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Marton Pettendy18 Dec 2014
NEWS

Alfa Giulietta goes upmarket

Near-$30K starting price for facelifted Italian small car; QV hot hatch to follow with 4C coupe in February

Alfa Romeo's facelifted Giulietta range is now on sale in Australia, more than a year after its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show and almost four years after the small hatchback's local release in January 2011.

The good news is a dramatic move upmarket in terms of design and standard equipment; the bad news is price increases of almost $5000 and the delayed release of the Giulietta QV hot hatch, which arrives here in February alongside the all-new 4C Coupe with which it shares its 177kW 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engine.

Now available in just two specifications (down from five previously), the MY15 Giulietta is priced from $29,000 plus on-road costs for the base Progression – up from $24,550 for the outgoing base model, but down from $29,450 for the old Progression model — and from $33,000 for the Distinctive variant (up from $31,350).

Both models come with carry-over engines, meaning Alfa’s 88kW/215Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder for the six-speed manual-only Progression, which hits 100km/h in 9.2 seconds and a 194km/h top speed, consumes 6.4L/100km and emits 148g/km of CO2.

Once again, the Giulietta Distictive –available with both six-speed manual and TCT dual-clutch automatic transmissions — comes with a more advanced 125kW/250Nm 1.4-litre MultiAir engine that takes it to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds, offers a 217km/h top speed, consumes 5.7L/100km and emits 131g/km.

However, new standard equipment for Progression model includes a 5.0-inch touch-screen with Uconnect infotainment system with steering wheel controls, voice control, Bluetooth connectivity, audio streaming, SMS-to-speech, relocated USB/AUX inputs, 16-inch alloy wheels, tyre-pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors, more sound-proofing, a new steering wheel incorporating the Alfa ‘Shield’ and more supportive new seats with new fabrics to match the dashboard, doors and centre console.

This is in addition to the carry-over features including a five-star safety rating, six airbags, VDC stability control and Alfa Romeo's electronic Q2 differential, the Alfa Romeo DNA driving selector, automatic headlights and wipers, air-conditioning, LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights and power rear windows.

The upgraded Giulietta Distinctive, meantime, adds a number of additional features as standard, including exclusive 16-inch turbine-design alloy wheels, chrome-effect mirrors, front parking sensors, new leather seat trim, powered and heated front seats with memory, power-folding side mirrors, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, chrome-rimmed fog lights, a rear armrest and the option of a 6.5-inch navigation system with 3D mapping.

Carry-over Distinctive features include dual-zone automatic climate-control with rear outlets and chrome window surrounds.

Three new exterior paint colours are also offered (Moon White, Anodized Blue and Bronze) but there are no changes to the Giulietta chassis, which continues to feature multi-link rear suspension, and there's no diesel version this time round.

2015 Alfa Romeo Giulietta pricing (plus ORCs):
Progression — $29,000
Distinctive — $33,000

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