19/11/10

• Price£24,495
  
• We like...Style, charm, ability
• We don't...Nothing we could think of

Every Alfa Romeo has charm. What’s more, they provide welcome difference where too many rivals are ‘me too’ cars. But until of late, owners have had to love them despite flaws.

First the Mito and now the Giulietta signal that the make’s found winning ways. The individuality’s still there, though. From the moment you lay eyes on Alfa’s newest, you know that it could be no other make. From the offset front reg plate to that big heart-shaped grille and those sleepy-bug head lamps, it’s all there. Even so, it still manages to provide sufficient accommodation for five adults plus some luggage, while accommodating such marque peculiarities as handles for the rear passenger doors hidden within the window frames.

Step inside and the oddities continue. You sit low before a dash dominated by a centre metal-finish panel reminiscent of a 1960s sports car. Minor switches too, have a period feel: they’re little rocker-type devices topped by open handles. But it's also practical: big on headroom in the front and legroom in the rear, while the boot is practical, if on the small side.

Here we’re in the Cloverleaf, top of the range and the performance flagship, too. Its turbocharged 1.7 motor pushes 235bhp through the front wheels. If you’re expecting a focused, hard-core performance hatch, though, this isn’t it. It’s plenty rapid, for sure, but there’s not the blink-quick pick-up from low speeds you’ll experience in, say a Seat Leon Cupra R.

Instead, it makes for an accomplished and rapid ground-coverer. The ride’s stiff but also very supple considering its 18in alloys and skinny-sided tyres. While it’s not overly sensitive, the steering is quick in its responses. The engine, meanwhile, pulls flexibly and hard from low revs and eggs you to use it hard because of the lovely burble it gives off as speed builds.

Like the Mito, all Giuliettas have DNA. This is a three-position switch sited between the front seats, controlling steering, throttle response and the car’s on-board safety aids. Mostly, you’ll leave it in ‘N’, for Normal. ‘A’ gives you ‘All-weather’ which means extra grip when the going gets slippy. But, go for ‘Dynamic’ and the car is transformed. Unlike other similar systems, this one leaves alone the suspension settings. Even so, it feels as if you’ve suddenly found some extra horse power, while the steering up weights a fair bit. It’s a different car, albeit most owners will want to visit infrequently: it’s fun for a minute or two but becomes wearing if stayed with too long.

Big Cloverleaf badges on either front wing, lowered ride height and red brake callipers peek from the wheels show all that you’ve bought the dearest Giulietta. But, at time of writing, it’s usefully cheaper than the Seat Leon or Volkswagen Golf you’d otherwise buy and well equipped, too. Digital air conditioning, part-leather seats, cruise control and voice control for your phone and the stereo.

Should you buy one? Definitely. It has all the style you expect, feels ‘different’ from its more mainstream rivals, is nicely built and is keenly priced. What more could you want?

• Engines1.7 turbocharged petrol
• Power235bhp
• 0-60 mph6.8secs
• Economy37.2mpg
• CO2g/km177
• Insurance groups
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: