A compact-ish, rear wheel drive sedan is pretty much always gonna be popular among people who like driving, and BMW’s 3-Series sedan has more or less always been the go-to in that realm. They’re practical, they drive well, they can be quite fast, they’re well made and well executed with excellent tech, and they’re well priced. That’s all well and good, but it’s also… a bit of a safe choice, no? Perhaps a little obvious, yeah? That’s where the 2025 Alfa Romeo Giulia Intensa comes in.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time in an early example of the fire-and-brimstone Giulia Quadrifoglio and I loved it, but that range-topper model is gone for 2025, and we’re left with slightly updated four-cylinder models in a simplified grade walk. I’ve always been curious to see how this more sensible Giulia would hold up to its safe-choice contemporaries, and I’m thrilled to report it delivers all the same intangible verve, even without all the Ferrari-powered fury.

The Italians just do it better

The verve begins with our tester’s new Verde Fangio paint, contrasted against subtle gold accents on the machined wheels of our top-shelf Intensa tester. This design is nearing ten years old, and it remains every bit as intoxicating as it was on day one – and I choose that word deliberately. It’s not just good looking, it’s captivating, quietly commanding attention with sensuous curves and impeccably placed proportions, originally dictated by Pininfarina’s former design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti. 

Alfa Romeo shares a key characteristic with an unlikely co-hort in Volvo; they both exemplify that good design is ageless. It kills me that due to a series of scheduling conflicts, I wasn’t able to shoot this one myself. Thanks to Nick for pitching in with quality capture, as always.

Powertrain: Better than you’d think

The captivating quality continues once you get behind the wheel and start driving. Maybe I was already primed by its beauty, but I instantly liked driving the Giulia, and that’s vanishingly rare for my cynical self. The sound that the 2.0-Litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces is surprising in how satisfying it is, with no faffery or false fireworks to supplement genuine mechanical fizz. It’s a little raspy, a little unrefined, and more than a little characterful.

With 280 horsepower channeled through all four wheels, it’s not the quickest thing on the road, sure, but it’s quick enough to have fun with, and you can actually use a lot of it, and drive it with verve a lot of the time. This is aided and abetted by a ZF 8-speed automatic, actuated by massive aluminum shift paddles, fixed to the steering column, and not the steering wheel, as the Gods intended. As in every application of this gearbox, it’s sublime, with shifts so quick and so slick that clicking up and down through the paddles almost feels like playing a game, taking fantasies of Forza Motorsport and making them reality in the best way.

Driving: Exactly what you think

It bears mentioning that while it may not hold a candle in terms of raw performance to something like a BMW 340i, it isn’t slow by any stretch. It can scoot to 100km/h in five and half seconds, which is about the same as some of Pininfarina’s most legendary supercars. Our loaded tester’s rear limited-slip differential helps put that power down, even with all wheel drive. It contributes to a cohesive driving experience that feels authentic, relying on engineering to make things happen the right way, rather than relying on electronic nannies to prevent things from happening the wrong way.

All this would be for nought if the chassis weren’t up to the task, but come on, it’s an Alfa Romeo; it’s sublime. It’s all so well judged for the act of driving with intention. The steering is tight and the most communicative in the class by a mile, and the brake feel (which is more important than people think) is impeccable with a firm pedal and linear action, which all makes smooth movements a breeze. 

Our tester’s adaptive dampers only serve the action, able to tighten up and deliver impeccable body control with almost no roll. Turn-in is eager and mid-corner balance is about as neutral as is possible in an all wheel drive car. It does give way to mild understeer when overcooked, but it can be balanced and rotated delicately with some care. It’s so lively and light on its feet that I had to remind myself it wasn’t rear wheel drive, successfully capturing a feeling that’s been lost by everything needing a four wheel safety net.

Interior design and tech

Alfa Romeo shares another unlikely industry kin-ship in the form of Mazda, who has been employing decidedly Alfa-esque passion in their exterior and interior design with great success. The cabin is very attractive, with simple, sweeping curvature naturally framing an 8.8-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3 digital gauge display, with traditional binnacles highlighting the speedo and tachometer. Like Mazda, the infotainment can be controlled via knob and shortcut buttons on the centre console – I personally love this, but appreciate that you have the option of using the touch display if desired. 

Some might call the on-board tech dated, I’d prefer to call it minimalist. It’s clean, with white text projected sharply on a black background, in the same vein as Porsche and Lotus, and little in the way of graphics or fancy flourishes – a screen shouldn’t be the star of the show, anyway. It’s simple to use and live with, if maybe lacking in some modernity, like wireless CarPlay or increasingly ubiquitous Google Maps and Voice functionality.

Quirks and cash

There are some additional caveats to all this charisma. The back seats are, to be put politely, snug, as I could barely fit behind my six-foot self. It measures out nearly the same as the BMW 3-Series on paper, but it doesn’t shake out in practice. Also, its impeccable body control comes at the cost of it being quite firm, even in its most mild setting. It’s vaguely akin to the Ohlins dampers on Volvo’s Polestar Engineering vehicles – whether or not that’s a good thing is up to you. I didn’t mind, but you might if you’re used to being pampered.

Lastly, there is the question of money. Our tester rings up at $70,995, which is about five grand more dear than a comparably equipped BMW 330i, with the requisite M-Sport package and nice paint to level the playing field. We try to only look at straight-up sticker prices for consistency’s sake, but it bears mentioning there will probably be some cash left on the hood of the Alfa Romeo. Either way, all this charm and style does come with a not-insignificant cost. You can’t justify it as a cost-savings proposition. It’s not the safe, obvious choice. You have to want it. That’s the point.

Wrap it up

There is nothing obvious about the Giulia. You are supposed to like it because it’s an Alfa Romeo, but you’re also not supposed to want to actually own it for the same reason. I say fuhgeddaboudit. If we liked and did all the obvious things we’re supposed to like and do, we’d all be driving around in Volkswagen GTIs, BMW M3s, and Porsche 911s, depending on our budgets. Take the plunge, be an individual, and commit to it. The 2025 Alfa Romeo Giulia Intensa is the best kind of intense.