1. Exterior
The standard Alfa Romeo Giulietta stands out in a car park, but the Cloverleaf version really is a head-turner. Distinctive 18-inch alloys and a lower ride height lend the car a sporty appearance. This is added to by twin, chrome-tipped exhausts and a relatively restrained body kit. Alfa’s signature ‘hidden’ rear door handles lend the Giulietta the appearance of a three-door hatchback and the shapely rear lights accentuate that. Some buyers may not appreciate the large white Cloverleaf badge fitted to the front wings, but overall this is one of the most attractive hot hatches on sale today.
2. Interior
The dashboard design in every Alfa Romeo Giulietta is attractive and modern – and feels well-made. A black leather interior is standard on the Cloverleaf and it makes the car seem even more special. The controls are sensibly laid out and the design of the alloy gear knob and toggle switches harks back to early Alfa Romeos. Overall it’s a more distinctive cabin than is found in most of the Giulietta’s rivals.
3. Practicality
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf is as spacious as the Ford Focus andVolkswagen Golf. However, the rear seats can feel a little claustrophobic due to the dark trim and the shape of the side windows. The latter also hampers the driver’s visibility. We found the pedals too close together and there’s very little room on the left of the clutch to put your foot. That said, there’s a wide range of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel and boot space is decent at 350 litres.
4. Ride and handling
Surprisingly, the Giulietta Cloverleaf is one of the most comfortable cars in its class. It tackles bumps and potholes well – especially when you consider that it’s aimed at enthusiasts. This comfort is not at the cost of body control, which is excellent. However, in comparison to the Golf GTI and Focus ST, the Giulietta is not quite as engaging to drive. It is a competent car, but its rivals give more feedback through the steering, even when the Giulietta is switched into ‘dynamic’ mode. Grip from the tyres is impressive though, and it’s a fun car to drive.
5. Performance
The Cloverleaf is fitted with a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine. This produces an impressive 235bhp, which is more than some of its direct rivals. This results in a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 150mph. This is nigh on identical to the Golf GTI’s performance, though the cheaper Mazda3 MPS is faster. On the road, the Giulietta delivers its performance smoothly, which actually makes it feel slower than the numbers suggest. Three driving modes are available (dynamic, normal and all-weather) and they effectively alter the power delivery accordingly. The six-speed manual gearbox is well-suited to the Cloverleaf.
6. Running costs
Average fuel consumption for the Giulietta Cloverleaf is 37.2mpg, though the car managed only 24mpg in our time with it. CO2 emissions are 177g/km, putting the Cloverleaf into a reasonable tax band. This is significantly better than the Mazda3 MPS and Ford Focus ST, but the Golf GTI is more efficient again and so cheaper to run. The Cloverleaf is in a lower insurance grouping than its rivals, so it should be cheaper to insure. However, the Alfa Romeo will depreciate quicker than its more familiar counterparts from Ford and Volkswagen.
7. Reliability
Alfa Romeo has not got a great reputation for reliability. However, the situation is improving and the Giulietta certainly feels like a high quality product. Nothing went wrong with the Cloverleaf model in its time with us. The engine and gearbox are relatively unproven, though have been used on other models.
8. Safety
Alfa Romeo states that the Giulietta is the safest car in its class. That’s backed up by a very impressive five-star result in the EuroNCAP crash tests. The result can be further broken down into 97 per cent for adult occupant protection, 85 per cent for child protection and 86 per cent for safety assist. The Cloverleaf model features an extensive list of safety features, including six airbags, ABS with EBD and Vehicle Dynamic Control. The latter incorporates a suite of functions to essentially help the driver in the event of an emergency situation, such as a skid.
9. Equipment
The Giulietta Cloverleaf is well equipped as standard. It outpunches most of its rivals in this way. Highlights include the lovely leather seats, dual-zone climate control, an intuitive voice-activated Bluetooth system and cruise control. Tempting extras include a Bose sound system, sat-nav and an expansive double glass sunroof. Parking sensors would be a sensible addition too to protect that good-looking bodywork
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