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Post by Roadrunner on Oct 28, 2023 15:21:01 GMT
Full report to follow, but first impressions are very good. Made light work of two hours on the Autostrada at 130 kph.   |
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Post by Roadrunner on Oct 30, 2023 19:50:51 GMT
Really enjoying it so far. Smooth and quiet although can be a bit gruff when pressing to higher revs. It has very light, high-geared steering which is ideal for the Amalfi Coast road and mountain pass hairpin roads, but the steering does lack feel. The switch between EV mode and ICE is not as seemless as in my mother's Lexus. It is fine when quietly cruising around, but a snap decision to welly it away from a roundabout can cause hesitation followed by sudden revs and sometimes more urgency than you really wanted. Selecting Dynamic mode on the DNA selector cuts out EV mode and is the perfect setting for attacking those mountain hairpins. Here the car turns into the bend and accelerates uphill without drama. This is the 1.5 MHEV version and it would be interesting to try the 1.3 PHEV which is quicker. The chassis could certainly handle the extra power without letting itself down. The infotainment screen and main virtual dials setup is excellent.  |
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Post by Roadrunner on Nov 5, 2023 11:22:22 GMT
To sum up, an interesting alternative in the family crossover / small SUV market, if not a true Alfa in the Alf sense. It would be worth trying the 1.3 PHEV, which apparently has the better power train. The 1.5, although a decent enough car for daily A to B driving, lacks the edge you would expect for a proper B-road Alfa blast. It was very easy to drive and had all the electronic driver aids you would expect, including the most inobtrusive lane departure warning I have ever used. Given the Italians' complete absence of any indicator use, ever, this makes sense. If I try to change motorway lanes in the Benz without indicating I would have a momentary wrestle with the steering as I crossed the white line. The interior is generally very well put together for a car in this class and the main virtual instrument display and infotainment system are excellent. It keeps proper buttons for the main heating and AC controls as well. The instrument cluster is configurable, with no dials, reduced dials, or the full 1970s retro look, which I favoured. The dash panel lights up blue, which we quite liked. I would consider a 1.3 PHEV version as a replacement for our MINI when the time comes.   |
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Post by Martin on Nov 5, 2023 14:32:23 GMT
Bonus points for renting something Italian in Italy!
It looks Ok from some angles (you’ve chosen the best one) but there is some poor detailing and it doesn’t look great from the back. Not a fan overall, but I can’t think of any small SUV I like.
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Post by Andy C on Nov 7, 2023 22:18:09 GMT
I drove the exact same one at Silverstone festival in August (along with a polestar 2 performance)
I was really impressed with how it drove . It also went like stink, however I did find I agree with some of the reviews - at times the gearbox and transition from Electric to petrol was quite slow and clumsy .
The interior was great I thought too
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Post by alf on Nov 8, 2023 10:36:13 GMT
Glad you like it! I recognise that steering wheel, I didn't realise all the models had stop-start on the wheel (though I get a red button). It's nice in the hand. For anyone familiar with TomToms over the years, they way they (and others like Renault) use the TomTom satnav pretty much in full, is refreshing, especially if you've used one of the ones like Audi's from a few years back. Tina is looking at plug-in hybrids at the moment, maybe I should suggest one of these  I'm sure her germanic levels of patience for imcompetence and AR dealers would get on really well? I don't even know where my "local" one is, and I won't be taking mine there... |
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Post by PetrolEd on Nov 9, 2023 9:36:41 GMT
I do like the look of these and they come in that fantastic green colour. Only problem is its not really an Alfa and I'm not going to get that ghost of Nuvolari feeling. Is it based on a Stellantis product? Certainly more interesting then a Sportage.
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Post by Andy C on Nov 9, 2023 10:10:02 GMT
It’s based on a Jeep Compass
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Post by PG on Nov 9, 2023 17:04:35 GMT
I think they've done a good job of Alfa-ising a small SUV. The interior looks good too.
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Post by Tim on Nov 10, 2023 8:53:49 GMT
If its anything like the interior of the Giulia then its a nice place to be.
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I'm sure her germanic levels of patience for imcompetence and AR dealers would get on really well? I don't even know where my "local" one is, and I won't be taking mine there...
