Giulia takes body design award
Alfa Romeo’s Giulia has been awarded the EuroCarBody 2016 title, one of the world’s most prestigious awards for body design organised by Automotive Circle International.
Open to all car makers, the yearly competition includes a number of workshops in which the most innovative solutions in the sector are presented in detail. In addition to this, the bodies of the competing cars are painstakingly scrutinised during the three-day event by a panel of engineers and experts and assessed on the basis of over 20 criteria grouped in five macro areas: development and application of innovative materials; innovative development and design solutions; innovative concepts applied to the industrial manufacturing process; values that are significant for the customer, such as safety, ergonomics, acoustic comfort and quality, and, finally, the comprehensiveness and quality of the presentation of the required technical/technological content.
Scoring 39.46 points out of a total 50, the Giulia triumphed over high-level competitors: Honda NSX, Volvo V90, Bentley Bentayga, Aston Martin DB 11, Land Rover Discovery, Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 3008.
This result was achieved thanks to an efficient bodyshell which is light and rigid in equal measure, and the extensive use of ultra-lightweight materials such as carbon-fibre and aluminium. Additionally, this technical peculiarity, combined with the adoption of many innovative safety devices, contributed to obtaining top score (five stars) from EuroNCAP. Giulia totalled a 98% rating for adult protection, the highest ever achieved by a car despite the more severe evaluation system introduced in 2015.
The 18th edition of the congress, which brings together experts in body design, materials, processes and manufacturing, was held at the end of October in Bad Neuheim, Germany.