Even now, we can't quite decide whether the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a good-looking car or not. It's extremely colour and trim sensitive. Have a little play on Alfa's online configurator and just by making some small changes to wheels and paint finishes, you can rapidly turn a stunner into something rather less attractive. This current model gets sleeker front-end styling that includes a striking honeycomb grille, piano black bumper inserts with red highlights on sporty models and revised headlamp and fog lamp surrounds. The idea is to emphasise the Giulietta's close genetic links with Alfa Romeo's premium segment Giulia sports saloon: hence the smarter badging, classier alloy wheels, revised tail pipes and fresh new colours.
Inside, there are premium seat upholsteries, dashboard and door panel finishes. Plus a Uconnect infotainment system with smartphone-enabled LIVE services. These include music streaming with access to the Deezer and TuneIn set-ups, news with Reuters, Facebook Check-In and Twitter. Plus Alfa's useful 'eco:Drive' and 'my:Car' services, along with traffic updates for navigation-equipped models.
Otherwise, it's pretty much as you were. Those sleek lines don't impinge on practicality too much, although there's not as much space in the rear as the exterior dimensions might suggest. The 350-litre boot is competitive and Alfa has built a range of storage options into the cabin. The controls are arranged in tiers on the sweeping dash and there's a suitably traditional set of cowled instruments.