What It Is: Alfa Romeo's compact hatchback, positioned right in a global high-volume segment, featuring a new platform, a new design, and an interesting switch. With the new Giulietta, Alfa Romeo turns its back on front-wheel drive and reverts to rear-wheel drive. Putting the Giulietta on the Giulia's platform instead of updating its front-wheel-drive architecture may be a sign of Alfa Romeo's financial woes, but we don't care because it should make for an amazing driver's car.

Why It Matters: The late FCA chief Sergio Marchionne's dream of turning Alfa Romeo into a viable Audi competitor hasn't come to fruition, but the new Giulietta is a much needed sign of life, giving dealers in Europe a rejuvenated lineup and a fascinating new product. While the competition is turning entirely to front-wheel drive in this segment, Alfa Romeo is going the other way. And that's a great thing for enthusiasts. Its driving dynamics will be unmatched in the segment, and Alfa will be able to more easily push it upmarket with sporty variants.

Platform: The new Giulietta is based on Alfa Romeo's own rear-wheel-drive platform; think of it as a more compact and shortened version of the Giulia. It is a stiff architecture with incredible potential for high-powered derivatives. Beyond the standard rear-wheel drive, Alfa Romeo also is planning for all-wheel-drive versions. The Giulietta will be available with manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Powertrain: Power will come from longitudinally mounted engines. The lineup is likely to start with three-cylinder engines, while four-bangers will be the core of the Giulietta's engine portfolio. If the market demands, a V-6 is possible.

Competition: Audi A3, BMW 2-series, Infiniti QX30, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-Benz A-class.

Estimated Arrival and Price: We expect the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta to launch in early 2019. A U.S. market launch is possible but not before the 2020 model year. Its price point will be on par with its competitors.

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