2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce v Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
Can the new Genesis G70 use its considerable muscle to outshine the gorgeous Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce? Trent Nikolic and Sam Purcell find out.
Overview
If sexy sells then Alfa Romeo would rule the world. The storied Italian brand has been building some of the world's most gorgeous cars since the 1930s, but despite their striking threads and Goldilocks driving dynamics, their appeal in Australia has always trailed bigger brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Conversely, Genesis is a new brand on the rise, and in a hurry. This Korean upstart with barely a handful of years behind it is banking on value and performance to win prestige sedan buyers.
So, let's say you have $80,000 to spend on a prestige mid-size sedan, but don't want to follow the crowd to the nearest German car dealership. Which one of these two worthy alternatives deserves your money? Let's find out.
Introduction
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
With a simple three-model range, Alfa Romeo aims to take on the Jaguar XE, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and newcomers like the Genesis G70. It’s a crowded segment packed with plenty of quality options.
Starting with the Sport, the recently revised 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia range also comprises the mid-range Veloce as tested here, and the range-topping Quadrifoglio. Sport starts from $63,950, while Veloce starts from $71,450 and Quadrifoglio from $138,950 – all before on-road costs.
Our tester, resplendent in classy ‘Visconti Green’ is an undoubtedly beautiful sedan. Quite frankly, even some years on from its original launch, the Giulia’s level of street appeal puts the rest of the segment in the shade.
The dual panoramic sunroof adds $2255 to the cost, while the metallic paint adds another $1355. Beautiful 19-inch rims are standard running staggered tyres front to rear, while adaptive bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights and tail-lights, gloss-black exterior trim and privacy glass are also all standard. The latter covers the rear windscreen as well as the rear side windows.
Genesis G70 3.3T
Driving the facelifted 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport quickly confirmed two things for me. First, this new Korean luxury brand is building some seriously compelling cars, and this Genesis G70 would have to be one of the best. And second, the often-overlooked sedan – especially a sporty one – is far from dead. With an eager, force-fed V6 under the bonnet that powers only the rear wheels, the G70 3.3T Sport is a fresh take on that timeless sport sedan recipe.
While Genesis is currently busy pushing out a new medium-sized GV70 SUV to compete in a larger slice of the sales pie, we continue to be impressed by its smallest and cheapest current offering, the G70. It will inevitably sell in much lower volumes overall, but that doesn't make it any less of a car.
While the less powerful 2.0-litre G70 starts from $63,000, opting for the higher specification and bigger motor 3.3T Sport tips in at $76,000 – both before on-road costs. On top of that, we’ve got the Luxury Pack ($10,000) ticked, along with matte paint ($2000). That means you’re looking at $88,000 before on-road costs.
Without a large range of specifications to dig through, the G70 3.3T Sport comes fairly well loaded as a standard offering. Before you factor in options, standard kit includes 19-inch alloys shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber, a limited-slip rear differential, 350mm front and 340mm rear Brembo brakes, adaptive dampers and a new variable exhaust system.
Key details | 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce | 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport |
Price (MSRP) | $71,450 plus on-road costs | $76,000 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Visconti Green | Verbier White |
Options | Dual sunroof ($2255), Harman Kardon audio ($1255), metallic paint ($1355) | Luxury Pack ($10,000), matte paint ($2000) |
Price as tested | $76,315 plus on-road costs | $88,000 plus on-road costs |
Inside
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
The cabin is genuinely premium and comfortable, so long as you’re not a tall adult spending too long in the second row, but more on that in a minute.
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The excellent Harman Kardon audio system adds $1255 to the asking price and is worth the outlay. The big change for 2021 comes in the form of updates to the infotainment system. There’s a new 8.8-inch touchscreen, which works neatly with both Android and Apple phones, and the rotary controller remains should you wish to use that instead.
Leather tops the dash in a premium nod to the expensive Euro brigade, and both front and the two rear outboard seats are heated. We like the start button inside the steering wheel, and the general layout of the switchgear is well organised and easy to work out.
There’s some useful storage, but there could be more. A bottle holder in front of the shifter that actually holds a decent bottle is handy.
We also love the shaped receptacle for the key fob that stops it sliding around the console, and is something every manufacturer should offer. The door pockets are quite small, though, so don’t assume you’ll be able to carry much more than a phone or wallet in there.
It’s fair to say the cabin is driver-focused in the way that you would expect an Italian sports sedan to be, but the passenger seat up front is also excellent for longer drives. The front seats – we loved the terracotta leather – are near perfectly sculpted, firm while being comfortable, and feature the right amount of adjustment.
