Alfa Romeo Giulia: 2018 Style Award Finalist

We are just days away from announcing the winner of this year’s WhichCar Style Award with the list of hopeful contenders whittled down to a handful of four finalists by your votes, and the revenant Alfa Romeo Giulia is the first to make it in.

As an all-new model for the iconic Italian brand, the luxury mid-sized sedan has a lot of responsibility riding on its shoulders as it weighs into a battle with dominant and longstanding German contenders.

While strong performance, practicality and reliability are all essential if the Giulia is to succeed, an appealing design and attractive aesthetics to set the Alfa apart from its rivals were equally important.

3

On the outside, the Alfa is unmistakable with its bold grille that necessitates the offset registration plate, curvaceous styling appears more as if it has evolved organically rather than being stamped from sheet steel, and large open-faced wheels imply its sporting intent while showing off its big brakes.

It’s a similar story on the inside, where a slim steering wheel inset with carbonfibre, classic separated gauges and sharp design throughout strikes a balance of luxury and high-performance promise.

The Giulia is a sports sedan that can’t be mistaken for any other, immediately recognisable design, classic Italian styling touches and an imposing presence on the road, but is that enough to fend off the strong and diverse competition in the 2018 Style Award line-up? We’ll find out this week.