2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta gets a refresh ahead of Geneva

Italian car maker Alfa Romeo revamps their 2016 Giulietta hatchback a bit ahead of its public unveiling in the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The new changes are subtle, but definitely an improvement.

The nose of the car gets more styling alterations than the rest. It receives a honeycomb grille, subtle changes to the headlights and a blacked-out mask on the lower bumper. The changes put the Giulietta in line with the looks of the Giulia saloon. The rear taillights gets a subtle tint and a diffuser-style insert (only on the top end model) to complete the visual changes at the rear.

Alfa Romeo has made changes to the model range though. Three variants are available, namely Giulietta, Giulietta Super and Giulietta Veloce out of which the Veloce sits at the top. The Veloce comes with a 1750TB engine, a turbocharged 1.7-litre 4-cylinder motor that churns out 240 hp and 300 Nm of torque, and it replaces the Quadrifoglio Verde.

In the European market, this little Alfa is on offer with nine engine choices. In the case of the petrol engines, the power ranges from 119 hp to 243 hp in the Veloce. Both manual and dual-clutch gearboxes will be a part of the pick. The major change is in the diesel section. The 1.6-litre JDTm diesel now comes mated to an optional TCT dual-clutch transmission.

The interior of the car remains the same, but Alfa Romeo has added new colours and finishes to it. A Uconnect LIVE services interface, in the form of a 5.0-inch or 6.5-inch Uconnect Infotainment unit receives its crib right in the centre console which enables the user to stream music, news and live navigation and to connect to Facebook and Twitter via a compatible smartphone.

Expect the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta to hit showrooms in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other GCC countries this year.

Keep track of the latest prices and updates in the Alfa Romeo buyer guide.