There are roughly 150 new car models on the market today, many of them only narrowly distinguishable from each other. The sedans are flame-surfaced affairs with elongated roof-lines, and even the sporty coupes rely on huge grilles to trumpet
The name Giulia first appeared in 1962 when Alfa Romeo launched a light-weight four door saloon which brought the Italian manufacturer into mainstream motoring. However, the true spiritual successor of the 2017 Giulia is the legendary 1965 GTA Sprint. This particular iconic Alfa Romeo won a series of Turismo races with a career that lasted until 1972. It featured a the special Quadrifoglio designated to high performance Alfa Romeo’s from the 1923 Targa Florio to now the 2017 Giulia. Alfa Romeo has gone to great lengths to ensure the 2017 Giulia lives up to the Quadrifoglio badge.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Looks
The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia design consists of a very short overhangs, a long bonnet and front wings, a retracted passenger compartment 'settled' on the drive wheels and muscular rear fenders. The overall look conveys the 50/50 weight balance that Alfa Romeos have been known have. The distinct Alfa Romeo ‘Trilobe’ grille dominates the front of the car. The Giulia also features an aggressive bonnet design with the sides enhanced with prominent sides.
1923 Targa Florio
A line gouged along the sides, which marks the doors and envelops the handles and, naturally, the legendary Alfa Romeo nose. The rounded angles and the give the 2017 Alfa Romeo Guilia a 'teardrop-shaped' profile which is reminiscent of the 1960 Giulietta Sprint. At the bottom of the Giulia's front bumper is an active aero splitter that articulates, varying the amount of downforce generated at the front of the car. With more downforce, grip and performance are improved at higher driving speeds.
Aggressive front
Performance
Underneath the bonnet of the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia is a 2.9-litre all-aluminiumsix-cylinder turbo petrol tuned by engineers with Ferrari background delivers 380 kW (510 hp) and 600 Nm of torque. 0 to 100km/h takes just 3.9 seconds. Paired with the engine is a six-speed manual transmission. It rides on a double-wishbone suspension in front with a multilink in the rear and was shown with19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires (245/35R19 front, 285/30R19 rear).
1972 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super
Thanks to cylinder deactivation, the V6 engine consumes an average of 7-litres of fuel per 100 kilometres covered. The all-new Giulia also features a renewed Alfa Romeo DNA system, which modifies the car's dynamic behaviour according to the driver's selection: Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficient (energy efficiency mode implemented for the first time on an Alfa Romeo) and naturally Racing (on high performance versions).
1965 Alfa Romeo Sprint Giulia GTA
An innovative electromechanical system, integrating stability control with system braking. In addition to optimizing the sensations of control on the brake pedal, it ensures a more immediate response. This system ensures an outstanding stopping distance: from 100 to 0 Km/h in just 32 meters.
1960 Alfa Romeo Guilietta Sprint Speciale
Interior
The interior is simple, but rich in details and made with exceptional materials. The dashboard of the Alfa Romeo Giulia is leather wrapped, enhanced by genuine carbon inserts. The sporty seats are upholstered in Alcantara and leather, detailed with contrast stitching.
The steering wheel, home to the Red Alfa ignition button, is wrapped in leather. Ergonomic controls, infotainment and the driving position create a perfect harmony between driver and car in order to provide complete control of a unique driving experience, literally, from start to finish.
Cockpit
Comfort and driving pleasure are at the top of the category with Cruise Control, dual-zone automatic climate, rear camera, front and rear parking sensors, and the Alfa Engine sound system for maximum emotion in Race mode. The interior can be personalized through the choice of total black or two-tone black/red or black/ice interior ambience, with refined red or white/green stitching.
Front seats
The infotainment system uses a Rotary Pad. It controls the infotainment system, 3D navigation and onboard parameters, displaying the vehicle’s performance in high definition on an 8.8-inch screen. The Harman Kardon Sound Theatre, available as an option, is designed to complement a highly in-tune driving experience, thanks to 900 watts of power channeled to 14 speakers.
Rear seating
Conclusion
The Alfa Romeo Giulia has been created to bring back the Italian brand’s legendary performance credentials. It is certainly the must have Alfa Romeo at the moment. The Alfa Romeo promises to be the ideal car for a thrill seeking driver thanks to its great performance.
Striking rear with quad exhaust pipes
With a recorded lap time of 7:39 on Germany’s nerve shattering Nurburgring, which is faster than Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, the Giulia certainly has the credentials of a true Quadrifoglio badged Alfa Romeo.
