Форум для крепких духом и больных на голову <-> Alfa è una macchina per la gente forte di spirito e debole di testa
Модераторы: Typhoon, russiangirl, Лютег, Mur
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 3:10 pm
But - and it’s a big but for an Alfa Romeo - the sparkle’s missing. Previous generation Alfas have been flawed but undeniably characterful to drive. The Giulietta turns the brand’s personality on its head, dishing up a very impressive and competent driving experience that doesn’t really have you gagging to go back.
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 3:12 pm
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 5:08 pm
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cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 5:17 pm
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 7:08 pm
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 7:44 pm
Suspense » Вт апр 13, 2010 8:05 pm
max_pershin писал(а):В будущем покупателями Альфа Ромео должны стать те, кто ищет в машине пространство, комфорт, те, кто проводит в машине весь день.
Бред какой-то.
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 8:06 pm
What a very, very good car this is. The Giulietta - Alfa's long-awaited replacement for the 147 - is, by every grown-up, road-testerish criterion, a genuine rival for the Golf and A3.
Honest. If you're thinking of buying a Golf, put the Giulietta on your ‘to really consider quite seriously' list. It drives well - excellently, in fact - and has a fine range of turbocharged, direct injection engines. Interior space is much improved on the 147, refinement is good, build quality appears to be almost... German.
Spotted a ‘but' looming large on the horizon? Yeah, you're right. But let's leave the ‘but' to one side for a second, and talk about the Giulietta's underpinnings.
You're not looking at a Bravo in a smarter suit. The Giulietta is the first car to get Fiat's boringly-named-but-thoroughly-excellent ‘Compact' platform, formed of lightweight, high-tensile steel to keep weight down. This means it's lightish and, with aluminium multi-link suspension at the rear, brilliantly supple on the road, striking a neat balance between comfort and agile handling.
Grip - even on the sodden Italian roads of our test drive - is impressive, and there's an almost organic quality to the steering that makes your A3 feel lifeless. It's great. Fun.
We drove the 167bhp version of Alfa's 1.4-litre four-pot turbo petrol engine, featuring Fiat's clever new ‘MultiAir' variable-valve tech (a 118bhp version of the same engine, as well as two diesels in 104bhp and 168bhp flavour).
Objectively, grown-uppedly, this engine is excellent. It'll do 0-62mph in just under eight seconds and, equipped with stop-start as standard, will manage 49mpg and 134g/km of CO2. Those are impressive figures, and it's an impressively refined unit: power delivery is smooth and progressive, the boost barely noticeable.
But - and yes, here's the ‘but' - it's a little soulless. There's a defiant lack of rasp and crackle from the exhaust, a slight unwillingness to charge headlong to the redline. And that's our only gripe with the Giulietta overall. It is, undoubtedly, a fine, grown-up car, but on first impressions it's just lacking that final dollop of Alfa's trademark fizz.
Maybe it's just a visual thing: though the Giulietta isn't a minger by any means, but - if you'll excuse the rampant subjectivity - isn't Alfa's most elegant design of recent years. Maybe we're trying to eat our cake and have it: we spend years moaning about the flimsiness of Alfas, and then as soon as they build a solid, refined car, we moan that it's characterless. Either way, though the Giulietta caters brilliantly to the Golf/Focus market, maybe it's just a little too sober to grab unreformed petrolheads by the man-parts.
The soon-to-arrive Giulietta Cloverleaf - Alfa's Golf GTI rival, which will pack 235bhp and meatier visuals, should help that. We'll wait until then to declare ourselves smitten with the Giulietta. For now, we sturdily salute the newest Alfa as a fine, mainstream car.
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 8:12 pm
Suspense писал(а):max_pershin писал(а):В будущем покупателями Альфа Ромео должны стать те, кто ищет в машине пространство, комфорт, те, кто проводит в машине весь день.
Лютег » Вт апр 13, 2010 8:21 pm
cоlombо » Вт апр 13, 2010 10:58 pm
What is it?
Here is the top model in the new Alfa Giulietta range, the 232bhp Quadrofoglio Verde or Green Cloverleaf. It outpowers a Golf GTI, doesn't quite match a Mégane 250 and has an engine smaller than both. If you were hoping for a replacement for the the old 3.2-litre, V6-engined 147 GTA, you'll be disappointed – but downsizing is the way of the world now.
Technical highlights
The engine is the 1.8-litre, direct-injection turbo unit already seen in the 159 and Brera, which uses extremely variable valve timing to scavenge combustion chambers for great low-speed torque and minimal turbo lag. The new 'Compact' platform shares only the floor sections with the 147, and the new suspension uses much aluminium. The platform can take four-wheel drive so expect a future 'Compact'-based SUV.
What’s it like to drive?
Stung by criticism of the smaller Mito's stodgy, rubbery electric power steering, the Giulietta has a new system with the motor on the rack instead of the column - less friction; less inertia. The result is a much more natural steering feel and a welcome transparency. The standard-fit Q2 system functions as an electronic differential to brake the inside front wheel when understeer threatens, and it works well. VDC (Alfa's ESP) intervenes readily in the DNA system's Normal mode, but not too annoyingly. The throttle response is pretty dull, though.
Switch to Dynamic and it's a much better Giulietta. The throttle sharpens so you can enjoy the hefty low-end torque better and hear that deep, crisp engine note. The steering weight rises but in a natural way, not by artificially increasing resistance. And the brakes change from spongy to quite sharp, thanks to 'pre-fill'. Dynamic also loosens the tail a little before VDC intervenes, but this is still not a car to be pointed keenly into a bend on a trailing throttle and caught with a dab of power. It's too tied-down and inert for that, which is a shame for an Alfa Romeo.
This is more a GT than a proper hot hatchback, an impression heightened by the engine's inability to pass 6250rpm, and a trick has been missed. It does ride well, though, even on its shallow-sidewall 225/40 R18 tyres.
How does it compare?
The Giulietta's chassis engineers rate the Audi A3 highly and think a Ford Focus poor, which tells you a lot. The QV should be a rival for that Golf GTI and Mégane 250 but it lacks their dynamic sparkle. Instead it's good A3 or BMW 1-series alternative, which is what Alfa Romeo wanted. As far as the mainland European market is concerned, Alfa is probably right.
Anything else I need to know?
Expect a price around £22,000, but you might be better off saving a little and going for the 168bhp 1.4 MultiAir, driven here. Why? Because it's lighter in the nose, keener to turn, more playful on the throttle and ultimately more fun.
cоlombо » Ср апр 14, 2010 1:02 pm
Guderian писал(а):max_pershin писал(а):Stung by criticism of the smaller Mito's stodgy, rubbery electric power steering, the Giulietta has a new system with the motor on the rack instead of the column - less friction; less inertia.
А вы глумились надо мной! А я был прав!
cоlombо » Ср апр 14, 2010 7:09 pm
Guderian писал(а):max_pershin писал(а): Я писал о рулевом МиТо в сравнении со 155/156.
А я писал в сравнении со 147 и одноклассниками.
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