Triple Test: Kia Stinger Diesel v Alfa Romeo Giulia Diesel v BMW 420d XDrive

The humble diesel executive car still has a place in the UK, despite the growing popularity of the SUV. Here, we try out three of the best

Though there is a certain amount of negativity surrounding diesel-powered cars at the moment, there’s still a place for the humble oil-burner on the UK’s roads. One of those places is on the motorway – where refinement, efficiency and overall ease-of-use reign supreme.

We’ve got two outside contenders here, in the form of Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Diesel and the Kia Stinger Diesel. Both relatively new faces in the diesel-powered exec class, they take on the BMW 420d – one of the go-to options in the segment.

Red brake calipers are an optional extra on the Alfa — (PA)

The Alfa is one of the sportiest of the three — (PA)

The Alfa's quick steering takes a little getting used to — (PA)

Next up, let’s take a look at the offering from South Korea. Kia has been knocking it out of the park lately, producing good-to-drive and well-styled cars in many segments which undercut most rivals on price – without forsaking quality. The Stinger is the firm’s first four-door coupe, and here comes with a wallet-friendly diesel engine.

The Kia may not have badge appeal, but it does offer huge value-for-money — (PA)

The steering has a decent amount of weight to it and feels predictable, while the ride is impressively supple. The Stinger also feels like a significantly larger car compared to the Giulia, with a relatively high sill line contributing to a more immersive feeling cabin – though it can’t quite compete with the Alfa’s excellent driving position. The Stinger can’t quite better Giulia’s economy figures, however. Kia claims that it’ll return 48.7mpg on the combined cycle, and emit 154g/km CO2 from its 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel.

The Kia is geared towards comfort on the road — (PA)

The BMW offers up one of the best seating positions around — (PA)

Now we come to the crunch point – price. On-the-road prices for the Giulia start at £33,315, and for that you get 17-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control and rear parking sensors fitted as standard, among other options. Our test car, with optional metallic paint (£695), red brake calipers (£250) and Alfa’s performance pack that includes the steering wheel gear paddles, a limited-slip differential and active suspension (£1,950) came in at £41, 285.

The BMW, meanwhile, starts at £41,425, and that base price includes satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and LED headlights. However, with a few boxes ticked, our car came in at closer to £45,000 – and this could easily have been pushed towards £50,000 with a sprinkling of additional options.

The Alfa's interior looks good, but lacks the build quality of rivals — (PA)

All three cars make for decent long-journey choices — (PA)

• Model: Kia Stinger GT-Line S
• Price: £37,725
• Engine: 2.2-litre diesel
• Power: 197
• Torque: 440
• Max speed: 143
• 0-60mph: 7.3 seconds
• Economy: 48.7mpg
• Emissions: 154g/km

• Model: Alfa Romeo Giulia
• Price: £33,315, £41,285 (as tested)
• Engine: 2.2-litre diesel
• Power: 178bhp
• Torque: 450
• Max speed: 134
• 0-60mph: 6.9 seconds
• Economy: 67.3mpg
• Emissions: 109g/km

• Model: BMW 420d Coupe XDrive
• Price: £44,515
• Engine: 2.0-litre diesel
• Power: 189bhp
• Torque: 400
• Max speed: 143
• 0-60mph: 7.0 seconds
• Economy: 54.3mpg
• Emissions: 136g/km