The second row is tight with tall occupants up front, but that’s a malaise affecting almost everything in this segment. Take that into account, though, if you’re a family buyer with teenage kids.
Boot space is useful without being cavernous, and the same official 480L capacity as you'll find in a BMW 3 Series. There’s easily enough room for mum, dad and two kids heading off on a road trip, so long as you’re not all carrying extra-large suitcases.
Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
One thing that previously held back the G70 was the direct connection inside to less premium and less expensive Hyundai and Kia models. Genesis seems to have taken that feedback on board and made a clearer separation between the brands.
Inside, the interior is leather-appointed in standard trim. Seats, a red leather in our case, look quite fetching and proved to be very comfortable during our tenure. They are heated and ventilated and have 12 directions of electric adjustment. Smaller elements, like bolstering that adjusts to the different driving modes, shows that Genesis has paid strong attention to detail.
There's a nine-speaker sound system, 10.25-inch infotainment display and dual-zone climate control.
Tick that 10-grand Luxury Pack box and you score higher-grade nappa leather and suede interior trimming, an electrically adjusted steering column and heated steering wheel, 15-speaker Lexicon sound system, laminated glass, 16-way memory driver's seat, power-operated boot, head-up display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
Overall build quality feels very good as well, solidly resisting my aggressive prods and wiggles.
The second row of the G70 is tight, and not something you’d want to be using to transport long-legged adults around. Legroom aside, it’s comfortable and well-appointed, with air vents and a single USB power outlet. We've also got heated outboard seats with the Luxury Pack.
The boot, however, is big enough for the application at 330L, but is the smallest in its segment. The second row can also be flipped down for extra load space when you need it.
2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce | 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport | |
Seats | Five | Five |
Boot volume | 480L | 330L |
Length | 4643mm | 4685mm |
Width | 1860mm | 1850mm |
Height | 1436mm | 1400mm |
Wheelbase | 2820mm | 2835mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
The aforementioned 8.8-inch touchscreen is a good one. On test, it worked faultlessly with both Android and Apple operating systems, as did the wireless charging dock.
The screen was easy to see in any light, which represents a significant improvement over the previously dull and easily washed screen in earlier Giulias, and it was prompt to respond to commands. There’s simplicity to the major controls, and the operating system will be an easy one for first-timers to get to grips with.
Large smartphones sit a little clumsily in the area ahead of the bottle holders under the dash, but the USB port is easy to access unlike some. There’s also a USB port in the second row for charging devices.
There’s proprietary satellite navigation standard, digital radio, and cleverly positioned steering wheel controls that don’t get in the way. On test, voice recognition worked well for us too.
Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
This is headlined by a new 10.25-inch infotainment display, up from 8.0 underdone inches pre-facelift.
Yes, other Kias and Hyundais also use a 10.25-inch system. However, Genesis uses a unique operating system that really helps to set it apart. The switchgear is also mostly different, and I like that the customisable buttons have carried over from the broader family. I found them genuinely useful.
Power outlets include a wireless charging pad, 12-volt plug and USB, along with an additional USB outlet in the flocked centre console.
The digital instrument cluster is big at 12.3 inches, and allows you to run through a variety of different things. Although the whole three-dimensional thing might seem gimmicky, it works well enough for day-to-day usage and can help your eye catch important information at a quick glance. The display can’t do cool party tricks like a full-sized map, but there are plenty of customisation options.
Safety and Technology
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
Regardless of segment, safety is an area that needs to be well specified now for any new vehicle, and the Giulia doesn’t miss out. It earned a full five-star ANCAP rating, has six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, lane-keep assist, intelligent speed control, driver behaviour warning, traffic sign recognition, highway and traffic jam assist, a rear-view camera with dynamic guidelines, and tyre pressure monitoring.
Crucially, the systems that the Giulia does have all work without being obtrusive. There’s none of the constant chiming and warnings you get with some vehicles, indicating that they are all working away in the background without annoying the driver. The safety you do use daily like the parking sensors and the rear-view camera are excellent.
Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
Although the G70 attained a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018, this facelift has brought more safety equipment and technology into the mix.
There are now 10 airbags throughout the G70's interior, which includes a front centre and rear side airbags. Autonomous emergency braking includes a junction assist function, as well as pedestrian and cyclist detection.
Lane-keep assistance is now joined by lane-following technology and a 360-degree camera, but I found myself turning off the driving aids more often than not. When you're driving on roads with varying quality of road markings, or you're looking to use the entirety of your lane, the sometimes random beeping and tugging of the steering wheel quickly gets tiresome. If you want to turn them off as well, you need to hold down the button for a few seconds.
