You get new headlights, and you get new headlights!
Only a few months after we saw what appeared to be a facelifted Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV, it looks like the Giulia sedan is set to receive a similar update.
Images uploaded to Instagram by alfaromeo.ita reveal an Italian police version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia with a revised front end.
Ignore the special paint job and the grille-mounted emergency lights and this appears to be what the 2023 Giulia will look like.
The facelifted version of the Giulia could be revealed this year, alongside the corresponding updated Stelvio, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Leaked Stelvio facelift
The headlights are the most significant update, with a more aggressive look than those of the current model.
They feature LED daytime running lights styled to give the appearance of three individual lighting elements, like those on the new Tonale small SUV.
Historically, the three-element headlight layout has also been used past Alfa Romeo models like the SZ, Brera, and 159.
In addition to the new design, it’s likely Alfa Romeo has switched to matrix LED headlights like the Tonale, or at least LED units.
The current Giulia and Stelvio both use increasingly rare bi-xenon headlights, albeit with clever active cornering lights.
This leaked Giulia also features circular fog lights in the corners of the lower intakes. The current Giulia isn’t available locally with front-facing fog lights.
Although we can’t see in the leaked images, it’s likely the updated Giulia could receive restyled tail lights as well.
The Giulia, along with its Stelvio SUV sibling, received an interior update in 2020 that included upgraded infotainment, a restyled centre console, and more premium materials.
Tonale
Current Giulia Veloce
It’s unclear if there’ll be any subsequent changes to the interior, but we shouldn’t expect an enormous tablet-style touchscreen.
Alfa Romeo’s CEO Jean-Phillipe Imparato told French broadcaster BFM Business last year that he believes future Alfa Romeos should continue to be driver-centric with “as few screens as possible”.
“I don’t sell an iPad with a car around it, I sell an Alfa Romeo,” he added.
The Giulia currently features 7.0-inch screen between analogue dials, and Imparato’s remarks suggest we shouldn’t necessarily expect a large digital instrument cluster.
It’s unclear if the Giulia will receive any changes under the bonnet.
The current engine range consists of two 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines and a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. A diesel powertrain is still available in other markets.
Current Giulia Quadrifoglio
There are no electrified engines of any sort available in the Giulia, though its Giorgio platform can support electrification. The upcoming Maserati Grecale Folgore, for example, will use this platform and feature an all-electric powertrain.
Starting in 2025 all of the Alfa Romeo’s new models will be engineered exclusively for electric propulsion. The brand will exclusively sell EVs by 2027.
The first two cars in Alfa’s EV-only era will be replacements for the Giulia and Stelvio, both of which will be based on the STLA Large architecture that supports both rear- and all-wheel drive formats.
Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philipe Imparato recently told Autocar the next Giulia could sit on “tipping point between the sedan and the station wagon”.
“With a new Giulia, maybe we can have the best of both worlds,” he told the British publication.
The design team has already pitched a swoopy rival to the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake, according to the Autocar report.
Although it’s looking into alternative body styles, Alfa Romeo doesn’t want to “give up” on the Giulia’s sedan roots entirely. In other words, it’ll remain a passenger car alongside its Stelvio SUV sibling.
Keyword: 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia facelift leaked