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| 2011 alfa romeo giulietta |
A new platform to enhance road holding and agility in total comfort and safety
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta introduces an entirely new platform - Compact - designed to satisfy the most demanding customers in terms of handling, on-board comfort and safety. Furthermore, driving satisfaction and comfort can be adapted to meet every customer's specific needs thanks to the Alfa DNA selector, a device that customises the vehicle's behaviour according to three different logics (Dynamic, Normal and All Weather).
The new Compact platform continues Fiat Group Automobiles' platform rationalisation strategy - preceded by the Mini platform for A segment and the Small for segments B and L0 - and is a true point of departure from previous engineering solutions due to the new content introduced, the materials used and the levels of performance achieved. From the earliest design stages, the aim was to create a platform that would allow future Fiat Group Automobiles C segment vehicles, starting with the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, to be ranked best-in-class in terms of handling, steering feel, performance-to-weight ratio, ride comfort, NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness), safety (active and passive) and climatic comfort.
So, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a completely new car capable of expressing both great agility over the most demanding routes and providing comfort on everyday journeys. Plus, thanks to a specific suspension calibration offered by the Sport Pack, the sportiness of the new Alfa Giulietta can be further enhanced.
Innovative materials and state-of-the-art solutions
First of all, the underbody represents a generational leap in terms of the materials used. The entire structure is now significantly stronger and provides better performance without any increase in weight with respect to the previous generation. All this is thanks to the ever wider use of high and ultra-high strength materials, which now make up more than 90% of the total mass of the system: some structural parts, designed to provide high strength and the ability to absorb impact with minimal deformation, have been made from hot-pressed tempered steel.
Moreover, lightweight materials have been used for several structural elements bolted to the body structure. For instance, the front beam connecting the front struts and the third load path are made from extruded aluminium. The rear bumper beam and the third load path energy absorption elements are made from Xenoy (a thermoplastic with excellent energy absorption properties in relation to weight). The third load path energy absorption elements absorb the energy of low-speed impacts with obstacles and support the bumper in impacts with pedestrians. Employing these solutions has provided a weight reduction of 8.5 kg at the front and 4 kg at the rear with respect to conventional steel structures, without compromising safety performance.
Another new feature of the underbody is its modularity, which makes it ideal for use on a family of vehicles with different wheelbases and tracks. This modularity is provided by several central floor panels and the side members and does not affect any part of the front and rear structures. This reduces outlay to a minimum and means that the system can be applied to other vehicle systems without modification.
Many of the systems and components that make up the "Compact" architecture have been thoroughly revised with respect to the previous generation, improving performance and reducing weight (-35% for both the framework of the rear seats as well as the magnesium alloy cross car beam).
Best in class performance for comfort, handling and safety
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta offers exceptional handling performance and comfort levels thanks above all to the new suspension system employed. The MacPherson front suspension in particular was revised to offer maximum rigidity under side loads, reducing the weight thanks to the use of aluminium (saving 4 kg with respect to conventional solutions). The rear suspension is a sophisticated Multilink that guarantees the best trade-off between handling and ride comfort without compromising the useful volume of the boot. In this case too, special attention was paid to reducing weight and, thanks to the aluminium wishbones, this suspension allows for a weight reduction of over 10 kg with respect to conventional Multilink systems.
In addition, the new electric power steering system (dual pinion active steering) ensures an excellent steering feel and is integrated with the vehicle's active safety systems. As the name itself suggests, the solution employs two pinions fitted directly onto the rack of the steering box. The first pinion is directly connected to the steering column and guarantees direct and precise steering, without any artificial filters between the steering box and the driver's hands, affording a genuine and natural driving feel. The second pinion, again directly fitted onto the rack, is connected to the electrical actuator which is situated in the engine compartment, thus minimising the risk of impact with passengers in the event of an accident.
The climate control system, and in particular its operating logics, were completely revised and improved, in order to guarantee the best climatic conditions in the passenger compartment, while significantly reducing over-consumption of fuel (30% less than a conventional system). Similarly, thanks to specific technical interventions, exceptional noise and vibrational quality values have been achieved.
In terms of passive safety, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was produced to obtain the maximum Euro NCAP rating, as demonstrated by over fifteen thousand hours of mathematical modelling, 80 crash tests, 150 tests on a HyGe slide and more than 100 tests on components and sub-systems. In detail, the new third load path increases the energy absorption potential of the vehicle front end and reduces both inertial forces and passenger compartment intrusion, thereby ensuring optimum passenger protection at higher impact severity. Safety is guaranteed by 6 airbags (as standard on the entire range); three-point seatbelts with double pretensioners and load limiters; a collapsible pedal unit and steering column; the second-generation anti-whiplash system and Isofix attachments.
Lastly, in terms of active safety, the new platform of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was designed to integrate the vehicle's different systems and exploit them to the full, thus emphasising the three set-up functions (Dynamic, Normal and All Weather) available through the Alfa DNA selector. This device, fitted as standard on the entire range, is designed to modify the operating parameters of the engine, gearbox (where automatic), steering system, Q2 electronic differential and braking system, in addition to the behavioural logic of the Vehicle Dynamic Control system (VDC). The Alfa Romeo Giulietta will also be introducing Pre-Fill - a new function - activated when the DNA is set to Dynamic, which provides the driver with the quickest braking response possible. Under certain circumstances, i.e. when the control unit detects a hazardous situation requiring rapid braking, the braking system is pressurised a few moments before the driver actually hits the brake pedal so as to guarantee the quickest possible response of the system and thus reducing the vehicle's stopping distance.
These sophisticated features which improve the dynamic control of the vehicle are supported further by Dynamic Steering Torque (DST), a function which provides feed-back torque at the steering wheel that helps the driver to perform critical manoeuvres correctly, before the VDC intervenes to prevent loss of control.
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| 2011 alfa romeo giulietta |
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| 2011 alfa romeo giulietta |
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| 2011 alfa romeo giulietta |
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| 2011 alfa romeo giulietta |
