AUTOCAR GAME CHANGER - The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a true game changer for the brand.

• Alfa Romeo Giulia named a ‘Game Changer’ at 2017 Autocar Awards
• Lauded for its ‘incredible performance and exciting handling’
• The Giulia is available to buy now from £29,550 OTR

The Alfa Romeo Giulia has been named a ‘Game Changer’ at the 2017 Autocar Awards as it has signalled ‘a complete transformation for one of the most loved names in motoring’.

Mark Tisshaw, Editor of Autocar, commented: “This is not only the most competitive Alfa Romeo saloon since the last Giulia was launched more than half a century ago but, crucially for anyone with Alfisti blood lurking in their veins, it’s the most likeable, too. With its incredible performance and exciting handling, the Giulia is everything you’d want an Alfa Romeo to be.” 

Developed by the best engineers, designers and stylists within FCA, the new Giulia embodies the core elements that have made Alfa Romeo one of the world's best-loved automotive brands: Distinctive Italian design; innovative powertrains, perfect weight distribution, unique technical solutions and the best weight-to-power ratio. 

Collecting the award at the event in the Silverstone Wing, Ashley Andrew, Managing Director FCA UK, remarked; “The Giulia has marked a turning point for Alfa Romeo, signalling a new era for the company where the driver is back at the heart of everything we do. Its engaging drive, five star NCAP rating, with highest ever recorded adult occupancy score, and impressive residual values has echoed across the brand, bolstering buyer confidence. The success of the Giulia has allowed us to expand the range with the introduction of the 280hp Veloce, bridging the gap between the standard Giulia and the Quadrifoglio. It also lays the ground for the introduction of Alfa Romeo’s first ever SUV- the Stelvio – due for launch later this year.” 

Autocar says that its ‘Game Changers’ are cars that ‘bring new, higher standards to their classes, or because they defy conventions to benefit buyers.’ Of the Giulia, Autocar says: “The Giulia is a riveting, idiosyncratic and striking entrant into a class usually defined by an understated brand of superiority.”

Lamborghini Urus may be built in Italy with the assistance of huge Tax Breaks offered by the Government.

Lamborghini is being offered incentives by Italy's government to make sure the automaker builds a future SUV in the country, according to people familiar with the matter.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government may offer as much as 100 million euros ($111 million) in tax breaks and other benefits to ensure that final assembly of the Lamborghini Urus takes place in Italy, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.

Lamborghini unveiled a prototype of the high-riding Urus at the 2012 Beijing auto show. Lamborghini has since been refining a business case for the vehicle in an effort to win approval to go ahead with production from its parent, Volkswagen's Audi. If approved, the car will vie with the upcoming Aston Martin DBX as the world's sportiest SUV.

Lamborghini aims to get approval to build the model by the end of June, but the timing and final outcome of the talks are difficult to predict, the people said. "We haven't decided on the series production of the Lamborghini Urus yet," Audi said in an e-mailed statement. "Once this has been clarified, the question about the production location will be posed."

Audi is seeking to broaden Lamborghini's lineup beyond two-seat supercars, which have limited appeal in emerging markets such as China where road conditions can be poor.

The Urus would be Lamborghini's first SUV since the boxy LM002 -- the so-called Rambo Lambo -- was culled from the lineup in 1993.

The push comes as the increasing wealth of world's rich led to record sales last year for most major luxury-car makers.

Lamborghini's deliveries in 2014 rose 19 percent to an all-time high of 2,530 cars. Lamborghini has previously said there is the potential to sell 3,000 performance crossovers a year, more than doubling the size of the brand.

"From an entrepreneurial perspective, it's an opportunity," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said in an interview at Bloomberg's headquarters in New York earlier this year.

Cutting costs

To cut costs, the Urus’ chassis and other key components are set to be produced at other VW factories, such as a plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the frame for the Porsche Cayenne SUV is made, said the people. Sales will likely begin in 2017, a report said last year.

Lamborghini may hire as many as 300 workers to assemble the SUV, the people said. Parallel to talks with the government, the Italian carmaker is also seeking more flexible working hours from local unions.