Aussie Alfa Romeo Giulia detailed

Alfa Romeo Australia has confirmed the Giulia sports sedan will launch Down Under with four trim levels and four engine choices in February 2017.

But it has not confirmed pricing, warranty and serving details for the Giulia as negotiations continue with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles head office.

Previously, however, it has been made clear Giulia will be priced head-to-head with BMW’s 3 Series, which currently opens at $54,900 plus on-road costs, although the entry-level 147kW automatic is more likely to line up with BMW's $61,900 320i.

The first of eight models scheduled for development and sale by Alfa Romeo in the next four years (the second is the Stelvio SUV due on sale here early in 2018), the Giulia is the trigger for the relaunch of the heritage-rich Italian brand in Australia.

It is the first rear-wheel drive mass-produced Alfa sedan to be sold in Australia since the 75 of the 1980s.

The four trim levels are Giulia, Giulia Super, Giulia Veloce (Italian for speed) and flagship Giulia Quadrifoglio, or QV.

The latter was presented to Australian motoring media for the first time on local soil at the new multi-million dollar Zagame family-owned Alfa Romeo dealership in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Richmond on Wednesday.

“This is going to be the relaunch of the brand for us,” FCA Australia boss Steve Zanlunghi told the journos after showing off the pre-production right-hand drive QV. “We have very big plans.

“We are not going to compromise when it comes to that brand. You saw the quality of that vehicle, you have not been able to drive it yet, but you have been able to touch and feel the quality.

“And that’s what the future of Alfa Romeo is going to be all about.”

The Giulia’s four engine choices are 147kW/330Nm and 206kW/400Nm tunes of the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, a 132kW/450Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and the range-topping Ferrari-inspired 375kW/600Nm 2.9-litre twin turbocharged petrol V6.

The lower-spec 2.0 goes into the Giulia and Super, the diesel into the Super only, the higher-spec 2.0 into the Veloce only and the V6 into the QV.

All powertrains mate standard with an eight-speed ZF auto. There is no manual or all-wheel drive offered, as they have only been developed for left-hand drive.

Standard Giulia safety specification for Australia includes Forward Collision Warning with Autonomous Emergency Brake and pedestrian recognition, Integrated Brake System and Lane Departure Warning. A five-star EuroNCAP rating is standard, including a 98 per cent rating for adult occupants

The entry-level Giulia comes with leather upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, keyless go, stop/start technology, satellite-navigation, dual-zone climate-control, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, rear parking sensors, a reverse parking camera, the Alfa DNA rotary driving mode selector, a 3.5-inch TFT colour cluster instrument panel, UConnect 6.5-inch display infotainment system with DAB+ and Bluetooth connectivity, and an eight-speaker audio system.

The Giulia Super steps up to a higher grade of leather, an eight-way power driver’s seat, active cruise control and heated steering wheel. Blind spot monitoring is added at this level.

The Veloce adds Alfa SDC adjustable suspension, limited-slip rear differential, bespoke 19-inch alloys and an uprated braking package, with callipers distinctively finished in red. Inside, there are aluminium dash inserts and pedals, a sports leather seats and steering wheel, and a premium sound system.

As previously reported here, QV includes a sports bodykit, active aerodynamics, 19-inch forged alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights with Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS) and automatic high beam, active cruise control, eight-way electrically adjustable leather and Alcantara front sports seats, a Harmon Kardon 14-speaker sound system, and a bespoke 8.8-inch multimedia screen housing the entertainment system, satellite-navigation and climate air-conditioning controls.

Unsurprisingly, the QV is the performance leader of the range, with a 3.9sec 0-100km/h time, a 305km/h top speed and the fastest time for a production car around the fabled Nurburgring. With the aid of cylinder deactivation, Alfa claims a respectable 8.2L/100km NEDC fuel consumption rate as well.

For an in-depth review of the Guilia QV, check out our first drive here.

The Veloce accelerates to100km/h in 5.8sec and claims an NEDC fuel consumption average of 6.8L/100km, the Super diesel claims a 7.1sec 0-100km/h time and stellar 4.2L/100km fuel consumption rate. The entry-level 2.0 claims a 6.6sec 0-100km/h and 6.0L/100km.