Buying your first car is quite an exciting prospect, but there are a few key aspects to take into consideration before your sign the dotted line. While Alfa Romeo creates some of the most stylish and characterful vehicles on the market today, first-time vehicle buyers have to focus on traits such as space, frugality, power, comfort and safety to ensure the vehicle meets all their requirements.
For this article, we will be looking at the current range of vehicles on offer from the Italian marque from the Giulietta hatchback variants to the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV derivatives to find out if they will make for good first cars.
Space
The Giulietta is not only the most compact but also affordable model in the Alfa Romeo range. The hatchback measures 4 351mm in length, 1 798mm wide and 1 465mm tall which makes it compact enough for easy manoeuvring in tight parking spaces but large enough to offer seating for five occupants. The boot is rated for 350-litres, however, will expand to 1 045-litres with the rear bench folded.
Similarly, the Giulia sedan derivatives will also easily accommodated five occupants with its dimensions. The Veloce variant measures 4 643mm long, 1 860mm wide and 1 436mm tall with the Quadrifoglio slightly shorter at 4 639mm, wider at 1 873mm and lower measuring 1 426mm. With the rear bench in place, the Giulia sedan model offers 480-litres of luggage space in both trims.
The Stelvio range which utilises the same platform as found in the Giulia measures slightly longer at 4 687mm for the Super Q4 and 4 702mm for the Quadrifoglio Q4. As can be expected, the SUV is also wider with the Quadrifoglio Q4 measuring 1 955mm and the Super Q4 1 903mm. The SUV is significantly taller than its stablemates with the top of the Super Q4 reaching 1 671mm and the Quadrifoglio Q4 hitting the 1 681mm mark. The larger dimensions translate to more interior space too as the sports utility vehicle offers 525-litres of boot space as standard, however, with the rear seats folded flat you can fit up to 1 600-litres of luggage.
Performance
Each of the Alfa Romeo models is offered with two engine options, as such, we will be comparing the two options for each model side by side for you to see which will suit your needs better.
Giulietta
| Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4T / 1.4T Sprint | Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750TBi Veloce | |
| Engine | 1.4-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, petrol | 1.7-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, petrol |
| Transmission | 6-speed dual-clutch automatic | 6-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Power | 125 kW | 177 kW |
| Torque | 250 Nm | 340 Nm |
| 0-100km/h | 7.7s | 6.0s |
| Top speed | 218 km/h | 244 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 4.9 L / 100 km | 6.8 L / 100 km |
| CO2 emission | 114 g/km | 157 g/km |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
Giulia
| Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0T Veloce | Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio | |
| Engine | 2.0-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, petrol | 2.9-litre, turbocharged, V6, petrol |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Power | 206 kW | 375 kW |
| Torque | 400 Nm | 600 Nm |
| 0-100km/h | 5.7s | 3.9s |
| Top speed | 240 km/h | 307 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 6.0 L / 100 km | 8.2 L / 100 km |
| CO2 emission | 138 g/km | 189 g/km |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
Stelvio
| Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.0T Super Q4 | Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Q4 | |
| Engine | 2.0-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, petrol | 2.9-litre, turbocharged, V6, petrol |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Power | 206 kW | 375 kW |
| Torque | 400 Nm | 600 Nm |
| 0-100km/h | 5.7s | 3.8s |
| Top speed | 230 km/h | 283 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 7.0 L / 100 km | 9.0 L / 100 km |
| CO2 emission | 161 g/km | 210 g/km |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
Warranty & Service
If reliability and maintenance is a concern, you can rest knowing that all of the vehicles in Alfa Romeo's range comes with a competitive warranty and service/maintenance plan. Below are the details for each model.
Giulietta
All three of the derivatives of the Giulietta model is sold with a 3-year / 100 000km kilometre warranty. Also included in the price is a 3-year / 100 000km service plan with the intervals set at every 15 000km.
Giulia
Both the Veloce and Quadrifoglio variants of the Giulia range is covered by a 5-year / 100 000km kilometre warranty. Instead of a service plan, customers can expect a maintenance plan which will be valid for 5-year / 100 000km. Like with the Giulietta, the maintenance intervals are set at every 15 000km.
Stelvio
Given that the Stelvio utilise the platform and powertrain found in the Giulia, it is no surprise that it also comes with a 5-year / 100 000km kilometre warranty as well as a maintenance plan, valid for 5-year / 100 000km.
Safety
Although the Giulietta range was introduced locally as far back as 2011, the range has seen revisions made and the current models benefit from a host of standard safety equipment. Customers can expect ABS brakes with electronic brake assist as well as traction and stability control systems to feature. Furthermore, the model is fitted with no less than six airbags and will even assist the driver with the hill-star assist function.
The Giulia model also comes with ABS brakes bolstered by the electronic brake assist and similarly to the Giulietta is fitted with traction and stability control systems. Like its hatchback stablemate, the Giulia also feature a total of six airbags, however, both derivatives come standard with a tyre pressure monitor which only features in the 1750TBi Veloce variant of the Giulietta.
The Stelvio shares every safety feature found in the Giulia, but as you would expect from a modern SUV, comes standard with hill descent control for those off-road excursions.
Verdict
While you would be forgiven for wanting an Alfa Romeo model purely based on the styling and character, it would appear that it wouldn't be a bad choice. Upon closer inspection, the entire range of Alfa Romeo models offers ample space, frugality, power, comfort and safety for a first-time buyer.
While you can expect higher quality trim in the Giulia and Stelvio ranges, the Giulietta is the most affordable and compact model in the range making it easier to acquire for first-time buyers and easier to get used to for new drivers. Ultimately Alfa Romeo offers products that will make good first cars, regardless of the model you choose.
