ROAD TEST - ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA 1.4 TBI DISTINCTIVE:
It doesn't matter how many oil leakages and horror breakdowns you mention - say the words Alfa Romeo to any petrolhead and you will almost always cause a flutter of the heart. These are machines born from fiery Italian passion.
Sadly, to keep the balance sheets well oiled in today's cut-throat car business, Alfa has to create cars that also appeal to Mr and Mrs Everyday - in order to pump up those volumes.
Which brings us to the new Giulietta. Its name may evoke two blasts from the past but this 147 replacement has its sights firmly set on stealing sales from the VW Golf, which could be a good or bad thing.
It goes without saying then, that I approached our mid-range 1.4 TBI Distinctive test unit with much anticipation and first impressions were positive.
Step inside and you're greeted by distinctive dashboard with a racy flair about it. The materials are classy too and you also get the feeling that it's not going to be falling apart any time soon.
Interior space is also very reasonable for a car in this class and it has most of the gizmos you'd expect at R280 000 (like dual zone climate control, cruise control and a modern sounds system) but you still pay extra for leather seats.
I got myself ready to love this car, and then I engaged the clutch to discover an ergonomic flaw that would irritate me to no end until the end of the test period. The clutch pedal is set in such a horizontal position that you actually have to stretch like a ballerina to engage it. This is frustrating at the best of times, and even borders on painful by the end of a long slog through traffic.
Besides that, the rest of the driving experience was peachy. That fat gear stick shifts with positive force, the steering has a solid feel to it and the engine is something of a gem.
Sharing its MultiAir powerplant with the range-topping Mito, this motor puts out 125kW and 250Nm and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. An idle-stop system keeps urban consumption under control and according to Alfa Romeo, it'll sip 5.8 l/100km on the combined cycle - add at least 2-3 litres to that for real-world driving.
The motor delivers a strong punch from moment go and it's unlikely that many drivers will find it lacking in punch.
Road holding is also superb, it's very direct and accurate through corners. That was no surprise but the ride quality was - it's very cushy and well damped, even over nasty speed humps - although it was a tad bouncy at times.
Of course, it has all the ingredients of a superb drive, with a multilink rear suspension using lightweight aluminium wishbones and Alfa's Q2 system that shares the torque between the front wheels in the most appropriate way - meaning you can forget about torque steer in this car.
What's more, the DNA system allows you to choose between 'Dynamic', 'Normal' and 'All-Weather' settings that act on the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox.
When all was weighed up, I can say that - with the exception of that clutch - I really enjoyed the Giulietta 1.4 TBi. The only question left in my mind was that of the styling.
This is a very subjective thing and I've spoken to many people who really like the Giulietta's lines, but I can't help but wish those designers had taken more aggression out on this car - especially on that bulky front end.
When the 159 was launched five years ago, I felt it looked like a predator that's about to devour everything in its path. Aggro, like an Alfa should be. When the Mito came along, many found it 'cute' - but it reminded me of a mouse that's about to be caught by a cat. Luckily the Giulietta's face seems a tad more macho than that… if you could say that of a rat.