There is also driver-attention warning, high-beam assist, adaptive cruise control with a stop & go function, and a rear cross-traffic collision avoidance.
The 360-degree camera system also includes a blind-spot camera that operates similarly to other Genesis models and high-spec Hyundais and Kias. It pops a camera feed of your blind spot into the digital instrument cluster. Along with a head-up display, you're certainly not left lacking for technology in the G70.
While you do get a handy reminder of the speed limit on the instrument cluster and map, this information is fed from a GPS database and isn't as accurate as more advanced traffic sign recognition technology.
Value for Money
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
Alfa Romeo claims 6.1L/100km on the combined cycle, and during our testing period, largely around town, we saw an indicated claim of 9.4L/100km. Fair to say then that it’s thirstier than the claim, but the live reading did drop under the 6.1L/100km mark on our highway run.
The Giulia gets a three-year/150,000km warranty, with services required every 15,000km. Over the first three years, up to 45,000km, those services will cost $345, $645 and $465 respectively.
Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
Genesis claims 10.2L/100km for fuel efficiency on the city/country combined cycle, and our on-test average wasn't too far off the mark at 10.7L/100km. Still, that's a thirsty mill in this day and age, and it requires a premium unleaded diet that costs extra. But so does the Alfa Romeo, so that's probably a moot point.
All Genesis models come with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for peace of mind. You will save a bunch of money when it comes servicing time because the first five years (or 50,000km, whichever comes first) are all rolled into the purchase price.
At a glance | 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce | 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport |
Warranty | Three years / 150,000km | Five years / unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 15,000km | 12 months / 10,000km |
Servicing costs | $1455 (3yr) | Included |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.1L/100km | 10.2L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.4L/100km | 10.7L/100km |
Fuel type | 95RON | 95RON |
Fuel tank size | 58L | 60L |
Driving
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
Aside from the styling, the pleasure in any Alfa Romeo always promises to be in the driving, and the Giulia Veloce doesn’t disappoint. Not the most potent model grade, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder still generates an easy 206kW at 5250rpm and 400Nm at 2250rpm.
The four-cylinder engine is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic and rear-wheel drive, with the 0-100km/h run taking just 5.7 seconds. It’s punchy, too, with peak torque available nice and low in the rev range, and it feels fast if you do nail the throttle off the mark. It won’t feel fast if you back to back it with the twin-turbo V6 Giulia Quadrifoglio, but it’s a pacey sedan for what is the middle of the Giulia range.
Driving the Veloce is nothing if not smooth. The ZF is a fantastic conventional automatic as we know, and it works beautifully with the power and torque delivery of the engine. There’s no hint of the need for a sharper dual-clutch automatic, and you can either cruise or punch the Giulia harder and it does both with ease. The stop-start system does rock the car a little when it starts back up, but you do get used to that, even though we’d like it to be a little bit smoother.
We loved the sharp and precise steering, the relationship of what the front axle was doing in response to the driver input, and the way the chassis seems to always be beautifully balanced. There’s no doubt this is a fun sedan to drive at pace, and it does that job easily, but it’s also comfortable and practical.
While the ride does err on the sporty side of firm, it doesn’t bang and crash through potholes and road imperfections. Rather, you just notice them beneath you. Even so, the cabin always remains insulated and calm. You’d expect big 19-inch rims and low-profile rubber to be firm (indeed firmer than it is), but the active suspension smooths things out nicely, no matter the surface.
Being rear-wheel drive with a limited-slip differential, there’s a sharpness and precision to the way the Giulia Veloce takes to the road when you do get into it a bit more. It feels alive, light on its feet and balanced, no matter how hard you’re pushing or how bumpy the road. It’s a properly sorted chassis that responds the way we’d expect a sporty sedan to without any twitchiness or fear factor.
Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
With the line-up being reworked for 2021, high-specification G70s get the big engine exclusively. By all accounts so far, the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is a solid option with plenty of grunt and refinement for the application.
But it doesn’t matter, because this 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 is the engine to have. Why? It’s a beast.
I’ve got a big soft spot for the G70, especially when it’s got this big donk. I spent a fair amount of time with our previous long-termer, and grew to love the wolf-in-sheep's clothing performance.
Our 2020 long-termer didn’t make much noise, even when rushing up to redline. While I found it handsome, it was in an understated way that didn’t garner a lot of attention. Perhaps that has something to do with the lesser-known badge on the bonnet.
