Alfa Romeo is a name that has its history steeped in motor racing. The Italian marque has the ability to invoke a feeling of nostalgia and passion that few automakers can manage. Today, the brand caters to a very niche audience who truly understand and appreciate the pedigree that comes with the badge.

One of its models is the Giulia sport sedan. Back in 2016, Alfa revived its four-door performance sedan in the U.S. after a gap of nearly three decades, and just like the Type 105 Giulia from yesteryear, the modern-day avatar with the revered cloverleaf Quadrifoglio badge sent shockwaves through the industry. But now nearly six years on, Alfa continues to offer the Giulia. While the platform may be aging, the car got a pretty substantial makeover to keep it competitive.

2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Performance and Capability


For the 2023 model year, the Giulia lineup has evolved slightly with the addition of two new trims. There are six trims in total:

• Giulia Sprint
• Giulia Ti
• Giulia Lusso
• Giulia Veloce
• Giulia Estrema
• Giulia Quadrifoglio

Sitting at the very top is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which is the lineup's halo offering, where Alfa's motorsports and performance experts have stepped into making some pretty significant modifications. The basic ingredients of what made the Giulia Quadrifoglio so successful in the first place are pretty much retained.

While lesser models in the range have to make do with the 2.0-liter in-line four-cylinder, the high-performance Quadrifoglio has the beating heart of a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 heart under the hood. It is capable of cranking out 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, which are still pretty healthy numbers even by today's standards.

60 MPH, comes up in just 3.8 seconds and you can get to a top speed of 191 MPH. But this engine is so much more than raw power. You also get cylinder deactivation technology to help you with better gas mileage, for when you're not gunning it down the road.

While some of the competition may now offer an all-wheel drive, Alfa has kept things simple on its most hardcore model. Power goes exclusively to the rear wheel via a lightweight carbon-fiber prop shaft and the trusty ZF 8-speed transmission. According to Alfa, this Auto is capable of lightning-fast shifts - in less than 100 milliseconds to be specific, which is pretty impressive for something that's not a DCT. As for the dynamics, you get top-drawer hardware right from the factory. Adaptive dampers come as standard, as do slotted high-performance steel rotors with anodized brake calipers.

Alfa's drive mode selector which has D, N, A inscribed on it, allows you to toggle between the three primary drive modes on offer. They stand for Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency. Exclusive to Quadrifoglio models, you also get a dedicated Race mode, which is part fo of Alfa's DNA Pro system. Designed specifically for your time on the track, the system essentially turns things up to eleven.

It activates the over-boost function along with an increase in the torque output. You get ultimate control over the drive train as the ESC stability control is also turned off in the process. Combine everything with the 50:50 weight distribution, the direct steering inputs, and the torque vectoring rear differential, and you end up with a car in which you have tail-happy fun on the ragged edge, all day long.

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Exterior Design

When you take a look at the Giulia, it's still hard to believe that the design is in fact six years old. The basic form has barely changed over time and the Giulia continues to look the business to this day. You still get the same sleek and sleek bi-xenon headlight setup with LED DRLs and LED taillights. The aggressive stance and the cloverleaf badges on the fenders and the tailgate signify that this Giulia is special.

Since the Giulia Quadrifogluo is a track-dog first more than anything else, it employs the Giorgio architecture featuring extensive use of lightweight composite materials like carbon fiber in the construction of the body, resulting in a best in class power to weight ratio of seven pounds, per horsepower. In fact, Alfa has taken several measures to keep the weight in check with the use of a carbon fiber hood, the optional carbon roof ($2,500), the active front splitter, and the rear spoiler. The derriere of this Giulia with its quad-exhausts and race-inspired diffuser looks particularly epic.

The bone stock wheels are 19-inch Dark Technico Wheels, while the more suave 19-inch Dark 5-Hole wheels ($750) are available as an optional extra. Regardless of the rims you choose, they come wrapped in staggered performance tires, 245 sections up front and 285's in the rear. Gloss Black-Red Calipers with White Script ($750) is an inexpensive add-on. Overall, the Giulia looks as sexy as ever. I mean that's what you get with Italian design, timelessness. It is exactly what good design offers - a long shelf life.

Interior Quality & Technology

The interior is where the Giulia Quadrifoglio got some big updates last year. While the design and layout of the sporty cockpit remain largely unchanged, it was the outdated tech where the Giulia was beginning to fall behind some of its rivals and Alfa gave it some significant upgrades.

Now available only with an all-black interior, you get a good dose of carbon fiber on the dash and center console, and a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel with column-mounted aluminum paddle shifters. In a world gone screen crazy, Alfa has stuck with traditional analog gauges with a configurable 7.0-inch driver information display in between. In fact, Alfa has even thrown in Level 1 and Level 2 autonomy as part of the safety and security update.

Infotainment comes courtesy of the standard 8.8-inch head unit, which is pretty small compared to the competition. This is especially true if you want to use the NAV along with something else because this tiny display still offers spilled-screen capability. This unit also controls the standard 14-speaker Premium Harmon Kardon audio system. Thankfully, you get smartphone compatibility with Apple Carplay and wireless Android Auto. Other modern amenities also include a wireless phone charging pad and W-Fi Hotspot.

Sport Leather Seats are standard. But Sparco Leather / Alcantara Race Seats ($3,500) are also available. For the money, the seats offer fixed bolstering along with better thigh support. While both front seats offer powered height adjustment, everything else is still done manually. The rear seats while usable aren't great when it comes to legroom. Remember, this is a sportscar first and a sedan second. Cargo volume at 13.4 cubic feet is perfectly acceptable.

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2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Price and Availability

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has a starting MSRP of $79,430 excluding the $1,595 destination charge. One thing to keep in mind is Alfa's sparse dealership network compared to other luxury automakers, which is something Stellantis needs to work on, especially with the brand's upcoming Tonale compact SUV.

As for optional packages, you only get one. The Active Assist Plus Package ($1,595), gets you the following features

• Active Blind-Spot Assist
• Driver Attention Alert
• Highway Assist System
• Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA)
• Lane-Keep Assist
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Traffic Sign Recognition

Configure your 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio here

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Main Competition

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Qudrifoglio takes on the likes of the BMW M3 Competition, Mercedes-Benz AMG C43, the Lexus IS500 F Sport, and the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. Now one advantage of Alfa's old platform is that it still is the same compact sedan that we fell in love with. The competition has grown in size, has downsized with their engines, and now offers AWD. Sure if that's what you want, I hear ya, but if you're looking for V6 power with rear-wheel drive thrills, you just can't go wrong with the Guilia Quadrifoglio.

Sure, the Alfa falls back on areas like cabin tech and build quality, but that's totally missing the point. I mean if you're going to judge the viability of getting into a performance sedan based on the size of its infotainment display, you've got it all wrong. With cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, you buy it for the drive you make this choice with your heart and not your head. So is it worth the near $80,000 asking price? Well, I'll say snag one, while you still can, because the gas-powered Gulia could be gone soon.