Perhaps the saddest thing that FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) has experienced in recent times was the sudden death, at the age of 66 years, of its Canadian-Italian boss, Sergio Marchionne, in late-July 2018. An avowed fan of the Alfa marque, he assumed a near personal responsibility for the rebuilding of its model range and, while his plans for it and the rest of the FCA empire remain in place, they are also unfinished and Alfa has lost his drive.
Armed with 280bhp from its 2.0-litre petrol engine, the Veloce Ti now joins the Giulia line-up offering the look and feel of the Quadrifoglio trim, with Veloce performance. It is priced from £45,500, although FCD discounts will reduce that figure handsomely. It is worth noting that the supercar-performance of the 510bhp 2.9-litre V6 Giulia, in N-Ring trim, is available from a challenging £82,500, meaning that the Ti can be perceived as a veritable bargain. Building on the Veloce, the Ti adds Quadrifoglio leather and Alcantara heated sports seats, with eight-way adjustment, carbon interior trim with leather dashboard, ambient lighting, black headlining, illuminated carbon door sills and a climate pack to enhance the sporting ambiance of the interior.
Externally, it adds 19.0-inch dark-tinted, five-hole alloy wheels (previously an exclusive treatment for the Quadrifoglio model), carbon grille and mirror caps, a lighting pack and red brake calipers as a nod to the range-topper. To bring it even closer to its big brother, the Veloce Ti can be specified as an option, with any Quadrifoglio paint colour, including Competizione Red and Trofeo White, as well as an optional Carbon Pack, which adds a Quadrifoglio carbon-fibre lip spoiler, Quadrifoglio side-skirts with carbon-fibre inserts and a carbon-fibre gearshift insert for £1,650.
All versions of the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio crossover now come with the 8.8-inch Alfa Connect with navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in-dash screen as standard, to provide drivers with enhanced connectivity. In addition, the Giulia Speciale also adds exclusive 18.0-inch dual five-spoke, diamond-cut alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, aluminium kick-plates and black brake calipers to its standard equipment list, while Veloce models feature new 18.0-inch five-hole, dark finish alloy wheels, rear privacy glass and the Convenience pack with keyless entry, external door handle illumination and driver’s side dashboard storage as standard. The range-topping Giulia Quadrifoglio also adds rear privacy glass, anodised black brake calipers and 40/20/40 split fold rear seats, complete with third rear central seatbelt, to an already extensive standard equipment list.
The standard content of the Stelvio range has also been bolstered with the Super trim level now including Michelin CrossClimate Winter tyres (M+S) on its standard equipment list, while the Speciale also adds rear privacy glass, aluminium kick plates and black brake calipers, like the Giulia. Stelvio Quadrifoglio models will also come with rear privacy glass, black anodised brake calipers and 20.0-inch silver five-hole alloy wheels to complete the look.
All Giulia and Stelvio models now offer additional peace of mind as they receive a further two years warranty and roadside assistance, valid for five years from the date of first registration, or until the vehicle has travelled 75,000 miles. In addition, the cars also come with three years scheduled servicing, covering the costs of parts, lubricants and labour required as part of the servicing schedule. The latest Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio models are available priced from £32,490 and £36,990 respectively, before FCD discounts are applied.
