2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Review

Intro

With the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, Alfa is back in the mainstream US market for the first time in 21 years. The manufacturer offers us an expensive high-performance Italian, 505-hp beast we can’t ignore. There is close to nothing that the new Romeo leaves wishing for. Even at high speeds, it is smooth to steer, and its throttle and transmission are fine-tuned and balanced.

Exterior

The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio offers a snarling front bumper and a massive diffuser, rounded off by Ferrari-like exhaust lips. A dual mode exhaust pipe is the standard on this model. It opens entirely during some of the drive modes. In the race mode, it opens wide up, even at idle, and offers a sound like few others at around 7000-rpm.

In addition to the sound, it offers great design and functionality with a carbon-fiber hood and roof, and Pirelli tires with enough grip for any driving needs. The standard iron brake rotors (although carbon-ceramic pieces are available for $5500) avoid grabbiness and respond to increased pressure instead of a longer stroke, as a race-car of this format should. You can clearly see the appeal at first sight. The curves are seamless. The overall look of the vehicle is sturdy and elegant.

Interior

The few design choices you can question are the lack of folding rear seats or the lack of trunk pass-through. Otherwise, it is reminiscent of the Mazda 6’s professional environment and offers comfortable, well-bolstered front seats that match the human form. The domed roof gives enough headroom for almost everyone. The rear legroom is a little tight, but that is not all that uncommon for such cars.

The thin-rimmed steering wheel is matched by two column-mounted metal shift paddles, which are incredibly large and make a strong contrast to the slim wheel. The delicateness of the wheel grip feels good in the hand and reacts just as light as it feels. It offers stable hands-off-wheel stability even at over 100 mph and never feels abrupt.

Features

The console in the center is easy to reach for both the driver and passenger to control the stereo, DNA drive mode (Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficiency, and Race settings) and dashboard display. Even in calm settings, the throttle response is immediate, so that regardless of the mode, it feels smooth. The infotainment menu is straightforward and easy to navigate. You can press or move the knobs to select and exit submenus, much like a joystick. The only criticism here is that the knobs feel cheap, and the screen could be bigger, or at least utilize its free space better.

(Source: CarandDriver)