Rent Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2020 in Dubai

Rent an Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2020 in Dubai and you get a cheap-to-run five-door hatch with a turbo engine that punches well above its class, delivered to your door in one to two hours from 249 AED a day. We rent from 18 where most desks hold out for 21, so this is one of the easier ways for a younger visitor to get a fun, frugal car for a week of city driving. The honest pitch is this: the Giulietta is the small Italian hatch to pick when you want some character and a low fuel bill for two people and light luggage, and the wrong choice when you're carrying four adults and a week of airport cases.

Running cost and city driving

This is where the Giulietta makes sense for a Dubai week. The 60-litre tank paired with a small, efficient 1.4-litre turbo means you'll see real-world economy in the high 5s to low 6s per 100 km on mixed driving, more if you sit in Marina traffic with the AC working. A tank stretches across most of a week of normal city running, and a couple of airport hops won't have you hunting for a station. For errands, mall runs and moving between neighbourhoods, you fill up rarely and spend little doing it.

The engine is the surprise. At 190 hp it's genuinely quick for the class, reaching 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds, so pulling onto Sheikh Zayed Road or overtaking on the E11 is easy rather than a leap of faith. The automatic gearbox handles Dubai's stop-and-go without you thinking about it. Most economy hatches feel strained above 100; this one doesn't, which is worth the small premium over the cheapest cars on the lot.

Spec at a glance

Space, and who actually fits

Be realistic about the cabin. Two adults up front have room to spare, and the back works for kids or for two adults on shorter trips. Three across the rear is a squeeze for anything longer than a hop across town. The 350-litre boot takes one large case plus a couple of soft bags comfortably, which is fine for a couple on a city break. Pack for four people and a week away and you'll be folding a rear seat down. If you're collecting four adults with full suitcases from DXB or DWC, this is the point where I'd steer you to a larger hatch or a small SUV instead. The Giulietta is honest two-person luggage, not a family hauler.

Parking and the size

At 4.35 metres long the Giulietta is easy to live with. Tight multi-storey bays, the steep Marina ramps, mall car parks and U-turns are all straightforward, and a small footprint means you rarely circle for a space. Dubai's speed bumps and the lips on mall entrances need a sensible approach, as they do in any low hatch, but nothing here will have you wincing. For a renter who spends the week in the city rather than out on the highway, the size is a quiet advantage.

Staying cool in the heat

This matters from May through September, when Dubai pushes into the high 40s. The Giulietta's cabin is small, which works in your favour: there's less air to chill, so the AC pulls a sun-baked interior down quickly once you're moving and the front vents hit hard. Don't expect rear climate controls in a car at this price, so back-seat passengers rely on airflow from the front, which is fine for a compact cabin. Park in shade where you can, crack the windows for a few seconds before you set off, and a Dubai summer in this car is no hardship.

A few rules that fall to you

Salik tolls are charged to the renter as you pass the gantries, and any RTA fines during the rental period pass to you as well. Seat belts are mandatory in every seat, and a child seat is required by law for under-fours, which we fit on request. None of this is unusual for Dubai, but it's worth knowing before you set off. We accept card, debit, cash, bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay and crypto, the daily rate includes 250 km, and extra kilometres run at just 1 AED each, so a high-mileage week stays cheap.

Who should rent it, and who shouldn't

Rent the Giulietta 2020 if you want a low-cost, characterful hatch for one or two people and a week of mostly city driving, and you'd rather have a turbo that actually moves than the dullest car on the lot. The cheap extra-kilometre rate and the rent-from-18 policy make it easy for a younger visitor or a budget-minded traveller. Size up to a larger hatch or a small SUV if you're regularly carrying four adults with luggage, or if the boot will be full every day. For two people who want fun and frugality in the city, this is a smart rent, and we'll have it at your door within the hour or two.