The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Mercedes-AMG C63 S have been put head-to-head in our latest group test.
The rejuvenation of Alfa Romeo as a proper performance brand has brightened spirits and rekindled warm sentiments aplenty these past five years – and long may its ascendant trajectory continue. It’s not like us serious road test types to hand out credit that hasn’t been won the hard way, against some satellite timing gear or in a repeatable test. But before we get stuck in to what’s about to be a very tough test indeed for Alfa’s latest – the Giulia Quadrifoglio, in action on UK soil for the first time – let’s take a moment to salute the effort, faith, commitment and skill that it has taken to get the Italian firm this far.
The 4C wasn’t perfect, but it was a strong statement of intent and a decent start on the long road back to credibility. The ‘new’ Mazda MX-5- twinned Duetto Spider didn’t happen – for reasons that still baffle this tester and that have only given rise to a damp squib of a sports car in the shape of the Fiat 124 Spider. Never mind. For a while, it was at least the prospect of another Alfa Romeo we could get excited about.
Now the new ‘Cloverleaf’ has arrived: a rear-driven Alfa Romeo saloon that can be lined up against a 503bhp, £67,450 thunder-saloon from Mercedes-AMG with a straight face and a genuine chance of beating it. What a turn-up that is. A few years ago, with dull, heavy, uninspiring cars like the Brera and 159 in Alfa showrooms, the idea of such a test as this would have come across like a joke in need of a punchline.
Whether you’re a fully paid-up Alfisti fan club member or not, this is a transformation that can only be welcomed. Having driven the car abroad back in the spring, we already know the hot Giulia is good – many times better than anything provided by the meagre diet of scraps that has sustained the Alfa faithful for the past couple of decades. This is a momentous car, and that may be enough to make it a triumphant sales success all on its own.
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Unfair/incomplete comparison
It's not fair to exclude the bits you don't like (My initial view is that there is a heavy duty Merc bias going on here). The performance figures are the figures and they have been widely reported and verified.
I appreciate the eagerness to compare, but you have to use a RHD ZF8 Alfa QV not the manual which is not as slick (or quick for that matter). Although this set up isn't available just yet, trying to score some early points ahead of a much (much) closer test is a bit cheap (and predicable).
The QV wins hands down in my view regarding - Steering, handling and ride comfort. Let's wait for the like for like test before commenting on the rest!!
I guess it's a measure of how far Alfa Romeo have come that the traditional solace of "ordinary (or worse)car, but how beautiful it looks", is no longer the subject of this or many of the previous reviews! Truth is, the Alfa QV is a very, very, good looking car and frankly this (or any other Merc) isn't. This stuff is extremely important to people.
As if the above comments don't question the quality of this review enough, the reference to the 159/Brera as being dull etc. is the final nail......
The 159 is still the best looking car on the roads today, period.
Unfair/incomplete comparison
It's not fair to exclude the bits you don't like (My initial view is that there is a heavy duty Merc bias going on here). The performance figures are the figures and they have been widely reported and verified.
I appreciate the eagerness to compare, but you have to use a RHD ZF8 Alfa QV not the manual which is not as slick (or quick for that matter). Although this set up isn't available just yet, trying to score some early points ahead of a much (much) closer test is a bit cheap (and predicable).
The QV wins hands down in my view regarding - Steering, handling and ride comfort. Let's wait for the like for like test before commenting on the rest!!
I guess it's a measure of how far Alfa Romeo have come that the traditional solace of "ordinary (or worse)car, but how beautiful it looks", is no longer the subject of this or many of the previous reviews! Truth is, the Alfa QV is a very, very, good looking car and frankly this (or any other Merc) isn't. This stuff is extremely important to people.
As if the above comments don't question the quality of this review enough, the reference to the 159/Brera as being dull etc. is the final nail......
The 159 is still the best looking car on the roads today, period.
Unfair/incomplete comparison
It's not fair to exclude the bits you don't like (My initial view is that there is a heavy duty Merc bias going on here). The performance figures are the figures and they have been widely reported and verified.
I appreciate the eagerness to compare, but you have to use a RHD ZF8 Alfa QV not the manual which is not as slick (or quick for that matter). Although this set up isn't available just yet, trying to score some early points ahead of a much (much) closer test is a bit cheap (and predicable).
The QV wins hands down in my view regarding - Steering, handling and ride comfort. Let's wait for the like for like test before commenting on the rest!!
I guess it's a measure of how far Alfa Romeo have come that the traditional solace of "ordinary (or worse)car, but how beautiful it looks", is no longer the subject of this or many of the previous reviews! Truth is, the Alfa QV is a very, very, good looking car and frankly this (or any other Merc) isn't. This stuff is extremely important to people.
As if the above comments don't question the quality of this review enough, the reference to the 159/Brera as being dull etc. is the final nail......
The 159 is still the best looking car on the roads today, period.