What's all this about?
Alfa Romeo has been tweaking the engines in the Giulietta range to improve economy and cut emissions. The changes have been made without sacrificing power or increasing prices with the range starting at £18,450.
Sounds good, tell me more.
The biggest improvement has been made to the 1.6-litre JTDM-2 turbodiesel engine, thanks to a variable geometry turbocharger and low rolling resistance tyres. Power is up from 105- to 120hp but emissions drop from 104- to 99g/km, which is enough to qualify for £0 Vehicle Excise Duty and lower BIK costs for company car users. Fuel economy is 74.3mpg on the combined cycle, 3.7mpg better than before, while the claimed 0-62mph time and top speed are also improved at 10.0 seconds and 121mph respectively.
All other models, except the recently introduced 2.0-litre JTDM-2 turbodiesel, also see a slight reduction in emissions and improved fuel economy; enough for a one per cent BIK reduction. On the 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo petrol 150- and 170hp engines the changes put the car into a lower emissions band, reducing the on-the-road price by £130 as well as reducing the annual VED cost.
Entry point to the Giulietta range is the 1.4 TB 120hp Progression model, while the 1.6 JTDM-2 120hp turbodiesel costs £19,500. Business Edition models start from £19,080 for the 1.6-litre 120hp diesel and feature a 6.5-inch touchscreen, voice activated satellite navigation, DAB radio, parking sensors, alloy wheels and metallic paint.
John Lambert - 21 Jul 2015