We’re lucky enough to go on many car launches every year, with some more exciting than others. This one fell into the excitement category, with high hopes for Alfa following gushing reviews of the super-sexy 4C. Alfa’s Cloverleaf heritage has a long and distinguished line - this Quadrifoglio Verde is the new Cloverleaf and will probably be shortened in time to QV. Expectations for this car were high, so did it live up to the pre-launch hype or is it another story of style over substance? Performance 2.5/5 The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde is sub-standard when pitched against the likes of the Ford Focus ST and the VW Golf R. Quite frankly, it’s poor; the gearbox feels as if the ratios are too long, meaning the engine and the ‘box are not matched. The car continues to underwhelm as you floor the throttle pedal and it takes an age for the car to react. The zero to 62mph sprint time looks good on paper at 6.0 seconds. Unfortunately, in the real world, it feels a lot longer. This means you never have much confidence in the car when overtaking slower traffic on single-lane carriageways. Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde is, according to the manufacturer, a hot hatch, but it’s more tepid than hot. Power before 3,500rpm is as flat as a dead bottle of Coca Cola, and this car is no match for either the Ford Focus ST or the VW Golf R. At £30,120, it is a pricey alternative. Ride and Handling 2.5/5 Through the twisty stuff the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde is comfortable but never exciting. The engine and semi-auto gearbox hold the car back but it is deficient in so many other areas too. The steering is direct but the weighting is artificial, with Ford and VW easily winning on this front. All-in-all, driving enthusiasts will be frustrated with this model, offering so much on paper but not following through on the road. This version is no better than the Cloverleaf edition that went before, with Alfa missing a major opportunity with this car. Equipment 3.5/5 On the inside, changes are subtle. The cabin is full of scratchy hard plastics and these give the interior a drab look. Highlights include a kick plate with QV logo, QV Line badge, flat-bottom racing steering wheel with white (or red) stitching, oversized braking system with red callipers by Brembo, tinted rear windows and 18-inch alloy wheels. Costs 2.5/5 Priced at an eye-watering £30,120, the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde Launch Edition is hugely overpriced when compared to its competition. On average it will return 40.3mpg, so in real world terms expect mid-thirties. Emissions are average for this type of car at 160g/km of CO2. Verdict 2.5/5 Disappointed. Underwhelmed. Frustrating. Three words that sum up the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde. It is certainly no hot hatch - tepid at best. There’s so much that Alfa could have done, but instead, it will go down in history as a missed opportunity. The giants in the hot hatch sector can sleep peacefully, the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde is no threat to their crown.
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