Volkswagen Golf vs Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Dubai, UAE. Top Hatch?

Espying a mild spot of blue amidst the grey in the sky, we quickly pull over and swap cars, I now piloting the Alfa whilst James takes off in the VW.  Like the Golf, the Giulietta is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that kicks out 168bhp – 30bhp more than the Golf – to the rear wheels which proves promising for adventurous cornering, further validated it would seem by the same 184lb ft figure found in its German rival. Unlike the VW though, which has just sped into the distance, optimum torque for the 1368cc Alfa unit comes in at 2500rpm, meaning the hatchback struggles in the lower revs to put its power down. Despite the numerical advantage, the Alfa is no match for the Golf off the line.

Sport mode, part of Alfa’s DNA – Dynamic, Natural and All-weather – system, can be activated by a neat rocker switch underneath the main dash to inject some dynamism into the equation, and with renewed vigour/remapped throttle response, there is an improvement. But the effect is still a little underwhelming. So too is the six-speed twin clutch, the changes from which – though incredibly smooth – can be a little underwhelming. In fairness, the 1.4-litre unit does give hooliganism a good shot when the rev needle hits the higher numbers, but you’ll still (understandably from a reliability point of view) be short of the redline when electronic system kicks in and automatically changes up for you, even if you’re giving the paddle shifts a whirl.

From my position in the driver’s seat, I’m sitting a little higher than I would ideally like, and the elongated b-pillar means that unfortunately visibility over my left shoulder is limited. I also soon find that the Golf is disappearing from view, imprecise steering feel and a tendency for understeer through the front tyres making driving dynamically a bit tricky. Saying that, body roll is limited and I do find myself – once I’ve given up trying to grab the car by the scruff of the neck and give it the beans – that the ride is actually quite comfortable. It could be argued that for a dynamic drive, one could/should opt for the sportier Giulietta Cloverleaf, since our test model makes no claims to be a track specialist. Still, the Golf has proven its point masterfully in this exchange.

It’s only when we’ve parked up once again, stepped out into the rain that has now become a light mist, and started discussing the various features of each hatchback that the issue of cost rears its ugly head. It’s a significant point: for the Giulietta, you’re looking at the best part of $31,500; for the Golf, it’s $25,500.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s a sizeable amount and does make me consider the benefits and relative de-merits of both of our test models: the chic Italian fashion model content to spend a life on the catwalk, or the German physics professor happy to keep nailing away an equation until it hits eureka. Both do the job of ‘drive about town’ nicely in their own, very different ways, and while the Golf may have proven more adapt on the road – with superior handling, acceleration and gear changes – the Alfa Romeo has offered a more refined and genteel mode of transport in a, dare I say it, visually more appealing way. There’s very little middle ground, and while style and comfort are superb choices for an afternoon cruise, let’s not forget that – no matter how entry level the model – a hatchback will so often goad you into hitting the loud pedal when spontaneity strikes you. You’ll want to make sure when it does that the machine beneath you has what it takes, and it’s for that reason my vote goes to the Golf.

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