Overview
Not only does the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia look fantastic, it also offers one of the most satisfying driving experiences in its segment. Its sharp handling and gutsy turbocharged four-cylinder are a perfect pair for enthusiast drivers, and it means the Giulia is equipped to take on rival sports sedans such as the BMW 3-series, the Genesis G70, and the Mercedes-Benz C-class. While perhaps not as luxurious as those sedans, the Alfa’s interior is generously equipped and boasts a driver-focused design. Passengers will find the front seats spacious and comfortable, but most adults will feel the pinch in the rear—something most cars in this class have in common. For drivers seeking the ultimate in performance, we’d suggest taking at a look at the Giulia Quadrifoglio model (reviewed separately), which offers a hot-blooded 505-hp twin-turbo V-6.
What’s New for 2022?
Last year’s Ti Sport trim has been renamed Veloce for 2022, and a host of new standard features can be found throughout the Giulia lineup. Its infotainment system now benefits from standard navigation and a wireless phone charger, while an auto-dimming rearview mirror, front and rear heated seats, and an air-quality system round out the changes to the convenience features. Newly standard driver-assistance tech includes blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beam headlamps, and front and rear parking sensors.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Since the Giulia’s best trait is its crisp driving dynamics, we’d double down and go with the mid-range Ti model and spec the Performance package, which includes an active suspension and a mechanical limited-slip rear differential. Both elevate the Giulia’s handling dynamics. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and we’d stick with that, but all-wheel drive is available and adds $2000 to the bottom line.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Giulia’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 280 horsepower, sounds intoxicating, and feels gutsy when driven hard. The Giulia pulls away from stoplights with zeal while singing soaring Italian arias. Our rear-wheel-drive test car’s 5.7-second zero-to-60-mph time and an all-wheel-drive model’s time of 5.5 seconds places the Giulia mid-pack in its segment in our acceleration testing; the Audi A4 did it in 5.2 seconds and the four-cylinder BMW 330i managed 5.4 seconds despite that both cars have less horsepower than the Alfa. All Giulias come with a drive-mode selector with three unique settings: Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency—cleverly making the acronym DNA—each of which alters the car’s transmission, engine management, and steering feel. Agile and lively at all times, the Giulia is a driving enthusiast’s sports sedan. The front tires are very responsive to driver inputs and speak clearly to the driver through the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Body roll is well controlled, and in hard corners the Giulia remains flat and predictable. It’s easy to drive quickly and aggressively, but it’s equally comfortable when driven sedately.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
Among its turbocharged four-cylinder rivals, the Giulia has competitive fuel-efficiency numbers from the EPA, just shy of class leading. Rear-wheel drive models are rated at 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. All-wheel-drive models see a slight deficit at 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, but that’s common in this class. In our real-world highway fuel-economy test, our rear-wheel-drive Ti test vehicle nearly delivered on its EPA number with a 32-mpg result. For more information about the Giulia’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The interior of the Giulia features soft-touch plastics, fine leather, and either textured metallic or genuine wood trimmings. It’s an elegantly styled cabin, with a wide, sweeping dashboard that acts as a visor to shade the integrated infotainment screen from the sun. The seats are comfortable and well bolstered, especially the optional sport seats. Pack your sunnies, though: The Giulia’s sun visors are laughably small and ineffective when driving head-on into the sun. The Giulia managed to fit five of our carry-on cases inside its trunk; with its rear seats folded, it managed 14, lagging segment leaders by one carry-on.
Infotainment and Connectivity
All Giulias feature Alfa Romeo’s 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system tucked in between the dashtop and the central climate-control vents. Three USB ports, an auxiliary input jack, in-dash navigation, and Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity are all standard. The infotainment interface is relatively intuitive and offers customization options, but we found the navigation to be occasionally slow to update at crucial times during turn-by-turn directions and several of the on-screen icons are small and difficult to activate while driving. In addition to touchscreen commands, users can also interact with the system using an auxiliary rotary knob controller on the center console. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are standard and a 14-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system is optional.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Alfa has included several driver-assistance features as standard, but those seeking more advanced semi-autonomous tech will find it requires an option package. For more information about the Giulia’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking
- Standard lane-departure warning
- Standard adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Warranty coverage may be an important issue to keep in mind when buying an Alfa Romeo; the brand’s reputation for reliability is among the worst in the business. Alfa Romeo’s warranty coverage follows the same convention as most of its rivals, although Jaguar bucks the trend here with lengthier warranties. Giulia owners are treated to complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first year, but the 3-series offers better value here.
- Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- Complimentary maintenance is covered for one year or 10,000 miles
