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The 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia's infotainment system is new, but is it better?

When Alfa Romeo introduced the Giulia in 2017, it was praised for its its on-road manners, its gorgeous styling and its performance credentials. It was criticized for, well, just about everything else, including a clunky, low-resolution and feature-light infotainment system. Enthusiasts can forgive many of a car's flaws so long as the driving experience is stellar, and for that reason, the Giulia quickly became a darling. But Alfa can't depend on enthusiasts alone to buy its cars; they need to be seen as legitimate players in the luxury market, and to do that, they need interior tech and materials to match their price points.  For 2020, Alfa Romeo addressed the Giulia's shortcomings. The infotainment system was overhauled, with a new 8.8-inch touchscreen headlining a host of additional features. The Giulia now has acoustic glass for a quieter, more luxurious cabin, and some much-needed material improvements on the steering wheel, dash and center console. There's also a new USB Type-C outlet, a wireless device charging option and some other behind-the-scenes features, like a wireless hot spot and over-the-air firmware update capabilities.  The Giulia's original infotainment system was criticized for its low-res screen with no touch interface, a lack of quick access buttons for key features, and a lack of depth when it came to integrated tech. On paper, Alfa has addressed all of these shortcomings, but I wanted to see how it performs in the real world. To do this, I set aside some time with the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio to dedicate solely to exploring its new tech features. What I found was a bit of a mixed bag.  Let's start with the interface itself. The 8.8-inch screen used to be an upgrade, but the extra real estate is now standard and, as we mentioned up top, it's now a touchscreen. Both the resolution and the quality of individual page graphics have been significantly improved compared to the old software. Alfa says the underlying hardware was improved to support the improved visual experience.  Improved, perhaps, but not perfected. The interface still lags inputs (especially touch) and lacks a crisp, responsive feel. Even after the system has fully loaded, there's a visible delay between finger gestures and responses from the interface.

Alfa Romeo brings back the Quadrifoglio Verde

With a history as rich as Alfa's, the brand has a wealth of symbology to draw on. Of course the Alfa Romeo logo itself has its own clout and allure, as do nameplates like Giulietta, Giulia and Spider. But another symbol from the marque's 104-year history is the Quadrifoglio Verde. The green clover leaf has adorned the most hardcore performance Alfas since 1923. The emblem was brought back to distinguish the top versions of the MiTo and Giulietta in 2009, both of which are now headed to the Geneva Motor Show in even more enticing form. The new three-door MiTo QV packs a 1.4-liter turbo four driving 170 horsepower to the front wheels through Alfa's six-speed dual-clutch transmission, giving it a 0-62 time of 7.3 seconds and a 136-mph top speed. The latest five-door Giulietta QV, meanwhile, packs a 1.75-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower – the same engine and six-speed DCT as the 4C, only turned around to drive the front wheels from the front end. It's good for a 6.6-second sprint to 62 and a 150-mph top speed. Both models come with a host of upgrades both inside and out, details of which you can read in the press release below. But one of the most enticing parts is the matte grey finish which Alfa is offering on both models, and which only makes us anticipate the marque's eventual return to the North American market that much more. The 'Quadrifoglio Verde' is back on Giulietta and MiTo - The legendary 'Quadrifoglio Verde' that has identified the top performing cars by Alfa Romeo since 1923 is back on the new versions - Giulietta celebrates its 60th anniversary with a new 'Quadrifoglio Verde' - True expression of Alfa Romeo's DNA, this car marks the debut of the new 240 HP 1750 Turbo Petrol engine with all-aluminium direct injection - State-of-the-art 'Alfa TCT' 6-speed twin dry clutch transmission - It's the same engine/transmission as the Alfa Romeo 4C supercar - Giulietta's flagship model can exceed 240 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds - New intake system highlighting Alfa Romeo's typical full, enveloping engine sound - New steering wheel, new instruments with dedicated graphics and QV logo and new leather and Alcantara seats, wraparound and sporty, with built-in headrest - New matt Magnesio Grey body colour exclusively created for the 'Launch Edition' special series produced in a limited edition of only 500 vehicles.

2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio exhaust is just as good as you hoped

Alfa Romeos, especially the fast ones, are car enthusiast darlings. As such, you likely already know that the 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio has a Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V6 making 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. What you may not know for sure is how it sounds. And if you watch the video above, you'll know positively that it sounds excellent. Most of the video features the Alfa in Dynamic or Race modes, which open up the exhaust and make the shifts faster and aggressive, among other things such as stiffening the suspension. In these modes, the Alfa growls, howls and everything in-between. It's not a flawless performance, as there are times you get a bit of V6 drone, but when its right, its pipes sound amazing Fortunately for anyone with easily agitated neighbors, or buyers who want to take the Alfa on long drives, it quiets right down in its normal and eco modes. It also starts in the normal mode by default, so you won't wake anyone up if you have to drive off late at night or early in the morning. Certainly in the sound department, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a well-rounded performer. Related Video: