Car Review: The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio offers drivers a refreshing yet powerful spin at Robb Report Ultimate Drives 2018

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

The four-leaf clover badge makes a triumphant return with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

They say legends never die, and that saying couldn’t be truer for Alfa Romeo and its Quadrifoglio badge. While some of its recent products haven’t enjoyed the critical success its forebears may have once enjoyed, the lucky four-leaf clover is back in a big way with Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. And Robb Report Ultimate Drives 2018 Presented By Opus By Prudential was privileged to have been graced by the Italian super-saloon’s presence.

However, the compact executive super-saloon space is already crowded, with stiff German competition in the form of the Audi RS4 Avant, BMW M3 and MercedesAMG C63. Just how did our guest drivers react to this Italian upstart? Quite well indeed.

Wilson Wong quite possibly delivered the best praise the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio could get, and declared it a viable alternative to the BMW M3. Isaac See also agreed with Wong; he remarked that the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio offered something refreshing against the BMW and Mercedes-AMG. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio certainly isn’t wanting for power, as its turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 develops 510hp and 0-100km/hr takes 3.9 seconds.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio wowed Eric Lew so much that it was his favourite car that day, and Lew complimented its perky, responsive nature. Joel Tan felt the same way, saying he was a fan of the car’s “extremely responsive, powerful engine.” Shaun Tay “liked the rumble that you get when you drive the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – that was pretty impressive.” Tay added, “I also loved the handling and it was generally a nice ride. The interiors were comfy, and I could totally see this being a family car.”

Indeed, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio enjoyed near-universal acclaim at Ultimate Drives 2018 for its engine, though its eight-speed automatic gearbox didn’t win over all the guest drivers. Lu Yoh-Chie was of the opinion that the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio’s transmission didn’t shift quickly enough in the lower gears, though its chassis and handling balance made up for that somewhat. However, Kelvin Koay praised the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as “a fun car that doesn’t draw too much attention to itself”.

On that note, Vincent Lee described the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as a car for the up-and-coming, which is appropriate, as the Quadrifoglio badge is again ascendant with the Stelvio Quadrifoglio set to join it later on this year.

Alfa Romeo