2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce Review

Alfa Romeo is a brand that we love and has been undergoing something of a refresh recently with updated versions of the Stelvio, as well as a new small SUV that’s called the Tonale. But here we’re focusing on the Giulia sports sedan, which has been the purest form of the Alfa brand since the 4C was discontinued. We tested the newly updated 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce to see if this seemingly capable sedan lives up to the heritage of this Italian brand or if it is a ploy to sell more units.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a personal favourite for the DiscoverAuto team thanks to its gorgeous styling and loveable nature that really won us over. The Giulia goes up against the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Genesis G70 and Jaguar XE in the premium mid-size sedan segment.

Price & Equipment: 8/10

Since we last tested the Giulia, Alfa Romeo axed the lower variants of the Giulia range meaning the model we have here – the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce – is currently both the least expensive Giulia and indeed the least expensive Alfa Romeo you can buy locally until the new Tonale small SUV arrives in early 2023. So how much does it cost? The Veloce starts at $74,950 plus on-road costs (around $81,000 drive away).

For the money, you get a long standard equipment list. This includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, bi-xenon headlights, LED rear lighting, leather upholstery with heated front and rear seats, a heated leather steering wheel, a leather gear knob, auto lights and wipers, dual-zone climate control, 10-way electrically adjustable front seats with driver’s memory functionality, an 8.8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, an eight-speaker sound system, a wireless phone charger, front and rear USB charging ports, rear privacy glass, keyless entry and start, heated and auto-folding mirrors, red brake callipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. 

Safety equipment includes six airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, intelligent speed control, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, speed sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, lane trace assist, auto high beam and tyre pressure monitoring.

We do wish that the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia came with equipment like a larger centre screen, a digital driver’s display, a heads-up display, a 360-degree camera and LED headlights. Other than these small pieces of equipment, the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is very well appointed.

Available colours for the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce include our test car’s ‘Alfa Red’ and ‘Alfa White’, which are both no-cost options. For an extra $1,355, buyers can choose from ‘Vulcano Black’, ‘Anodised Blue’, ‘Misano Blue’, ‘Visconti Green’, ‘Vesuvio Grey’, and ‘Moonlight Pearl’. Interior colour options include black or red, with the beige, cream and tan options no longer available (which makes us sad). Options include a $2,700 dual-pane sunroof and the $3,500 Lusso Pack, which includes an excellent 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, an alarm and an extended leather interior (on the dashboard and door trims). Our car was fitted with both options and retailed for $81,150 plus on-road costs.

Rivals to the Giulia Veloce include the $74,100 plus on-road costs Audi A4 45TFSI, the $78,900 +ORC BMW 320i, the +ORC $75,067 Genesis G70 3.3T, the +ORC $70,825 Jaguar XE 300 Sport and the $78,900 +ORC Mercedes-Benz C200. With all of these vehicles and their equipment lists being taken into consideration the Alfa seems to be relatively decent value.

Performance & Economy: 8.5/10

Opening the bonnet of the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia reveals a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 206kW of power (at 5,250rpm) and a healthy 400Nm of torque (at 2,250rpm). The 0-100km/h sprint time of just 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 240km/h is quite impressive for a four-cylinder car in this segment. Aside from the 221kW Jaguar XE and 272kW V6 Genesis G70, the Giulia’s outputs are class-leading – the BMW 320i makes a lesser 135kW and the Audi A4 45 183kW. 

The engine sends power solely to the rear wheels. Unfortunately, it is rather muted for a sports sedan (let alone an Alfa Romeo) but power is plentiful if you are in the right gear. We found that if the gearbox was in a higher gear and you put your foot down, there was a little lag. But in saying this, we love the 2.0-litre unit in the Veloce – no it’s not as soulful as the Quadrifoglio’s engine, but as a cheaper option we came away very impressed.

The standard and only transmission option for the Giulia is an eight-speed ZF torque converter automatic. This transmission is excellent, there is no other word for it. Shifts are smooth and the gearbox reacts quickly when power is needed. Using the glorious metal paddle shifters behind the steering wheel are a joy as well. Driving modes on the Giulia’s ‘DNA’ drive selector are A for all weather (essentially an eco mode), N for natural which is more of an everyday use mode and D for dynamic, which stiffens everything up and changes the Giulia’s characteristics from relaxed to angry.

