The Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 is often lauded for its stunning Italian design and exhilarating performance. But for prospective buyers and current owners alike, safety is paramount. Let’s delve into a comprehensive breakdown of the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia’s safety ratings, providing you with a clear understanding of how this vehicle performs in critical safety evaluations. This analysis is based on rigorous testing and data from leading safety organizations, ensuring you have the information you need to make informed decisions.
Crashworthiness: Protecting Occupants in Impact Scenarios
The core of vehicle safety lies in its ability to protect occupants during a crash. The Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 has undergone extensive crash testing, simulating various real-world collision scenarios. Here’s how it performed:
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side
In the demanding small overlap frontal crash test, which assesses how well a vehicle protects the driver in a collision impacting the front corner of the car, the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia achieved a “Good” rating. This top rating signifies robust structural integrity and effective occupant protection.
Specifically, this rating applies to models built after May 2017, which incorporated structural modifications to the front end, door hinge pillar, and sill reinforcement to enhance safety in both small and moderate overlap frontal crashes. It’s important to check the manufacturing date on the certification label located on the driver’s side door or B-pillar to confirm this detail for a specific vehicle.
The detailed evaluation criteria and measurements for this test are as follows:
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Small Overlap Front: Driver-Side | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Hip/Thigh | G |
| Lower Leg/Foot | G |
| Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics | G |
Action shot from the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 driver-side small overlap frontal crash test, demonstrating vehicle impact.
Post-crash test view of the dummy inside the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia, illustrating the maintained driver survival space within the vehicle structure.
Deployment of frontal and side curtain airbags in the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 during the small overlap test, effectively safeguarding the driver’s head.
Image showing the well-maintained driver’s space in the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia after the small overlap frontal crash, highlighting minimal risk of leg and foot injuries.
Technical measurements from the small overlap test reveal precise data on occupant compartment intrusion and driver injury measures, further validating the “Good” rating. For instance, intrusion measurements in critical areas like the lower hinge pillar, footrest, and toepan were minimal, indicating a strong safety cage. Driver injury measures such as Head Injury Criterion (HIC), neck tension, chest compression, and femur forces were all within acceptable ranges, demonstrating effective protection by the vehicle’s safety systems.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Original Test
The moderate overlap frontal crash test simulates a collision across a wider portion of the vehicle’s front. Again, the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 earned a “Good” rating in this evaluation. This consistent top performance in frontal crash tests underscores the Giulia’s robust front-end design and its ability to dissipate crash energy effectively.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Moderate Overlap Front | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Leg/Foot, Left | G |
| Leg/Foot, Right | G |
| Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics | G |
Action capture from the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 moderate overlap frontal crash test, demonstrating the controlled impact.
Dummy positioning within the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 after the moderate overlap frontal crash, indicating excellent maintenance of survival space for the driver.
Greasepaint markings on the side curtain airbag of the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019, showing where the dummy’s head made contact during rebound in the moderate overlap test.
Image illustrating the intact driver’s space in the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 following the moderate overlap frontal crash, with low potential for leg and foot injuries.
Technical measurements for the moderate overlap test further support the “Good” rating. Footwell intrusion was minimal, and steering column movement was well-controlled. Driver injury measures remained low, similar to the small overlap test, reinforcing the Giulia’s ability to protect occupants in a significant frontal impact.
Side Crash Test: Original Test
Side impacts are another critical area of safety assessment. The 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia performed admirably in the side crash test, achieving an overall “Good” rating. This rating applies to all 2017-2025 models, indicating consistent side-impact protection across these model years.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Side Crash | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/Leg | G |
| Driver Head Protection | G |
| Rear Passenger Injury Measures | |
| Head/Neck | G |
| Torso | G |
| Pelvis/Leg | G |
| Rear Passenger Head Protection | G |
Post-test view of the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 immediately after the side crash test, showing the impact zone.
