Alfa Romeo: a Ferrari in drag

Considering how many mediocre cars Alfa Romeo has turned out during the more recent chapters of its 106-year history, it's a wonder the doors to the factory haven't shut for good, says James Mills in The Sunday Times. Enthusiasts love it, but its German competitors don't lie awake at night thinking about it.

It just might have. There are "flashes of brilliance", says Mills: it handles as well as a 3-Series and rides as comfortably as an A4. It looks stylish too, and the full-blooded Quadrifoglio model (pictured) is "breathtakingly fast" it's "essentially a Ferrari in drag". However, Mills' test car was infested with "gremlins" in the form of technological failures. The Alfa will need to be cheap to tempt Beemer drivers.

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The Giulia is shaping up to be a "fantastic return to form" for Alfa, says Sam Naylor in Auto Express. The smooth V6 engine in the top-of-the-range Quadrifoglio model and its sharp steering and balanced handling were impressive. The 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 will "catch your attention", with "more of a tuneful growl" than the straight-six in a BMW. "Step on the throttle and it revs up smoothly, with a howling top-end."

It feels much like a Ferrari "as it rips through the gears", says Naylor, and the car looks stunning too. This is a "properly characterful saloon". One of the key factors though will be the price if Alfa can manage to undercut its German rivals, "it will make its few drawbacks start to fade away".

Price: £56,000 (estimated, for the Quadrifoglio model)Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrolPower: 503bhpTorque: 600Nm0-62mph: 3.9 secondsTop speed: 192mphEconomy: 34.4mpg

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