► Collezione trim is new luxury range topper
► Sprint Speciale gets sports suspension, Brembo brakes
► Both on sale now, priced from £17,660
Alfa Romeo is playing the image card a little harder with its aging Mito and Giulietta models by adding a new Collezione specification. Collezione is touted as the ‘more luxurious and elegant’ alternative to the existing, sports-orientated QV Line.
Why should I care about the new Alfa Romeo Collezione models?
Interesting touches include the addition of 17-inch ‘Collezione Bronze’ alloy wheels with matching door mirrors on the Mito – certainly not your average automotive colour choice. Mito Collezione buyers also get cloth and ‘eco leather’ seats, brown interior stitching, satnav, DAB and ‘vintage’ floor mats. Hopefully that doesn’t mean pre-loaded with crumbs and stained with someone else’s morning Starbucks.
The Giulietta Collezione is a little more conventional, with dark silver 18-inch wheels and a gloss black finish on the door mirrors and roof panel. There’s full ‘Collezione’ leather on the inside, plus heated front seats, satnav and DAB. A bit underwhelming, after the Mito.
The Mito Collezione is available with the 104bhp 0.9-litre TwinAir turbo petrol or the 138bhp 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo petrol, priced from £17,660 and £19,210 – the latter including the TCT auto (awkward) and Brembo brakes (excellent). The Giulietta Collezione comes with the 168bhp 1.4 MultiAir turbo petrol or the 2.0 JTD-M turbodiesel with 148bhp or 168bhp; prices start at £24,820, £25,680 and £27,840.
What about the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale then?
The other new Giulietta is based on the existing Sprint model, but features sports suspension, Brembo brakes, specific 17-inch wheels, aluminium pedals and ‘Quadrifoglio-style’ sports seats. You also get upgraded to dual-zone climate, rear parking sensors and cruise control – all of which goes someway towards justifying the extra £1800 you pay for the privilege.
The Giulietta Sprint Speciale comes with the 148bhp 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo petrol, or a choice of 148bhp or 168bhp 2.0-litre JTD-M turbodiesel. Prices start at £23,320, £24,180 and £26,340. We’d hesitate to suggest it’s fixed any of the Giulietta’s dynamic shortcomings, but any Italian car with Speciale in the name surely gets a few bonus cool points.