The new Alfa Romeo Giulia is gearing for its market launch in the United Kingdom following special media event held at the Balocco Proving Ground in northern Italy where the country’s top motoring journalists got to sample the new Italian sports sedan. The Giulia hits UK in two flavors.

The British have always appreciated Alfa Romeos, even during the period where they made catastrophically unreliable cars. People were content to put up with all those niggles and shortcomings because Alfas, with their unique look and feel and charm, gave them a certain satisfaction no other car did. The Brits can expect all of the good stuff from Alfa Romeo Giulia with none of the drawbacks.

The new sedan will be available in the UK as a QV (Quadrifoglio) with a Ferrari-tuned 2.9 liter turbo V6 developing 510 horsepower. That’s what everybody wants. But for those who either can’t afford this model or don’t need all that power, there is a 2.2 liter diesel variant 180hp. Both models come with a new eight-speed automatic transmission, with steering column-mounted paddle shifters, but you can order a manual for the QV.

The diesel-powered Alfa Romeo Giulia also won’t get the cool aero kit the QV comes with, consisting of carbon fiber bonnet, roof, front splitter, rear spoiler and body inserts. But it does feature some good tech features such as Integrated Brake System for improved braking performance, extensive use of lightweight materials, advanced steering configuration and a patented rear suspension design.

The range-topping, fully-loaded Giulia QV can be specified with a number of superb options, including Alfa Torque Vectoring, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Autonomous Emergency Brake, Alfa DNA Pro, Alfa Active Aero Splitter, Alfa Chassis Domain Control, Alfa Link suspension, 8.8-inch Connect 3D Nav, and Harman Kardon sound system.