I need few excuses to fly to Italy and enjoy the fashion capital of Milan, so when the chance to pop in and say hi to Alfa Romeo for the joint launch of the 2014 Giulietta and Mito cropped up, I didn’t exactly hesitate.
However, as with all the best-laid plans of mice and men, the trip didn’t quite go to plan. First, having blissfully lived in the Middle East for the best part of two decades, I had completely forgotten about Europe’s penchant for bad weather once the short summer is over.
This slight oversight saw me drive the new cars in pelting rain for two days, a situation hardly suited to exploring both cars’ suitability for Gulf roads and conditions. What I can tell you about both cars is that they work really well on greasy, flooded Italian roads. Oh, and the windscreen wipers are fantastic, especially when overtaking large trucks on the highway.
The second problem with the launch was that both cars were virtually the same as the current ones we have in the Gulf market. Let me explain. The Giulietta and the Mito have been knocking around in Europe and other markets for a few years now, but they only popped up on the GCC radar around a year ago. So, although they needed a slight tweak on the styling back in their home markets to keep things fresh, here they were brand new anyway, so it’s all a bit superfluous.
Luckily for Alfa, both are stonkingly good cars, albeit with a few Italian oddities built in to give you that extra Latin flare.
So this is what I flew to a damp Milan for. From the outside it’s a few bits of trim and some funky alloys, and that’s pretty much it. It would take a real car nerd to spot the difference between the 2013 models and the spangly new 2014 ones.
The big change is on the inside, with both cars boasting brand new interiors. This was certainly the weak point with the older Giulietta, so trimming it up a bit will go down well with the buying public.
Let’s start with the Mito. On the outside buyers now get a chrome grille and some extra shiny bits around the lights. And, well, that’s pretty much it. Hardly a facelift to rival Joan Collins.
Inside, there’s a range of new trim options, as well as an excellent five-inch touchscreen, with Bluetooth and built in TomTom navigation. It’s big, bright and easy to use – a big improvement over the old system.
Under its curvaceous hood there’s a new baby 900cc Turbo engine, producing around 105 bhp, but it’s doubtful that unit will come to the region. GCC buyers will almost certainly get the zippy 135 bhp 1.4 Turbo engine for the Gulf’s larger roads.
I can’t really comment on the handling, due to the terrible weather en route, but on the few drying stretches I encountered, it feels tight and nippy. This car needs city streets and dry roads to really enjoy it. Unfortunately I had neither.
On to the Giulietta and again, there’s a trimmed grille and some shiny bits around the fog lights. The Giulietta also gets directional LED lights and LEDs at the back. And buyers now have the option of three new alloy designs.
Inside, it’s all change, with a redesigned centre console and dash. The relationship between the handbrake and the armrest has been improved, as the former was obscured by the latter in the previous model. Drivers can also enjoy some seriously sporty seats, trimmed in a deep black leather/Alcantara mix.
The main engine announcement was centred around the new diesel engine, which is as relevant to the region as flip flops to an Eskimo, so GCC customers will stick with the 1.4 Turbo petrol motor, which is great fun, and very Italian.
Again, I can’t tell you much about the handling, as every car on the road was trying to avoid parting company with the tarmac as the torrential rain swept a deluge of water across the highways.
But from my recent test drive of the 2013 model, the Giulietta is easily a rival to the key protagonists in this market, namely the VW Golf and Ford Focus.
Alfa Romeos are a bit like Marmite. You either love them or hate them. Car lovers tend to love them, which is a good thing, as it prevents the brand becoming boring and mainstream. It’s still cool and edgy, and both the new Giulietta and Mito keep that tradition very much alive.
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company%20Profile
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Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
Forced%20Deportations
%3Cp%3EWhile%20the%20Lebanese%20government%20has%20deported%20a%20number%20of%20refugees%20back%20to%20Syria%20since%202011%2C%20the%20latest%20round%20is%20the%20first%20en-mass%20campaign%20of%20its%20kind%2C%20say%20the%20Access%20Center%20for%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20non-governmental%20organization%20which%20monitors%20the%20conditions%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20in%20Lebanon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20past%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20General%20Security%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20forced%20deportation%20operations%20of%20refugees%2C%20after%20forcing%20them%20to%20sign%20papers%20stating%20that%20they%20wished%20to%20return%20to%20Syria%20of%20their%20own%20free%20will.%20Now%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20army%2C%20specifically%20military%20intelligence%2C%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20security%20operation%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mohammad%20Hasan%2C%20head%20of%20ACHR.%3Cbr%3EIn%20just%20the%20first%20four%20months%20of%202023%20the%20number%20of%20forced%20deportations%20is%20nearly%20double%20that%20of%20the%20entirety%20of%202022.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESince%20the%20beginning%20of%202023%2C%20ACHR%20has%20reported%20407%20forced%20deportations%20%E2%80%93%20200%20of%20which%20occurred%20in%20April%20alone.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20comparison%2C%20just%20154%20people%20were%20forcfully%20deported%20in%202022.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Violence%20
%3Cp%3EInstances%20of%20violence%20against%20Syrian%20refugees%20are%20not%20uncommon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJust%20last%20month%2C%20security%20camera%20footage%20of%20men%20violently%20attacking%20and%20stabbing%20an%20employee%20at%20a%20mini-market%20went%20viral.%20The%20store%E2%80%99s%20employees%20had%20engaged%20in%20a%20verbal%20altercation%20with%20the%20men%20who%20had%20come%20to%20enforce%20an%20order%20to%20shutter%20shops%2C%20following%20the%20announcement%20of%20a%20municipal%20curfew%20for%20Syrian%20refugees.%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThey%20thought%20they%20were%20Syrian%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20the%20mayor%20of%20the%20Nahr%20el%20Bared%20municipality%2C%20Charbel%20Bou%20Raad%2C%20of%20the%20attackers.%3Cbr%3EIt%20later%20emerged%20the%20beaten%20employees%20were%20Lebanese.%20But%20the%20video%20was%20an%20exemplary%20instance%20of%20violence%20at%20a%20time%20when%20anti-Syrian%20rhetoric%20is%20particularly%20heated%20as%20Lebanese%20politicians%20call%20for%20the%20return%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20to%20Syria.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Company%20profile
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.