The Alfa Romeo Giulia Is Still Charming Without the V-6

There's a reason so many enthusiasts fawn over the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. That car was basically developed by Maranello's top engineers after a series of long espresso breaks. It has a Ferrari-derived V-6 engine, suspension components modeled after the 488 Pista, and a myriad of aluminum components that translate to a truly epic driving experience.

But if you take away the V-6, is the Giulia any good? The short answer is 'yes.' Even the base Giulia with a four-cylinder engine is charming. The Veloce model tested here has nearly as much personality as the hot-pot Quadrifoglio, but begs a far more reasonable $51,035 asking price.

The Veloce's turbocharged 2.0-liter is the only ding against an otherwise excellent luxury sports sedan. The engine feels unremarkable, burdened by a tinge too much low-end lag. Even when you tick the drive mode selector over to D for Dynamic, the sharper tuning doesn't make the mill feel any more playful.

With 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet compared to the Quad's 505 horses, there is a serious gulf in power. But that's still enough to move the Giulia out of its own way and on to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. And you even get a soundtrack of some light turbo whooshing during hard throttle applications. The standard eight-speed automatic transmission is pretty anonymous, too.

Now the good stuff. The suspension and steering are *Italian hands motion.* The steering is quick and responsive, telling you exactly where the car's nose is pointed. The Alfa has a tight 11.8:1 steering ratio compared to the BMW 330i's 14.1:1. On this Veloce model, you get a limited-slip differential and stickier summer tires, which help the already dynamic chassis feel more lively.

A near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution on this Veloce model yields incredible balance and it comes with standard rear-wheel drive (although, all-wheel drive is available as an option). The suspension has excellent damping and a decent rebound curve that keeps the car flat in corners, but still playful. And the Giulia is lighter than the comparable Audi or BMW thanks to the aluminum body panels that trickle down from the Quad.

But the ride is harsher than the 3 Series or Audi