It’s so easy to gush about the Alfa Romeo Giulia. The exterior design is gorgeous as is the cabin. But that show-stopping look is backed up with prompt acceleration, immense stopping power, fantastic steering, and supportive/comfortable seats. Attention to detail is abundant, ranging from the pull-down door grabs for all four doors to the separate dials for a/c settings for driver and front passenger. The tested 2019 Giulia TI Sport all wheel drive (AWD) midsize sedan was a dazzler with its beautifully smooth ride and superb handling reactions. New for 2019 features include 19-inch/5-hole aluminum wheels on the TI Sport, and heated rear seats for all six model trims (Giulia, Giulia Sport, Giulia TI, Giulia TI Sport, Giulia TI Lusso, and Guilia Quadrifoglio).

Powering the tested Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Giulia Sport AWD was a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 280 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 306 lb-ft of torque from 2000-4800 rpm. Engine mates to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The 111-inch wheelbase sedan uses a double wishbone front suspension with a semi-virtual steering axle and the patented Alfa Link rear suspension with a vertical rod link. The lone complaint is that the available steering column-mounted paddle shifters block easy access to the turn signal and wiper stocks. Assembled in Italy, the tested Giulia TI Sport AWD collects estimated mpg of 23 city/31 highway and carries a base MSRP of $42,495.