THERE is no doubt that the Giulietta is the most complete and competent Alfa Romeo sold in Australia for decades, narrowing the gap between the Italian way of doing things and the German/Japanese hegemony that seem to apply to all others.

In dual-clutch diesel guise, the latest version could even be all things to all buyers, mixing emotion with smart eco engineering.

However, the Giulietta also suffers from a number of flaws – types that Volkswagen or Ford would never allow to happen. But virtually none of these flaws, as it turns out, have to do with Alfa or Italian-car stereotypes.