Alfa Romeo Giulia (952) Brilliant

Instagram: giulia_brilliant

Since Russia started an unprovoked war with Ukraine, I had to relocate to the USA and start my car experience from the beginning. Well, not from the very beginning, considering my previous car, Kia Forte, was new and well-equipped. I have zero complains about that car. It was well-built, family vehicle, cheap, good looking, comfortable, and... Boring. As when you're into cars, you don't want to have just a car, you want a little bit of extra... individuality, a touch of the brand's heritage, something beyond the ordinary. That you're not driving a trivial sleeper sedan. Non-trivial guy with non-trivial problems in a non-trivial car...

Choice of a non-trivial car

The first non-trivial car on my radar was Hyundai Elantra N. Having traveled to the US many times before, I have noticed 2017-2018 Hyundai Elantra Sport, which was not available for sale in Ukraine at that time. I dreamed that If I moved to the US one day, I would start my car experience from this car, because I really like it appearance.

If you read the story of the Kia Forte, initially, I was searching for Elantra Sport and even joined the Elantra community for a while. However, I was not able to purchase a used Elantra Sport that time due to their poor conditions. But now, It's time to purchase the new Elantra... N

I like the philosophy behind this car. While everybody's saying that it's just a turbo Accent, the manufacturer is striving to produce a more powerful and high-performing vehicle to demonstrate Hyundai's capabilities. Just as I am...

I've never owned such a charged car before. It is something I should try. After the birth of my baby, I realized the life is fleeting. All my previous cars were R-Line, GT-Line... No more mimics, no simulations, no compromises. "Never just drive!" ©

But once my postpartum depression gone I realized that I didn't really want such a car. After all, it's essentially the same as Forte. Sure, it's much more performant, but essentially it's shares the same chassis. And I'm looking for something different. Moreover, I'm just tired of waiting for the US release of the facelift, as the pre-facelift model looks ugly from the front.

Alright, how about Audi A5 Sportback? Why not consider A5 Sportback? It falls within the same price range as Giulia. Isn't it a time to finally make your dream come true? Yes, but...

Just look around. Your friend has A5, your colleague has A5, your neighbor has A5. There are simply too many of them on the roads. What I'm looking for is a car that stands out, a non-trivial car, which are not so many on the roads. I don't want to blend in with the crowd. Just compare Giulia to A5. Maybe Alfa is not better looking than A5 Sportback, but because there are so many A5s on the roads, it has become just another sleeper car. A high-quality sleeper car, that one day I'll undoubtedly have. Even Volkswagen Arteon (a direct rival) holds more interest than A5, simply because it's rarer.

Oh, right, what about Volkswagen Arteon? It's quite rare on the US roads. Essentially, it's CC you had before, but with the right type of trunk. And when it comes to performance, it offers AWD and even more power compared to Hyundai Elantra N. Best choice! I can't believe it, how Volkswagen Arteon, which I hated before, is now back on my radar as the best money/quality ratio car. Blue or red? Maybe blue. As a former VAG owner, I even know what I will retrofit. But, hold on, there is just one more thing...

If you're a car enthusiast and have ever experienced Alfa Romeo, you might have caught the "Alfa Virus". And I had the One...

In Ukraine, I owned the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia base trim model. I bought it brand new in late 2021. Well... We purchased it with my wife for her, as it was her passion... However, due to the war, that experience was incomplete. We drove only 11,000 kilometers in that Alfa. Personally, I drove approximately 3,000-4,000 km, and I really enjoyed that car. I wanted to revisit those memories how it was and make some...

Work on mistakes

So, we were choosing between Arteon and Giulia. Apologies, A5 Sportback... I'm so close again, but... I just don't feel drawn to you. Now the circumstances have changed and we have a baby. Everything told us to get an Arteon. It's more spacious, larger, and offers more features, especially comparing to Giulia, not to mention A5.

However, before making a final decision, we wanted to test Alfa to see if it fits our family needs. We found a local dealer to have a trunk stroller test. And guess what? Alfa, of course, failed it. When the stroller was in the trunk, there were no room left for groceries from the supermarket. Furthermore, the test car was a 2024 Veloce model in blue with a black interior. And... It didn't impress me at all!

