Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf vs Volkswagen Golf GTI: 2010 twin test
Alfa’s sizzling new Giulietta Cloverleaf is setting pulses racing. Can it beat the VW Golf GTI?
Storm clouds are gathering at Volkswagen. The Golf GTI has ruled the hot hatch roost since the MkV arrived in 2004, but its reign is being threatened by a sporty arrival from Alfa Romeo.
The new Giulietta wasn’t good enough to beat the MkVI VW in standard trim, but the Italians’ high-performance cars have a fine reputation – and the hot Cloverleaf promises to give the GTI a run for its money.
Its intentions are clear from the outset, as the flagship of the Giulietta line-up costs £24,495. That puts it in direct competition with our favourite hot hatch of them all. Alfa bosses claim the new turbocharged 231bhp engine and high spec justifies the comparison – and the car comes with the kind of looks you expect from the brand.
The less powerful Golf GTI doesn’t turn as many heads, but it’s still a class act – and has an unbeaten road test record. Can Alfa pull off one of the shocks of the year and unseat the mighty Golf GTI as hot hatch champ, or will the VW leave the Giulietta floundering in its wake?
Verdict
Despite Alfa’s bold intentions with the Giulietta Cloverleaf, the Golf GTI’s hot hatch crown is safe. As we’ve come to expect, the newcomer’s engine is a real gem; the longer you spend with the car, though, the more the rest of its initial gloss begins to fade.
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Cash £28,308It’s fun for a short drive, but age-old complaints about the driving position and interior quality take the edge off your enjoyment. The all-conquering GTI is still the model you’d rather own.
For its part, the VW is an enormously talented car. The engine is less powerful on paper, but it never feels outpaced. The suspension deals with everything you can throw at it, and the interior is in another league to its rival. While it’s subtle and understated, the Golf is head and shoulders above the hot Giulietta.
First place: Volkswagen Golf GTI
No car defines its class better than the Golf GTI. There may have been the odd stumble along the way, but the last two incarnations of Volkswagen’s hot hatch have marked a real return to form.
The company is rightly proud of the GTI’s heritage, and this is reflected by the retro styling cues lavished on the current model. Its badges, tartan seats and red grille surround all hark back to the legendary Seventies original.
Sports seats are a hot hatch staple, and the GTI doesn’t disappoint in this respect. Its supportive designs are some of the best we’ve tried and the driving position is spot-on – although shorter drivers may be impeded by the pronounced side bolsters. Other clues to the Golf’s flagship status include the sculpted steering wheel, which is great to look at and even better to hold.
There is practicality to go with this style, though, so there’s ample space in the wide, well planned rear. Headroom is generous, and while the bench seat isn’t the most supportive, it seats three with ease. Large windows give the cabin an airy feel, despite the racy black roof lining. Further back, boot space is a match for the Alfa.
These models are as much about performance as practicality, and the VW’s 2.0-litre engine is well proven. The TSI direct-injection turbo unit is boosted to 207bhp, and has an engaging soundtrack. It’s focused on flexibility rather than ultimate output. Peak power is spread over a 900rpm range and the 280Nm maximum torque arrives at only 1,700rpm.
This low-down shove was obvious during our in-gear performance tests, where the Golf responded with real vigour. It’s particularly impressive at motorway speeds, covering 50-70mph in sixth in 6.7 seconds – that’s three seconds faster than the more powerful Alfa. Such punchy performance ensures the GTI is quicker in most situations.
Through corners, the Golf isn’t as immediate in its responses, yet the well judged steering provides much more feel. And while the ride is firm at low speeds on our model’s 18-inch alloys, if you up the pace, the car’s depth of talent shines through. The chassis is sharp and stable, with excellent composure, especially as speeds increase. Mid-corner bumps fail to unsettle the Golf, and it takes everything in its stride.
The simplicity of the GTI and the ease with which you can drive it quickly are core to its appeal. And you can forget Alfa’s DNA system. Instead, VW offers buyers the option of its excellent ACC adaptive suspension set-up. For less than £800, it brings supercar technology to the hot hatch class – and it works, too.
On top of all this, the Golf is more efficient, cleaner and feels better built than its rival. It was crowned Best Hot Hatch at our New Car Awards this year (Issue 1,126), and this test reminded us why we rate it so highly.
Second place: Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf
We’ve come to expect stunning designs from Alfa Romeo, and the new Giulietta Cloverleaf hits the bull’s eye again. Despite its five-door body, it looks like a sporty three-door thanks to its concealed rear handles.
Tinted windows, 18-inch alloy wheels complete with an anthracite finish and charismatic front wing plaques add to its appeal – although our test car’s striking 8C Red paint costs a hefty £1,750 extra!
Under the skin, the Cloverleaf gets 10mm lower suspension and red brake calipers. And these additions help it to steal the limelight from its German rival at the kerbside. Inside, however, it doesn’t live up to the promise. Parts of the Giulietta’s cabin show real flair, but overall it’s a disappointment. The stereo is fiddly, stowage space is lacking, and the trip computer display looks like something from the Eighties.
Quality drops off away from the main dashboard, too. The door panels are made of scratchy plastic, and the centre console looks cheap. Also, the car deserves a more stylish steering wheel than the plain, overly large item fitted here.
Elsewhere, the hard seats don’t offer enough under-thigh support and the driving position isn’t ideal. The poorly positioned metal pedals are too close together and unevenly spaced. They’re slippery when you have wet feet, too.
The 350-litre boot is shallow, while will the rear seats are a gloomy place to sit – the Cloverleaf’s darkened glass restricts the amount of daylight coming through the narrow windows. At least you get plenty of kit: climate control, auto wipers, Bluetooth, part-leather seats and cruise control are all standard.
As with all the finest Alfas, the best piece of equipment is to be found under the bonnet – and the 1750 TBi engine is a real highlight. It has an effervescent character that makes the car fun to drive, as well as fast. And this performance comes accompanied by a rewarding, hi-tech turbo soundtrack.
The smooth-revving unit offers real bite. In soaking conditions, the Cloverleaf sprinted from 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds. The Golf completed the benchmark in 6.6 seconds, but its time was recorded in the dry. In addition, the Alfa requires more effort to get off the line cleanly, and the full 340Nm of torque is available only if you select the Dynamic mode on the DNA driver control system. Otherwise, it offers 300Nm at a peaky 4,500rpm.
The six-speed box isn’t as positive as the Golf’s, either. On twisty roads, the steering is extremely responsive, which is typical of the brand, although the electric set-up doesn’t provide sufficient feel, and you have little idea what the front wheels are up to. So, while the car is very stable, it’s all too easy to carry too much speed into a corner, as the front tyres scrub wide of your intended line earlier than you expect.
We’re still not convinced by the DNA set-up, as it’s a bit gimmicky. The steering is too light in Normal mode, while throttle responses are noticeably blunted. Things improve in the Dynamic setting, and the brakes bite harder thanks to their pre-fill function.
Alfa Romeo’s racy challenger has bags of character and real promise on paper. But on the road, it fails to hit the heights of the Cloverleaf legend.
