Car Statistics: Alfa Romeo - Giulietta Series 10 (3 stars)

Styling (5 stars)

The biggest draw for the Giulietta will surely be its styling - it boasts elegant lines and offers something a bit different without going wild enough to scare small children. The inside is good as well, with Alfa having gone for a fairly simple layout.

Handling (3 stars)

The Giulietta handles in a way that is better described as proficient, rather than thrilling. The steering is responsive, but it is best left in Dynamic mode should you wish to attack a corner with any vigour. It lacks some of the flair that has made Alfas distinctive though.

Comfort (4 stars)

The Alfa dealt with rugged tracks and tatty road surfaces acceptably, and the brand says it has worked hard on the ride to achieve this - it reckons it is class leading. We certainly found it coped well with the tricky terrain we found on our test route.

Quality (3 stars)

Having worked so hard on so much of the Giulietta, it was perhaps inevitable that something would get neglected, and it is the interior quality. Several plastics felt cheap and fragile, and a couple of pieces felt loose in our hands.

Performance (4 stars)

All the engines apart from the entry-level diesel are quick, and even that gets to 62mph in just 11.3 seconds. The 232bhp 1.7-litre Cloverleaf is the one to chose for pace, but despite pace, you may find that none of the models will set your life ablaze.

Roominess (4 stars)

The Golf and the Focus were held up as benchmarks for the Giulietta, and interior space is now up to class-matching standards. The boot is a decent size, but storage space up front is a little flawed - the glovebox opens low down so gets trapped against your shins for example.

Costs (3 stars)

The diesels will be the cheapest to run, with the 1.6 claiming an average 64.2mpg, but this still falls a long way short of the likes of rivals' best figures, which are in the mid 70s.

Value (3 stars)

As yet Alfa has not announced what each of the three trim levels - Turismo, Lusso and Veloce - will get in terms of kit, but it is priced to match its more value-for-money competitors. Standard kit will include air conditioning, four electric windows and six windows.

Stereo (2 stars)

The integration between the sat nav and the DNA system needs work. When switching DNA modes, the car changes the display on the sat nav screen, and you need to press a button to get it back. The whole setup is fiddly to use, and the map lacks detail.