2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia spy pics

While the rip-snorting Quadrifoglio has hogged all the headlines, here’s a preview of the everyday version that might just have the BMW 3 Series crowd cowering

IT MAY NOT streak past a BMW M3 to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio version unveiled last month can, but the lightly disguised 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia snapped here is the bread and butter hero that will make or break the Italian carmaker once and for all.

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With the volume-selling just updated BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Lexus IS, and Infiniti Q50 in its crosshairs, the four-door sedan seen here – codenamed Type 952 – is devoid of all the go-faster bits of the hot QV version. Gone are the extra air vents, body skirts, rear spoiler, stacked exhausts, and massive wheels and, stripped naked, the Giulia’s basic form is a much cleaner, lither look than the somewhat overblown 380kW 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6 performance flagship, restoring the faith in Alfa’s designers.

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Of particular interest is the profile shot’s very obvious long-bonnet/short tail silhouette, highlighting the Giulia’s rear-drive bias with a deliciously extended dash-to-axle ratio.

Better still, for traditionalists, there is something of the beautiful Alfa Romeo 156 about the overall shape’s curviness, which should count for plenty in a class dominated by crisp but cold Teutonic design. We can’t wait to see the upcoming wagon version as clearly the Italians are leveraging their inherent styling strengths with tasty results.

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Just as important is what’s beneath that shapely bonnet, with a range of 1.6-litre to 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo MultiAir (petrol), as well as 2.2-litre and 3.0-litre V6 MultiJet (diesel) engines, said to be driving those rear wheels… as well as the majority of the Milanese midsizer’s demand.

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With the Alfa Romeo Giulia still up to 12 months away from an Australian launch, nobody’s talking about official pricing just yet, but expect the entry-level model like the one you see here to kick off from about $55,000, while the Quadrifoglio will most likely catapult way past the $130K mark.

Have spy pics of your own? We'd love to see them. Send them to wheels@bauertrader.com.au