2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia

German brands typically dominate the luxury sedan market. But they're not the only game in town from Europe these days. The Italians have finally brought a small sedan that Americans will want to buy: the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia.

The Giulia stands out with its distinctive design and performance capability. Its stylish design and execution are fresh and cohesive, and the interior is well laid out and snug. But its beauty is more than skin-deep. Underneath are potent turbocharged powerplants that drive the rear wheels through a sporty eight-speed automatic transmission.

The engine in the base Giulia and Giulia Ti produces a healthy 280 horsepower, and the range-topping Giulia Quadrifoglio has a Ferrari-developed turbocharged V6 that cranks out a monstrous 505 hp. In addition to the boost in power, the Quadrifoglio also comes with trick carbon-fiber parts, active aerodynamic elements, and sporty suspension settings designed for driving enthusiasts.

These features make it seem like the Giulia would be an instant hit. But the reality is Alfa's dealer network is small and the car is still in its first generation, so long-term reliability is questionable. Nevertheless, the 2019 Giulia could be perfect for those with a passion for Italian cars.

The 2019 Giulia comes in six trims: the entry-level Giulia and Giulia Sport; the midtier Ti, Ti Sport and Ti Lusso; and the high-performance Quadrifoglio. The Giulia and Ti models come with a nice amount of standard equipment and are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (280 horsepower, 306 pound-feet) that puts its power to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is also available for all 2.0-liter cars. The Quadrifoglio demonstrates the full potential of the car, including a Ferrari-derived turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 engine (505 hp, 443 lb-ft).

Some of the key standard exterior features on the base Giulia include 17-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires, Brembo brakes, xenon headlights, automatic wipers, and rear parking sensors. Inside, you'll find remote keyless ignition and entry, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, adjustable drive models, Bluetooth, a 6.5-inch central display, three USB ports, and an eight-speaker audio system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also standard.

The Giulia Sport trim adds unique front and rear fascias, 18-inch wheels, gloss-black window trim and painted brake calipers. The Sport Interior package is still an option that includes aluminum trim, column-mounted aluminum paddle shifters, a leather steering wheel and sport pedals.

If you're looking to upgrade the infotainment system for either of the above trims, the Navigation package includes an 8.8-inch central infotainment display, navigation, a rotary controller and satellite radio. A complement to this would be the 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

A Cold Weather package is specific to the Giulia and Giulia Sport trims, and it adds heated seats, a heated steering wheel and heated washer nozzles. All Giulias can be equipped with heated rear seats.

There are also two levels of active driving assist packages. The Driver Assistance Static package includes front parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and auto-dimming exterior mirrors. The Driver Assistance Dynamic Plus package adds adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, and a heat-reducing infrared reflective windshield.

The Giulia Ti comes with everything the Giulia model has, plus 18-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, the 8.8-inch display (navigation is an option), satellite radio and the aforementioned Cold Weather package. Adaptive xenon headlights are a stand-alone option.

The Ti Sport adds 19-inch alloy wheels, sport front seats (a worthwhile upgrade) and everything from the Sport trim and Sport Interior package mentioned above.

The Ti Lusso trim is more luxury-oriented and has different 18-inch wheels, comfort-oriented front seats, upgraded leather interior trim, an upgraded steering wheel and an interior air quality system. If you just want a leather interior, it's available as a Leather package.

The Ti Sport Performance package provides an additional step toward Quadrifoglio performance on the Ti Sport trim with adaptive suspension dampers and a mechanical limited-slip rear differential. And if you'd prefer just the performance package items without the Sport trim's aesthetics and interior bits, Alfa Romeo offers the Ti Performance package, which also includes the column-mounted paddle shifters. The Harman Kardon premium audio system is an option as well.

The Giulia Quadrifoglio is the star of this show with its 505-hp V6 engine. It comes mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and features fuel-saving cylinder deactivation. Sadly, the six-speed manual transmission available in Europe isn't available in the U.S.-market models at this time.

The good news for buyers is that the Quadrifoglio's list of standard equipment is lengthy. It includes a high-performance Brembo brake system and a torque-vectoring rear differential that can transfer 100 percent of available power to either rear wheel. A two-mode exhaust with bypass valves offers varying levels of engine music depending on your mood, and a carbon-fiber active front splitter adjusts for more aerodynamic downforce at speeds above 75 mph. An adaptive suspension and 19-inch wheels with super-sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires round out the big hardware items.

Looking over the Quadrifoglio, you'll be able to pick out the aggressive model-specific details such as the front fascia, grille, carbon trunk spoiler, bi-xenon adaptive headlights, and rear diffuser with quad exhaust tips. But beneath the painted surfaces hides a lightweight hood and roof made of carbon fiber. Moving inside, you'll find carbon-fiber trim, additional drive modes, and almost all of the features that are optional on the less expensive Giulias.

A few options are available at the Quadrifoglio level. They include the Driver Assistance Dynamic Plus package mentioned earlier, leather and simulated-suede ultra-high-performance Sparco carbon-fiber racing seats (driver and front passenger seats with two-way and four-way power adjustments, respectively, and no heat), a carbon-fiber-detailed steering wheel and an ultra-high-performance Brembo carbon-ceramic brake system.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Alfa Romeo Giulia (turbo 2.0L inline-4 | 8-speed automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2017, the current Giulia has received some revisions, including standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Giulia, however.