Skip advert
Advertisement

Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV review

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV (Cloverleaf) hot hatch has plenty of style but that can’t redeem poor driving experience

Overall Auto Express rating

2.0

How we review cars
Find your Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

You have to wonder who exactly the revised Giulietta QV is aimed at. A price tag upwards of £30,000 puts this Alfa on par 
with class-leading hot hatches like the VW Golf R and BMW M135i – yet a below average driving experience leaves it 
some way off the pace. Put your sensible hat on and buy the Golf. You certainly won’t regret it.

Advertisement - Article continues below

A manual gearbox is no longer the default choice for sports car fans. Take VW’s DSG or Porsche’s brilliant PDK systems, for example. Manufacturers and customers alike are now realising both the performance and economy benefits of fitting a self-shifter to their fast cars. So, how will Alfa’s latest hot hatch – complete with a six-speed dual-clutch auto – fare on our country roads?

On paper, the Giulietta QV looks good. It lifts the punchy 1.75-litre turbo petrol engine from the 4C coupe, along with the same dual-clutch auto box. It’s eight-tenths faster from 0-62mph than before and, thanks to the engine being lighter, slightly more economical, too.

Best hot hatches to buy now

Unfortunately, despite the box, the QV simply doesn’t feel as urgent as a VW Golf GTI or SEAT Leon Cupra. Once you’re up to speed, it can cover ground at an alarming rate, but on a twisty B-road, you’ll find the car searching for gears.

The electronic diff struggles, too, leaving the front wheels scrabbling for grip on greasy tarmac. The ride is unbearably jittery at times and the standard 18-inch alloys are attracted to ruts in the road like magnets. A Ford Focus ST feels much more direct, and even with the QV in Dynamic mode, you won’t keep up with an Audi A3 quattro.

Visually, the Giulietta QV stands out like no other hot hatch, especially in the £490 matt-grey Magnesio paint on our test car. Inside, quality is still an issue, but the flashes of Italian on the dials and big Alfa logos are neat touches.

The real issue is the price, though. This QV Launch Edition costs in excess of £30,000, which is considerably more than its main rivals, including the Golf. It does benefit from cosy leather and Alcantara sports seats, sat-nav, dual-zone climate control and all-round parking sensors, but the fact that a SEAT Leon Cupra offers all of this without breaking the bank is damning.

In fact, the QV has very little to brag about over its rivals. The hot hatch game has moved on in the past five years, but the Giulietta hasn’t kept pace.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Deputy editor

Richard has been part of the team for over a decade. During this time he has covered a huge amount of news and reviews for Auto Express, as well as being the face of Carbuyer and DrivingElectric on Youtube. In his current role as deputy editor, he is now responsible for keeping our content flowing and managing our team of talented writers.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Drivers changing car tyres too early are wasting their money and hurting the planet
Tyre tread

Drivers changing car tyres too early are wasting their money and hurting the planet

Why running tyres all the way to the 1.6mm legal limit makes sense for safety and the environment
Features
7 Nov 2024
New BMW M3 will keep petrol power, but there'll be an EV, too
2028 BMW M3 render (watermarked)

New BMW M3 will keep petrol power, but there'll be an EV, too

Next-generation BMW super-saloon will be available with choice of two powertrains when it goes on sale in 2028
News
7 Nov 2024
Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2024, 2025 and beyond
Best new cars coming soon - header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2024, 2025 and beyond

These are the biggest and most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
6 Nov 2024