The claimed average fuel consumption figure for the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is 6.1L/100km. Our week spent steering the Veloce with a mixture of both city and highway driving saw an average consumption figure of 9.7L/100km. While this could be better, we have to admit to not driving in the most economical way. It’s a red Alfa Romeo, come on…

Ride & Handling: 9.5/10

Here is where the Alfa Romeo Giulia absolutely shines – the dynamic ability of the Giulia is unrivalled in this segment. It feels light yet planted and offers precise steering to make the handling ability even more joyous than you would think. Thanks to the multi-billion dollar ‘Giorgio’ platform and the excellent staggered tyre setup, the Giulia handles like a dream. The excellent sports seats hug you in when cornering as well to give more of a sporty feel.

Yet despite the Giulia Veloce’s razor sharp dynamics, its ride quality is also excellent. Immediately noticeable is its excellent body control – even bigger bumps are dealt with immediately – and despite being firm, it’s never uncomfortable. It’s taut and well controlled as well. The road noise levels of the Giulia are more than acceptable for a car in this segment. The safety systems are quite unobtrusive compared to other brands.

Interior & Practicality: 8/10

As soon as you step into the cabin of the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia, you know that it’s Italian. With the swooping curves of the dash, the smell of leather of the beautiful bucket seats and the gorgeous real metal paddle shifters, you feel like you are sitting in a car that is much more expensive than it is.

Recently updated as part of a mid-life update, the Giulia’s cabin is now higher quality with new materials and new switchgear aimed at making it feel more expensive. Thankfully, the update has worked with a new leather-stitched dashboard, new infotainment system controls with extra damping and an updated touchscreen infotainment system for a greater UX experience. 

The Giulia’s cabin is not the most practical space in the industry, but it’s got more than enough storage space for everyday life. The door bins are a reasonable size, the cup holders in the centre console are large, the glovebox is reasonable and the bin underneath the centre arm rest is big.

The Giulia’s infotainment system is shown through an 8.8-inch touchscreen (that can also be controlled via a BMW-esque controller in the centre console as well) which integrates well into the dash. It has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and digital radio. We do wish the screen was slightly bigger and better quality, but it’s not bad. The 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system is great, we love how crisp it is and it also offers a good amount of depth.

Getting into the rear of the Alfa Romeo Giulia can be a little difficult for taller passengers, especially when getting in behind the driver as the drivers seat will go back when the engine is turned off and come forward when it is turned on to help the driver. Once the front seat is back in its original position the leg room is rather good though for taller passengers head room might be an issue. As far as rear amenities go there is rear air-vents, rear heated seats, two USB-A ports and an armrest with cupholders.

Open up the easy opening boot lid reveals 480-litres of cargo space and the rear seats also fold 40:20:40 to allow for longer items. The boot is well finished with lovely carpeting and it also features tie down points and a few hooks. Thanks to its run flat tyres, there is no spare tyre. Compare this to the 460-litre boot in the Audi A4, the 480-litre boot of the BMW 320i, the 455-litre boot of the Mercedes-Benz C200 and the small 330-litre boot of the Genesis G70 and you can see that the Giulia offers a large boot for the segment.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

Since we last tested the Giulia, Alfa Romeo has upgraded its warranty in Australia. It now offers a five-year/unlimited km warranty with five years of roadside assistance included. Mercedes-Benz, Genesis and Audi all have the same five-year warranty but BMW only has a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

The cost to service the 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia over the span of five-years or 75,000km is $2,865, which is an average annual service cost of $573. BMW charges $1,800 for a five-year service pack on the 3 Series, Audi charges $2,920 for a five-year service pack on the A4, Mercedes-Benz will charge $5,450 for a five-year service pack on the C-Class and Genesis includes five years of servicing for the G70.

2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.4/10

The 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is more of a heart purchase than a head one, though when you think about it, it is roughly the same price as its rivals but with more equipment, it’s the most powerful four-cylinder in the segment and it is also subjectively the best looking as well. We love Alfa Romeo here at DiscoverAuto and think the Giulia is an exceptional premium sports sedan.

Overall, the dynamic driving experience, beautiful interior and value prospect outweighs the small niggles we have with the Giulia. So the question is would we buy one over a more premium rival? It would certainly be high on the list, especially with how wonderfully well it drives. If you don’t check the Giulia out when shopping for a premium sports sedan, you’re a fool.