2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sportwagon Becomes A Worthy Rival To Merc And BMW
The 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sportwagon is not only reviving the Giulia nameplate last used in 1978, it is an updated Alfa Romeo 159 introduced in 2011. But much more than that, the new Giulia features premium interior and powerful drivetrains that make it a worthy rival for the likes of the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Based on a rendering provided by Top Speed, the sportwagon will share the looks of the sedan—from the nose to the B-pillar. It is toward the rear only where styling difference will commence. There will be an additional quarter window between the rear-door glass and the C-pillar, as well as a new fascia design and tailgate.
The sportwagon should be retaining the sedan’s taillights and bumper design, but will combine them with a sloping roof, narrow rear windscreen, and a spoiler on top.
If there’s going to be a QV version, there’s bound to be larger front intakes, prominent splitter, front vents, a large roof spoiler, and a diffuser.
Inside, the Giulia will have premium features enough to rival the 3-Series and the C-Class. The seats and door panels are made of fine leather while wood grain is used on top of each door panel. On the dashboard, it will come with the Tan and Black interior option.
The sportwagon will share the sedan’s “human-machine interface” concept as the dash and the console will have all the basic controls—a start button and an infotainment system with an 8.8-inch screen, active voice activation, and Apple iOS or Android connectivity.
For now, what’s confirmed is the sportwagon will have the gasoline unit and two diesel units. The gasoline option has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that pumps out 197 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with an 8-speed auto transmission.
The diesel unit comes with a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder with two options—one that cranks out 148 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque and one that produces 177 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque.
Official introduction of the Giulia Sportwagon will likely happen in 2017.