta is gathering accolades. Photo / Hunter Blair

The official launch of the brand new Alfa Romeo Giulietta had a touch of Italy added in Newmarket last weekend.

There was a high level of anticipation in the lead up to the event with invitations snapped up quick-smart.

The hype was justified, and the 100-odd folk lucky enough to attend were not disappointed.

For the launch of the Italian marquee, it was only natural the Andrew Simms European showroom, in the heart of Newmarket, Auckland, should take on an Italian air.

At the unveiling invitees were served Italian pizza, coffee and gelato icecream and were also given the opportunity to test drive the Giulietta in two options - a turbo-charged 1.4 litre 125kw version and the 1.8 litre 173kw QV.

Managing director Andrew Simms said everyone really needed to experience the Giulietta for themselves to understand what all the fuss is about.

"There has always been something very special about an Alfa Romeo, and the Giulietta will not disappoint in taking the iconic Italian brand into the future," he said.

Alfa Romeo sales specialists at Andrew Simms European have already had an overwhelming response from their loyal Alfa customer base about the Giulietta's arrival to New Zealand and were keen to see for themselves just how good the car is.

Lawrie Malatios, general manager of Alfa Romeo in New Zealand, says the new Giulietta has very large shoes to fill.

"It carries one of the all-time great car names which graced some of the best cars of the last century, but there can be little doubt that the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta is fully equipped to succeed," he said.

"It must pick up the reins of a line of a cars that started with the AlfaSud, a true classic in its own right, through to the Alfa Romeo 147. It also steps into one of the most challenging sectors of the market, the prestige small car sector."

The Giulietta has announced its arrival with rave reviews and accolades, including the top-rating petrol engine car in the European Car Of The Year Awards and a leading five-star NCAP safety rating.

Defined by bold elegance, sporty performance and Italian style, this brand new model from Alfa Romeo has been released in Europe to huge acclaim from the motoring press and customers alike.

Significant waiting lists are building already in many markets.

The Giulietta isn't just about being fun to drive.

Both Giuliettas share a long list of standard equipment. Electric windows, dual zone air conditioning and electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors are all standard, as are automatic dipping interior mirror, fog lights, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, leather steering wheel with audio controls, automatic wipers and lights, as well as the Blue&Me hands-free infotainment system.

At the heart of the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta's success is an all-new platform that encompasses the chassis, the floor-plan and the basic structure of the car as a whole.

The compact platform employs a combination of advanced engineering and sophisticated technical solutions to ensure the Giulietta can accommodate the needs of all customers.

The result is a model that combines impeccable safety credentials, Italian style, comfort and functionality with the dynamic qualities taken for granted in Alfa Romeos.

In addition, every customer can adapt the car to their specific driving requirements, thanks to Alfa Romeo's DNA selector. But this is just one of the electronic systems that the compact platform was designed to integrate and exploit. Others, fitted as standard to every model in the range, include the Electronic Q2 differential and the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) system.

For more information or to arrange a test drive, call in to the showroom, call 09 523 1939 or go to www.andrewsimmseuropean.co.nz.