The return of rear-wheel drive

Launched in 2016, the diesel engine rear-wheel-drive Giulia is a direct competitor to the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Jaguar XE, two rivals that offer RWD and economical diesel engines. For the UK, there’s only the option of an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox with hard-to-miss paddle shifts in front of the steering wheel. Under the skin, the brakes and suspension appear to demonstrate that Alfa hasn’t cut any corners, with Brembo four-pots up front and single-piston calipers at the rear including an electronic park brake. The suspension employs some familiar FWD Alfa components at the front, including a single lower arm, a long coilover and an equally long banana-shaped upright connected to an upper wishbone. At the rear however, there’s a more complicated rear-wheel-drive suspension set-up, which includes separate coil springs and dampers, a substantial lower arm and a complicated arrangement of upper and lower control arms. Fortunately, all these components are straightforward to inspect during a service.

When it comes to engine servicing, the diesel version of the Giulia isn’t too complicated. Unlike the petrol-engined Giulia, there’s a dipstick to check the engine oil. All of the filters and fluid checks are easy to access, the most awkward being the gearbox oil level, which requires a short 8mm Allen key