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2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio review

6 years ago

Writer:

Dan Prosser | Ti co-founder

Date:

12 April 2021

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With this 2020 model year update, Alfa Romeo has fixed the little things that weren’t quite right about the Giulia Quadrifoglio without injuring in any way the things that were so brilliant about it. You’d have to be the kind of obsessive Alfisti who plasters their garage wall with photographs of GTAs and Tipo 33s to identify this updated model, because externally so little has changed. (The smokey taillights are the giveaway.)

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There is no more power from the 2.9-litre V6, which still produces 503bhp. There are no changes to the steering, suspension or gearbox calibration, or at least none that Alfa Romeo is prepared to talk about. More on that in a minute.

But there is a new interface for the infotainment system, one that no longer looks like it was lifted from a 10-year-old emerging market minicab. Even the leather-bound gear knob is a vast improvement on what came before. The completely revised sound deadening package has made a huge difference.

Whereas before the hot Giulia could feel tinny on the motorway, now it’s quieter and much more refined. The engine is still brilliant and tuneful; the chassis still a masterstroke with great poise and balance. If I had to bet, I’d put a few quid on Alfa having rewritten a few lines of code in the steering software. Still sharp and responsive, the initial response is now more measured than before, and less flighty. The best small super saloon just got better.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Engine: 2891cc, V6, twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed auto, RWD
Power: 503bhp @ 6500rpm
Torque: 443lb ft @ 2500rpm
Weight: 1524kg
Power-to-weight: 330bhp/tonne
0-62mph: 3.9 seconds
Top speed: 191mph
Price: £67,195
Ti rating 8/10
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