But the best thing about that G70: it ripped. Straight-line performance, handling and refinement were good enough to embarrass plenty of so-called ‘sports’ or ‘luxury’ cars.
The updated 2021 Genesis G70 keeps all of those great attributes, but crafts it into something even better. Plus, this new model is a bit more wolf than sheep.
Firstly, there is more noise. The new bi-modal exhaust system – which has liberated 2kW – burbles in a pleasant baritone at idle. There is a welcome roar when accelerating, along with a stronger induction noise as the two turbochargers suck in big volumes of air.
The two turbochargers are set up in parallel, each one responsible for feeding three pistons compressed air.
With a little more theatre going on, the new G70 is an enticing drive on your quieter, sweeping roads and rolling hills. It’s got plenty of punch and enough panache to handle fast-paced driving.
Ride comfort errs on the sporty side in this G70. Adaptive dampers widen the scope of dynamics noticeably, ratcheting things down noticeably for dynamic driving, but in Comfort mode it cannot hide the sporting prowess this chassis has.
The steering is fast to respond and allows the G70 to turn in eagerly. Its rear wheels follow faithfully as well, as long as you’re judicious with the right foot. High power, great throttle response and rear-wheel drive only? You get the picture.
But the beauty is that it’s comfortable and enjoyable enough on daily driver duties. Don’t expect a pillowy ride, though. While it’s firm, it’s not unforgiving.
The eight-speed auto has fast reaction times, especially in the more dynamic driving modes. Its job of getting smooth performance out of the driveline – and often giving the rear tyres some hard work – is admirable.
The G70 feels squirmy, alive and aggressive when driven dynamically. Classic rear-wheel-drive sports car things, and it helps the G70 keep the chin up in a field of well-established competitors.
Getting similar amounts of performance will cost you much more at the end of the day. And that’s an inherent advantage.
As good as a modern 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is these days, in terms of mid-range torque, high-end power and all-round drivability, having more engine at the ready makes the G70 inherently nicer to drive.
Key details | 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce | 2021 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport |
Engine | 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol | 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol |
Power | 206kW @ 5250rpm | 274kW @ 6000rpm |
Torque | 400Nm @ 2250rpm | 510Nm @ 1300-4500rpm |
Drive type | Rear-wheel drive | Rear-wheel drive |
Transmission | Eight-speed torque converter automatic | Eight-speed torque convertor automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 138.3kW/t | 158.6kW/t |
Weight (tare) | 1490kg | 1728kg |
Tow rating | 1600kg braked / 745kg unbraked | 1200kg braked / 750kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 10.9m | 11.0m |
Conclusion
Our overall scores for this comparo hand the win to the Genesis G70 with 8.3/10 compared to the Veloce's 8.1. But scores are cold, uncaring numbers and these two cars are anything but cold and uncaring. In fact, they're both surprisingly emotive and invigorating - and despite their disparate origins, they are more closely matched than you'd think.
From the outside, the Veloce is one sexy beast, whereas the Genesis is an edgy beast. Choosing between the two on looks alone will be a personal decision, and you'd be right whichever you prefer.
The interiors are also a case of personal preference. Both focus their efforts – and space – on the front row, though the second row will accommodate adults of average size. The Giulia's boot is bigger, if that's important to you. Both cabins are classy affairs, too, but if we had to split them we'd say the Giulia's gives off a spirited sports sedan vibe, whereas the Genesis is more your comfy lounge room.
In terms of features and equipment, they're both well equipped, but the Genesis has a slight edge thanks to a more modern infotainment system. Genesis also wins on safety features, going a step further than the well-equipped Alfa - 10 airbags instead of six and lane-following technology, for example.
The Genesis also comes with a five-year warranty and the purchase cost includes all servicing during that time, which is a big win. You won't save all of that money, however, because the Genesis's 3.3-litre engine is thirstier (10.7L/100km) compared to the Giulia's 2.0-litre mill (9.4L/100km), though only marginally.
On the road, the Giulia is true to its Italian sporting roots. This is a thoroughly engaging car to drive thanks to a chassis that comfortably handles all the power its 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine has to give – and more, as the 375kW Giulia Quadrifoglio demonstrates.
The Genesis, on the other hand, has a hammer of an engine that the car's dynamics can cope with, but it's a heavier car and therefore less agile than the Alfa. But it will obliterate big distances effortlessly, and is far from shamed in the twisties.
When all is said and done, the Genesis is the better buy and therefore wins this comparo. But the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is very hard to go past, and there's enough substance there to justify such a decision if that's what your heart desires.