View inside the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 after the side crash test, with doors removed to reveal deployed side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Greasepaint on the side curtain airbag of the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019, indicating effective head protection for the driver during the side crash test.
Greasepaint on the side airbag, showing head protection for the rear passenger in the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 during the side impact.
Measurements from the side crash test demonstrate minimal intrusion into the occupant compartment and low injury measures for both driver and rear passenger dummies. The side airbags and side curtain airbags effectively protected the heads of both front and rear occupants, contributing to the “Good” rating.
Roof Strength Test
Roof strength is crucial in rollover accidents. The Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 again received a “Good” rating for roof strength, indicating that the roof can withstand forces over five times the vehicle’s weight. This provides significant protection for occupants in the event of a rollover.
| Overall evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Roof Strength | Good (G) |
| Curb weight | 3,590 lbs |
| Peak force | 18,829 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.24 |
Head Restraints & Seats
Whiplash protection in rear-end collisions is evaluated through head restraint and seat design. The Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 earned a “Good” rating in this category as well. Both dynamic testing and geometric evaluation of the seats and head restraints contributed to this top score.
| Overall evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Head Restraints & Seats | Good (G) |
| Dynamic rating | G |
| Seat/head restraint geometry | G |
Headlight Performance: A Mixed Bag
Headlight performance is critical for nighttime driving safety. The Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019’s headlight ratings vary depending on the trim level and headlight configuration. While some configurations achieve a “Good” rating, others fall to “Poor.”
Specifically, trim levels equipped with High Performance Bi-Xenon Headlamps and Driver Assist Dynamic Plus packages, or just the High Performance Bi-Xenon Headlamps package (including Quadrifoglio trim), received a “Good” overall rating. These headlights feature HID projectors, curve-adaptive functionality, and in some cases, high-beam assist. They provide good visibility on straightaways and curves without excessive glare.
However, base trim levels and Ti trim levels without the High Performance Bi-Xenon Headlamps package, even when equipped with the Driver Assist Dynamic Plus package, received a “Poor” overall rating. These configurations, while also using HID projectors, lack curve-adaptive features and in some instances, create excessive glare, particularly with low beams.
It is essential to check the specific headlight configuration of a 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia to understand its headlight safety performance.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are increasingly important in mitigating or avoiding frontal collisions. When equipped with the optional Forward Collision Warning Plus system (part of the Driver Assist Dynamic Plus Package), the Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 earned a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention.
This system meets forward collision warning requirements and demonstrated collision avoidance in a 12 mph test and significant speed reduction in a 25 mph test. This “Superior” rating is applicable to 2017-2019 models built after May 2017.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH): Marginal Rating
The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) is evaluated for ease of use and effectiveness in securing child seats. The Alfa Romeo Giulia 2019 received a “Marginal” rating for its LATCH system.
While the vehicle has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with a tether anchor, the lower anchors were noted as being too deep in the seat and difficult to maneuver around. This “Marginal” rating indicates that while child seats can be installed, it may require more effort and could be less convenient compared to vehicles with “Good” or “Acceptable” LATCH ratings.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall LATCH Evaluation | Marginal (M) |
Overall Safety Assessment of the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia
The 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia demonstrates strong crashworthiness, achieving “Good” ratings in all major crash tests, including small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, and roof strength. Head restraints and seats also earned a “Good” rating, indicating good whiplash protection. The optional front crash prevention system is rated “Superior,” offering advanced safety technology.
However, prospective buyers should be aware of the “Poor” headlight rating for certain trim levels and the “Marginal” rating for the LATCH system. Choosing trim levels with the High Performance Bi-Xenon Headlamps is advisable for optimal headlight performance. While the LATCH system is rated “Marginal,” it is still functional, but users may find it less convenient.
In conclusion, the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia is a safe vehicle, particularly excelling in crash protection. Understanding the nuances of headlight and LATCH ratings will help buyers make informed choices to maximize safety and convenience.
For detailed information about the tests and ratings, please refer to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