So, I started to look for Arteon, choosing between blue, red and, perhaps, black (no more white cars, please). Let it be white interior. Yes, we have a baby now, but I've never had the white interior before. I want to have it this time! No more red, blue or white stitching! As I was browsing the nationwide listings, I've came across a fully loaded blue 2023 Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium R-Line with white interior, and substantial discount below MSRP... in Florida!

Man, Florida is way too far. Almost 1,300 miles away. Let's focus finding something within 300-mile radius of Massachusetts. So, I narrowed down the search to the red and blue cars (black was the very last option) with white interior, and... couldn't find any! What about Giulia? Does Giulia even come with a white interior option at all?

And then I found this brilliant... Again in Florida!

Chasing the brilliant

So, the car I've found was red 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Lusso. I never thought Giulia is available with white interior. Then I discovered that it's a limited edition for the US, named Ti Lusso, featuring white interior and those silver (not black from QV) "rose"-design 19" rims, which I wanted to have on the previous Giulia and even purchased. The MSRP of the Giulia was the even higher than Arteon, but had a larger discount, resulting in roughly the same final price. It's because nobody's interested in Arteons and Giulias in this country, but a few geeks like me.

So, in comparison to my 2020 Giulia, this Ti Lusso trim included:

• 280 hp engine
• 19" silver rims
• Foldable rear seats
• Adaptive cruise control
• Black ceiling
• Blind spot assistant
• Harman Kardon sound system
• Engine cover with red letters
• Aluminum pedals' covers
• Powered auto-dimming mirrors
• Auto high beam

It seemed like a significant upgrade from the previous Giulia. But the trunk... Arteon is much better equipped. It even offers front seats with ventilation and massage! And what about purchasing Giulia in Mass? Doesn't Mass have Alfa Romeo dealerships? Yes, it does, but the only two local dealers available, didn't want to compete with others for the best price. Their argument was that I'd end up spending the same amount of money on a trip to Florida. What did you just said..?

Then... I'll get a car and a week for my family in Florida for the same money! Why not? So, we made the decision to do it. I'll bring my old car, Forte, to the Alfa Romeo (or Volkswagen) dealership, driving 1,300 miles from Mass to Florida and back on Giul-eon, staying 1 night at hotels near I-95, while my family flew there to enjoy a week in the warm weather. It sounded like a perfect plan!

That's how I've started my journey to Florida for Giulia as option #1, keeping Arteon in mind as a backup. Both, Giulia and Arteon, are quite rare cars here in the US. During the trip I kept an eye on for Giulias and Arteons on the road. And... Haven't spot any Arteons, but I did see two Alfas... on evacuators! Alright, alright... thay weren't on evacuators, but transporters. Just fun.

And the day I finally met her in person, I realized what I'll be driving back home...

Specification:

• Model: Alfa Romeo Giulia (952)
• Model Year: 2023
• Engine: 2.0 GME T4
• Power: 280 hp @ 5250 rpm
• Torque: 400 nm @ 2000 rpm
• Transmission: 8 speed AT 8HP50
• Traction: RWD
• Brake system: disc
• Tires: 225/40 R19 (front) 255/35 R19 (rear)
• Trunk size: 480 liters
• Fuel tank capacity: 15.3 gallons
• Safety: 5 stars in EuroNCAP rating (8 airbags)
• Mileage at purchase: 24 ml
• Trim: Ti Lusso

Time flies and I have less and less time to spend with my lovely car, so the list of modifications become smaller and smaller. Even though I still have some plans on this car.

Plans:

• Front sport seats
• Aluminum paddle shifters
• Doubled side windows

Changes:

• Front emblem GTA/GTAm (FCA)
• Rear emblem GTA/GTAm (FCA)
• Cloverleaf fenders' badges
• Rear glossy black spoiler
• Trunk umbrella holders
• Trunk baggage hook (FCA)
• Red start engine button (FCA)
• Start/Stop system de-activator adapter
• Locking wheel bolts kit (FCA)
• Dash cam (70mai)
• Convex driver's mirror (FCA)
• Front puddle lights with Alfa Romeo logo