What is it?
The Giulietta is Alfa's 147 replacement, a car that's aiming at the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf in the family hatchback marketplace. In this Cloverleaf sporting guise you can narrow that down to the Golf GTI and Focus ST, with the Cloverleaf's performance and price putting it up against these established hot hatches - plus a long list of other contenders to the crown.
Is it any good?
It's certainly up with the class best on performance, with its 1.75-litre turbocharged engine getting it to 62mph in just 6.8 seconds and onto a 150mph top speed. That's 0.1 seconds quicker to 62mph than the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the same as the Focus ST. The Alfa needs a lot more power to achieve that, with its 235bhp some 25bhp more than the GTI and 10bhp more than the Ford.
Lacking the sort of detailed feedback and push-me-harder feel of its hot hatch rivals, the Cloverleaf is undoubtedly competent, but it feels rather mature and sensible despite its ample output. As with the rest of the Giulietta range it's fitted with Alfa's DNA system. It allows you to adjust the throttle and steering settings - the Dynamic mode noticeably weighting up the steering and sharpening the throttle - to suit. It's an impressive set up, giving the distinctly Cloverleaf different characters - even if none feel as devilish as some of its sporting competition. The ride is firm, though not compromisingly so and the steering is quick.
Where the Alfa really appeals though is with its looks. The Giulietta looks fantastic inside and out. You'd expect that from an Alfa, but the Giulietta builds on this with a spacious, useable interior and massive boot. Only the driving position counts against it, with the pedals set too close together, making it difficult to get comfortable behind the wheel.
Should I call the bank manager?
A price tag of £24,995 puts the Cloverleaf right up among the big hot hatch players. Certainly on paper it looks like a proper rival, but it lacks the ultimate driver appeal of cars like the Focus ST. Those looking for a fast, relatively comfortable and stylish hatchback could do a lot worse though, especially as the Alfa comes pretty comprehensively specified as standard.
Summary
The Cloverleaf is an interesting flagship model to the Giulietta range; it boasts power and performance to rival the best hot hatchbacks in the class. It's not quite as enjoyable to drive as its key competitors, but for those wanting a stylish, well-equipped and rapid hatchback it's well worth considering.