When Kia first launched the Sportage in 1993 it was aiming for a buyers who wanted a compact, inexpensive sports-utility-vehicle (SUV) with an added advantage of having four-wheel-drive. However, the cheap and poorly made penalty box never sold in the numbers Kia had hoped for. That all changed with the third generation model, which was launched in 2010. The third generation Sportage quickly became the favorable answer to any buyer looking for an affordable, sporty looking, practical and civilized compact SUV. Now entering its fourth-generation, the all-new Kia Sportage compact SUV builds comprehensively on the success of the outgoing model, offering a sophisticated package to buyers in an increasingly competitive market. For the first time, a new 'GT Line' specification is available to Sportage customers.
All-new Kia Sportage
Looks
The fourth-generation Kia Sportage features a new look with sharp, defined feature lines and smooth surfacing. The new front design features a more prominent and reworked Kia's hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille, which has now been separated from the Sportage headlamps. The headlamps are now positioned higher, sweeping back along the outer edges of the sharply detailed bonnet. A lower, wider grille adds more volume to the lower half of the Sportage's face. The sportier GT variant features new LED fog lamps borrowed from the Kia Cee’d GT.
Reworked front
From the highest point of the roof the Sportage's silhouette gently slants towards the rear of the compact SUV, while bolder wheel arches, sharp features lines, and smooth surfacing endow the Sportage with a more dynamic look. At the rear, the all-new Sportage features more horizontal forms and clearly defined features lines, with smooth bodywork on the boot, emphasizing the car's width and giving the compact SUV a more stable appearance.
First generation model
A slim combination lamps running below the rear windshield are joined together by a strip that runs the width of the rear. The turn signals and reversing lights are separate and are located lower down. The Kia Sportage GT variant also features dual exhaust mufflers and metal-effect rear underbody diffuser for a sportier appearance. The all-new Sportage is available with a choice of 16-, 17- or 19-inch aluminium alloy wheel designs, while the GT Line specification comes with a unique 19-inch wheel option as standard.
Kia's Sportage streamlined profile
Performance
Behind the reworked ‘tiger-nose’ is a choice of petrol and diesel units. For petrol lovers, there is a choice of two 1.6-litre engines; the 1.6 GDI (gasoline direct injection) and 1.6 T-GDI (turbo gasoline direct injection). The 1.6 GDI, which has been carried forward from the third generation model, delivers 97 kW (130 hp) and 161 Nm of torque.
Power unit
The turbo charged version churns out 130 kW (174 hp) and 265 Nm of torque. The diesel fueled range of the Sportage features a 2.0-litre unit with two outputs. The standard diesel engine comes packed with 100 kW (134 hp) and 373 Nm of torque, while the more powerful 2.0-litre ‘R’ engine features 134 kW (181 hp) and 400 Nm of torque. Paired with the engine are a selection of three transmissions: a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
Cockpit
Interior
The Kia Sportage’s interior has been completely overhauled. The interior blends metalwork with soft-touch materials and clearly defined horizontal lines. The interior also features high quality and soft touch materials such as cloth, leather and stitching. Exterior noise has been further eliminated with the addition of soundproofing materials. The dashboard is divided into two with a clear line. The top section features the driver's instrument binnacle and optional new 7.0- or 8.0-inch infotainment displays.
Rear seating
The infotainment system is paired with a 160 watt six-speaker audio system, while music lovers can specify a powerful 320 watt JBL Sound system, featuring eight speakers and an external amplifier. Below the line is the central console cascading downwards and tilted 10 degrees towards the driver. With many functions now found on the optional touchscreen infotainment and navigation system, the new, uncluttered dashboard offers drivers an ergonomic layout functions designed to be clearly visible when on the move.
Spacious boot
Front passengers now have more room thanks to the all-new Sportage larger wheelbase. Rear passengers have not been left alone either as they now enjoy an extra 19mm of legroom. The new body's larger dimensions mean cargo space in the fourth-generation Sportage has expanded from 465 litres to 503 liters, made more practical by a dual-height luggage floor, allowing taller items to fit into the boot and still remain hidden by the tonneau cover.
Redesigned rear
Conclusion
The Kia Sportage has undergone a one of its major transformation in the compact SUV’s 22-year life. However, the latest design transformation might not be to everyone’s taste. Prices start at $22, 150 in the United States.
BMW aficionados are living through tough times. Beyond downsized engines
and the heavy focus on the "i" sub-brand, they have to get used to
front-wheel-drive vehicle architectures. North America's first sample is
the new X1. It replaces the outgoing, rear-drive-based model, which
only just arrived three years ago. The new version—which comes standard
with all-wheel drive, although the Euro-market FWD model could
eventually reach our shores—shares its platform with the Mini and the 2-series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer.
Those 2-series people-movers, by the way, won't come to the United
States. BMW of North America has made it clear to headquarters that it
has little interest in peddling them here.
