Paris show: Alfa goes twin-clutch in Giulietta

ALFA ROMEO will showcase a new twin-clutch automatic transmission in its 21st century Giulietta at the Paris motor show on September 30, ahead of the small five-door hatchback’s debut in Australia late this year or January.

The six-speed transmission will be paired with idle-stop fuel-saving technology that is said to help deliver a low 121 grams per kilometre CO2 emissions figure when mated with Alfa’s 125kW 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol engine in the Giulietta.

Later, the TCT transmission also will be available with Alfa’s new second-generation 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre JTDM turbo-diesel engine that is said to be good for 4.5 litres per 100km fuel consumption and 119g/km CO2 emissions.

Left: Alfa Romeo 159 MY2011.

Both of these engines are expected to be included in the Australian model line-up when the Giulietta hits Australian shores, along with an entry-level 88kW 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and fiery 173kW 1.7-litre turbo Quadrifoglio Verde performance flagship. The latter is said to deliver the highest specific power in the class – 98.5kW per litre.

While the TCT twin-clutch auto will not be available immediately from the Giulietta's Australian launch on the MultiAir and JTDM, the QV range-topper will remain a manual-only affair.

The Alfa 147 replacement also will arrive with the highest safety rating ever afforded to a compact car by Euro NCAP, 87 points out of a possible 100.

The new TCT dual-clutch transmission, which employs dry clutch plates and was developed in-house by the Fiat Group, will also be used in the smaller Alfa MiTo, hooked up to a 1.4-litre MultiAir engine.

The MiTo MultiAir will debut the TCT gearbox in Australia late this year, after making its debut at Paris.

Alfa's Paris stand will also feature the MY2011 Alfa 159, which gains the 2.0-litre JTDM-2 diesel engine.

These revised diesel engines boast latest technologies including variable geometry turbochargers and injection rate shaping – involving two consecutive fuel injections – to reduce noise, fuel consumption and emissions.

The 159 also gets a freshened interior for 2011, with new upholstery and new-look mouldings - many of which come from the 'Ti' model line that is already standard on Australia's 159.