New Alfa Romeo Giulia to take aim at the Germans
One of the most admired brands in the automotive industry, Alfa Romeo, celebrates its 105th anniversary this year and it is seeking a rebound from years of painful decline. Cornerstone of its attempted revival comes in the form of an all-new compact sedan to be called the Giulia.
Under development by a special ‘Skunks’ team tasked to ‘create the Alfa Romeo of the future’, the Giulia is a vehicle that is claimed to embody five elements that are said to be ‘indispensable ingredients’ for the Alfa Romeo brand, namely distinctive Italian design, state-of-the-art, innovative engines, perfect 50:50 weight distribution, unique technical solutions and the best weight-to-power ratio.
Engines sit north-south under the Giulia’s hood and send power either fully astern or across all fours. Only the range-topping six-cylinder turbo model is discussed in official company literature, although lower displacement four-cylinder variants are almost certain. Made from all-aluminium construction, the highly-tuned 510hp powerplant is used to power the Quadrifoglio version to a century sprint of 3.9 seconds.
The desire to achieve perfect 50:50 weight balance exerts a major influence on the Giulia’s visual appearance and mechanical layout. As much of its moving gear sit between the axles, leading to short overhangs and what Alfa claims to be the ‘longest wheelbase’ in a category that includes the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.
Furthering the cause of optimized weight distribution and also to reduce overall weight is the employment of various ultra-light materials at key areas. Carbon fibre was chosen for the propeller shaft, bonnet, and roof, whilst aluminium was picked for the engine, brakes, suspension, as well as many other body components, such as doors and wings. Aluminium composite and plastic make up the rear crossmember. Aluminium elements also feature in the braking system along with and carbon ceramic discs. Inside, the seats are built on a carbon fibre structural frame.
Suspension consist of a multi-link system at the rear complemented by a new double wishbone suspension up front with a semi-virtual steering axis that Alfa claims to keep a constant castor trail on corners whilst optimizing steering response and feedback.
In an age where electronic implementation in vehicle control becomes intensified, Alfa Romeo insists that electronics employed in the Giulia serve only to enhance already excellent basic mechanicals. A torque vectoring system with double clutches allow separate control of torque delivery to each wheel, whilst the Integrated Brake System combines stability control and a traditional servo brake to improve brake response.
