Alfa Romeo

Best-looking compact luxury sedan you can buy.

A much more convincing statement car than an A4, 3 Series, or C-Class. If you want to prove that you have excellent design awareness and aesthetic taste.

If you don’t want to be a luxury-car-market conformist and like being perceived as an individual, this is the compact sedan for you.

Cabin materials aren’t what you’d expect from a premium European brand. But Giulia’s cabin isn’t awash in large screens and tech.

Driver-centric ergonomics and the absence of a large, curved screen will appeal to some buyers. Like those who value the driving experience above being ultra-connected and infotainment-obsessed on the move. Giulia also retains traditional HVAC control dials and switches, which work much better than haptic touch surfaces.

No diesels are on offer with the 3 Series, but it drives as well as it looks. The 2-litre turbopetrol engines and 8-speed ZF automatic transmission are a great touring car combination. With seamless highway-speed overtaking acceleration, although fuel consumption varies between moderate and high.

Veloce spec, with the limited-slip differential and gorgeous telephone dial 5-spoke wheels, is a sedan to covet. And the rarity value only enhances that Alfa heart-over-head appeal of Giulia.

Quadrifoglio is a dramatic and worthy M3 alternative. But can become a testing ownership experience. Like all high-performance Alfas.

Only an Alfa EV crossover could be both brilliant and contentious at the same time.

The new Junior’s design is another chapter in Alfa Romeo’s storied book of design. Looks better than any other similarly sized EV. And many petrol/diesel powered crossovers, too.

But it is a provocative revival of the Junior name, despite the terrific exterior design.

Cabin is typically Afla. Which means poor rear legroom and average materials.

Driving dynamics are also typically Alfa, for all the right reasons. Despite being an EV, there is verve engineered into the Juniors' responses.

In a pure spec-for-spec comparison, there are too many Chinese PHEV crossovers that offer much more performance, space, and equipment for the same price.

South African buyers seem EV disinterested. But if you want an EV that is a real statement car for its design, rather than being battery-driven, Junior has all the presence to be just that.

Distinctive design and excellent driving dynamics make Stelvio the outlier’s alternative to an X3 or GLC.

True to Alfa’s brand heritage, this is an SUV without a single silly styling or surface detail. The problem is that its wonderful exterior design doesn’t flow into the cabin, which feels underwhelming, with a very aged infotainment screen resolution and graphics.  

Stelvio still uses buttons and dials for its HVAC controls, which work much better than the haptic and screen controls on many rivals.

Terrific high-speed cruising stability and balance make Stelvio a fantastic driver’s car. But there aren’t any diesel engine options, unlike its German rivals. And many Chinese mid-size SUVs offer advanced PHEV drivetrains and a lot more standard kit, for a lot less money. Even if they can’t match the Stelvio’s dynamic driving experience.

Don’t upsize from the gorgeous base-spec five-hole 19-inch wheels to the 20s or 21s, which ruin the Stelvio’s terrific balance of handling and ride quality on South African roads.

If you love driving, are indifferent to German mid-size luxury SUV ownership and don’t mind the underwhelming cabin, Stelvio is an alluring alternative to mainstream luxury SUVs.

Gorgeous X1/GLA/XC40 alternative that looks better than any rival.

Alfa’s legacy design virtues are all present with this compact crossover. It looks terrific from every angle and in any colour. The true testament to a great design.

Cabin feels cheap and like all Alfas, the packaging isn’t amazing. Tonale’s rear legroom is limited and although 500-litres of luggage space is decent. Its rivals have more, like the X1’s 540-litres or XC40’s 569-litres.

The mild-hybrid 1.5 turbopetrol is clever and matched to a rapid shifting 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This combination gives Tonale reasonable throttle response at urban speeds. But it can’t match the BMW X1 sDrive 18d's highway overtaking performance, mid-range torque, and economy.

If you desire a compact crossover as a statement car, Tonale is all that. And more. But it’s a heart-over-head buy. Entry-level Ti is the best buy, a bit sparse on equipment and features, but it has all the looks and rolls sensible 18-inch wheels.