Alfa Romeo Giulia - 2.2-litre Turbodiesel or 2.9-litre V6, Your Choice!

I'm assuming, if you're reading this, that you have eyes. That's why I won't be judging the new Giulia's aesthetics on your behalf - something you're more than capable of doing. In fact, all I will do is present the information that we now know about the long-awaited Alfa Romeo Giulia.

We've already known for a few months that a 2.9-litre Ferrari-inspired V6 will show its face in a performance-orientated Quadrifoglio Verde version. For those unfamiliar with the brand, it's the equivalent to Volkswagen's R Audi's RS and BMW's M. A 0-62 mph time of 3.9 seconds will definitely throw you into the back of your seat, that is until you reach the top speed of 190 mph, all made possible by 510 horsepower and 600 Nm of torque. Although available with a manual transmission across the channel, us Brits are only blessed with an automatic, however it is the highly praised 8-speed ZF 'box.

For most of us though, the 2.2-litre turbodiesel is adequate. Just like many manufacturers these days, Alfa Romeo will offer you this engine in two different states of tuning, 150 or 180 horsepower, with 380 or 450 Nm. That's a substantial amount of power on a compact saloon.

Just like all Alfas, you'll be offered the choice of drive modes: Dynamic, Natural or Advanced Efficiency (D.N.A.). The QV version also gets a Race mode.

An active aero splitter at the front gives the Giulia a drag coefficient rating of 0.32, but can also help provide additional downforce for better grip. Not that you need that with the guzzling V6!

The instrument cluster features a 3.5-inch colour display, or 7-inch display for those who choose to upgrade it, displaying items such as fuel consumption and ideal gear shift points. The 8.8-inch infotainment display, controlled predominantly by a rotary knob, features iOS and Android connectivity, DAB, Bluetooth and satellite navigation. To add to the experience you can specify a 900W 14-speaker 5.1 surround sound system developed by Harman/Kardon.

The Giulia comes with a host of safety equipment including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning. There's also a choice of 25W or 35W adaptive xenon headlights.

Standrad equipment includes the well-regarded 8-speed automatic transmission, alloy wheels, LED tail lights, dual-zone climate control and cruise control. Mid-spec Giulias will come with part leather upholstery and larger alloy wheels. These two models are available with both versions of the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine.

The Giulia QV gets a special bodykit, 19-inch alloy wheels, 35W xenon headlights, leather and Alcantara upholstery and other performance-orientated kit.

Full specifications and pricing will follow nearer to the date of sale in September. Being a rival of the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series, we can expect pricing to be in the region of £30,000.