COTY_2018

WINNER | 2018 CAR OF THE YEAR
22/38/27
drift me wild, I’ll be right there with you,’”
Theodore adds. “You fall in love with it.”
The top-trim Quadrifoglio, with its 505
fiery-footed steeds underhood, is blisteringly
quick, especially in Race mode. Its
2.9-liter V-6 is a Ferrari engine with two
cylinders cleaved off, for crying out loud.
While punching out a 3.8-second 0–60
time and a 12.1-second quarter mile, this
pazzo Alfa also carries asphalt-peeling
lateral grip. Yet the car’s attitude can be
adjusted on the throttle at will. In short,
it goads expletive-shouting misbehavior
while delivering a commute-friendly ride.
What clinched the Calipers was the
base Giulia. Many brands make blazingly
fast performance sedans, but when the
exercise is reduced by mass-market pressures,
the lesser version is often found
lacking. Not so here. The $38,990 base
Giulia achieves something Acura, Lexus,
Infiniti, and Jaguar have tried futilely to
do for decades: build a better compact
sport sedan than the Deutschlanders.
The Giulia’s eager 2.0-liter turbo-four
is no wisp of an engine. It cranks out a
“BASE” ENGINE 2.0 liters. 280 hp. Wow.
stunning-yet-tractable 280 hp and 306
lb-ft of torque. In testing, we admit to
finding a hint of lag and lash, but when
the powerband kicks in to second gear
and the exhaust note awakens, your
senses will revel in jubilation.
“This is a car that snorts and burps
and gurgles,” Detroit editor Alisa Priddle
says. “There is something visceral about
hearing the car. There’s sheer fun in
driving a car like that.”
Call it Italian finesse; Alfa understands
the nuance that some drivers might
desire, a racy engine response without
turning the suspension into a kidneybeating
nightmare—hence the option
of a softer suspension setting while in
Dynamic mode. Markus observed that
some twisty roads benefit a car with a
softer shock setting. Adds Ed Loh: “The
Germans always say, ‘We make every-
thing hard.’ No! Softness. Softness.”
Putting the power to the pavement is
a proven ZF eight-speed with 100-millisecond
shift times and the ability to skip-
shift from eighth gear directly to second
if instant hp is needed. If you are stuck in
the typical morning snarl, a switch to “A”
mode changes the shift logic to smooth
and calm. So what if we Americans don’t
get a manual version? One toggle of the
cold, all-aluminum paddle shifters will
make you cease yearning to row your
own gears. The Brembo brakes, normally
a sure thing, and brake-by-wire system
earned some frowns for being mushy
under pressure, though.
“It handles absolutely beautifully, with
light, linear sports car–like steering,”
features editor Christian Seabaugh says.
“It rides like a luxury car with no impact
harshness in the cabin, and it’s downright
quick. This is a car that puts a smile
on your face. It doesn’t matter whether
you’re sitting at a stop light, bombing
down a back road, or cruising on the
highway. It just wants to please.”
156 MOTORTREND.COM / JANUARY 2018