Mildly refreshed Alfa Romeo Guillieta hits Australia

Kevin J Lee December 18, 2014 News 2,099 Views

The mildly refreshed 2014 Alfa Romeo Guilietta has arrived in Australia, sporting an upgraded interior, slightly revised exterior and new Euro 6-compliant engines.

The Giulietta’s stylish interior has received the major part of the renovations, with the new 5.0- or 6.5-inch touchscreen taking pride of place in the centre of the redesigned dashboard, with the associated USB/Aux ports now relocated to the lower part of the centre console.

The Uconnect system features voice commands, Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming and hands-free SMS reading. Models fitted with satellite navigation benefit from a larger 6.5-inch screen with 3D bird’s-eye maps, intelligent route guidance and a one-step destination entry function with voice command.

Elsewhere in the interior, there are new door trim panels, redesigned seats (available in leather trim with heating) and a new steering wheel design that incorporates the Alfa Romeo ‘Shield’.

Alfa has also extensively revised the Guilietta’s sound insulation for a quieter ride.

The car’s exterior makeover includes a new front grille design featuring the Alfa Romeo ‘V’, revised front fog light bezels, new 16-inch alloy wheel designs and three new exterior colours – Moon White, Anodised Blue and Bronze.

As part of the upgrade, the Italian company has also taken the opportunity to streamline the range, with the number of variants halved, leaving just the Progression and Distinctive models. The outgoing model’s diesel engine has also been banished, leaving just two petrol engines.

Priced from $29,000 excluding on-road costs, the Guilietta Progression is equipped with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine generating 88kW @ 5,000rpm and 215Nm @ 2,500rpm, while sipping a claimed 6.4L/100km and emitting 148g/km of CO₂.

It is capable of reaching 100km/h from a standstill in 9.2 seconds and hits a top speed of 194km/h. The Guilietta Progression is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The $33,000 Guilietta Distinctive is powered by Alfa Romeo’s award-winning 1.4-litre MultiAir engine that generates 125kW @ 5,500rpm and 250Nm @ 2,500rpm. It will propel the hatch from 0 to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds en route to a top speed of 217km/h. Fuel consumption is a claimed 5.7L/100km and CO₂emission of just 131g/km.

The Distinctive can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed twin-clutch transmission.

Both models are equipped with Alfa’s DNA driving selector that allows the driver to find the ideal blend of comfort, performance, safety and efficiency for the prevailing conditions.

The Giulietta also features DST (which prompts drivers to apply the correct steering input in the event of an emergency through impulses at the wheel) and a pre-fill system which arms the brakes for emergency braking situations when it senses the driver may be losing control of the vehicle. As a further safety measure for 2014, a tyre pressure monitoring system is also now standard across the Alfa Romeo Giulietta range.

Progression
New standard equipment on the Progression model includes

5.0-inch touchscreen with Uconnect infotainment system with steering wheel controls and Bluetooth connectivity
16-inch alloy wheels
Tyre-pressure monitoring
New steering wheel design that incorporates Alfa ‘Shield’
Cutting-edge sound-proofing across the vehicle
Newly designed seats that offer more support and comfort
New seat fabrics with matching dashboard, door and central tunnel inserts
Rear-parking sensors

This is in addition to the carry over features from the already well-equipped Progression, including:

Five-star safety
Darkened headlamp surrounds
Automatic headlights and wipers
Alfa Romeo DNA driving selector
Rear electric windows
Air-conditioning
LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights
VDC stability control and Alfa Romeo’s electronic Q2 differential

Distinctive
New standard equipment on the Distinctive model includes:

Exclusive 16-inch turbine-design alloy wheels and chrome-effect mirrors
5.0-inch screen (can be optioned with 6.5-inch Nav system with 3D mapping)
Front and rear parking sensors
New supple leather seats with heating, memory function and electrical adjustment as standard
Electric folding side mirrors
New steering wheel design that incorporates Alfa ‘Shield’ and new rear arm rest
Cutting edge sound-proofing across the vehicle
Electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, chrome-rimmed foglights, darkened headlamp surrounds
Automatic headlights and wipers

This is in addition to the carry over features from the already well-equipped Distinctive, including: