Alfa Romeo Giulia range is a neatly evolved 166

Up to this point Alfa Romeo has only revealed its high-powered Giulia QV and every word of marketing material has been tied around that model. A tactical ploy; introduce the model with the widest tyres, flamboyant bumpers and hugging seats out first and create the media buzz before unveiling the less dramatic siblings to ride the hype.

Now we have the first sightings of the base model Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM and already the car’s elegant design has been referenced as the successor to the 166. Always scrutinised for its looks, the new Giulia has been accused of being too generic but we couldn’t disagree more – Alfa’s sedans from the 155 up have been items of wanton lust and the new Giulia range has all the makings to continue that.

Our impressions from a brief prod around the interior of the Alfa Giulia QV was a mixed bag of quality with some plastic panels looking cheaply screwed into place while the stitching and leather was beautifully crafted.

A sneaky interior pic of the base model reveals that this BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF rival will have a push button start (nothing new there), high resolution cluster, a damn sexy steering wheel and  short-throw gearshift.

The broader Alfa Romeo Giulia range will make its debut at Geneva Motor Show this week but we already have the scoop on the range of engines and outputs, although different markets could receive a variation on this:

* 2.2 JTDM turbo diesel with (110 kW), 6-speed manual, RWD
* 2.2 JTDM turbo diesel with (110 kW), 8-speed automatic, RWD
* 2.2 JTDM turbo diesel with (133 kW), 6-speed manual, RWD
* 2.2 JTDM turbo diesel with (133 kW), 8-speed automatic, RWD
* 2.2 JTDM turbo diesel with (154 kW), 8-speed automatic, AWD

* 2.0 GME T4 turbo petrol (147 kW), 8-speed automatic, RWD
* 2.0 GME T4 turbo petrol, (184 kW), 8-speed automatic, AWD
* 2.0 GME T4 turbo petrol, (206 kW), 8-speed automatic, RWD
* 2.0 GME T4 turbo petrol, (206 kW), 8-speed automatic, AWD