• Purposeful and low-slung driving position
• Aluminium gearshift paddles are superb
• Cheaper plastic on touchpoints a disappointment

How is the quality and layout?

There are some good bits about the Giulia’s cabin, and some that lag behind the competition. Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz all build quality interiors, so this is a difficult battle to win, and the Alfa Romeo falls short mainly on minutiae.

Some of the plastics around common touchpoints – such as surrounding the gearlever – and some of the switchgear itself (like the rotary multimedia controller) feel cheaper than we’ve become accustomed to in this sector.

Infotainment and tech

The infotainment system has a simple and visually appealing user interface on the 8.8-inch centre screen uses drag and drop widgets rather than clunky menus you normally find. You can set up a homepage with the functions you want on it, and is now touch-sensitive as well as being controlled by the rotary knob in the centre console. The screen is smaller than rival systems and doesn’t look as crisp, either.

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The latter also feels much less wobbly than on older Giulia models – a welcome development. It’s also nice that the Giulia’s comparatively small infotainment screen doesn’t dominate the dash in the way that a BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C-Class’ display does.

For the 2023 facelift, a 12.3-inch driver display has been added in place of physical dials. It’s not as configurable as, say, an Audi’s virtual cockpit, and offers three basic layouts – a standard one, a minimal one that only has speed and warnings, and a retro-inspired twin-dial arrangement.

Comfort

• Supportive, firm and comfortable front seats
• Not so welcoming in the rear
• Driving position is excellent

We found the bucket seats extremely supportive and grippy, offering a comfortable ride whether you’re just cruising down the motorway or stringing together a series of tight bends. However, the seats are set quite far back, so taller drivers foul themselves on the B-pillar getting in. It’s worse for rear seat passengers, as the rear doors are very small indeed.

The driving position is low, but you get a great view over the curvaceous bonnet. It’s not so good in the rear, with a lack of kneeroom and small rear windows meaning it’s a bit dark and dingy there. The rear bench is sculpted for two, and the centre seat is for occasional use only – it’s very narrow, and a high transmission tunnel doesn’t leave much space for your feet.