These are the first official images of the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the replacement for the company’s ageing 147. Due to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2010, it features an all-new chassis known internally as the ‘Compact’ platform that will also form the basis for the Alfa 159 replacement, the Giulia, which follows a year later.

At launch the Giulietta will be available with a choice of turbocharged engines. Alfa’s new 1.4-litre ‘MultiAir’ unit starts with a 118bhp tune and rises to 167bhp. The fireworks will appear later with a range-topping 227bhp 1750 TBi ‘Quadrifoglio Verde’, or Cloverleaf as it will be known here.

To our eyes, the Milano looks like a very attractive alternative to the all-conquering Volkswagen Golf. As evo understands it, all Milano models will come with five doors, even the Cloverleaf, so there will be no direct replacement for the engaging, if flawed, three-door 147 GTA.

There’s no word on Middle East pricing at this stage, but expect the Giulietta to start at around $ 23,000 when it goes on sale early next summer, rising to around $ 36,000 for the 1750 TBi Cloverleaf when it arrives in the late autumn.