When it comes to the success of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, it’s the lesser versions that will be fighting out in the market against the robust opposition rather than the range-topping Quadrifoglio.

With the 2.2-liter JTDM diesel unit in the Giulia, buyers can choose between three power outputs, at 150, 180 or 210 PS.

The model pictured here is the 180 PS version and BR-Performance thought it could do better than its factory-standard 230 km/h (143 mph) top speed and 7.1 second zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time.

Besides the power bump to 232 PS, peak torque has also gone up from 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) to 542 Nm (400 lb-ft), which is better, at least on paper, than what you get in a BMW 325d – though, with no performance numbers available, we can’t know for sure this car would match the Bimmer’s excellent 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 6.1 seconds.

While certainly less exciting than the Quadrifoglio version, diesel models such as the 180 PS 2.2 JTDM should still be capable of offering the occasional thrill behind the wheel. With that in mind, increasing power and torque by 52 PS and 92 Nm respectively will make the rear-wheel drive Alfa even more enjoyable on the road.

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