IT’S taken a helluva long time but the new Alfa Giulia is almost here. Rumour has it that the Giulia was delayed because big boss man Sergio Marchionne wasn’t happy with the quality of the original proposal and sent it back with orders not to return until the car was right.

And it has to be right because the Giulia is the foundation stone for Alfa Romeo’s 21st Century revival plan – and if this one fails there might not be another.

Presenting the new model, Alfa’s CEO Harald Wester said the Giulia’s rivals are all the same and, by implication, suggested his car would do things differently.

But just how differently?

It certainly looks as though it means business. It does but that’s because Alfa chose to show off the barn-storming Giulia Quadrifoglio to members of the press – a high-performance model with a M3-baiting 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine good for more than 500bhp. No wonder it’s wearing those ultra-low profile tyres, anything less and it would leave rubber smeared all over the road during a full-throttle launch from the line.

So it’s four-wheel drive, right?

No. Incredibly, Alfa says the Quadrifoglio will be rear wheel drive, although some lesser 4WD models will make up part of the range. To tame all that horsepower it has a torque-vectoring rear differential instead. The engine and major mechanical components have been arranged between the front and rear axles to ensure the Giulia has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

Around the front there’s an ‘active aero’ front splitter which improves downforce at higher speeds for better grip. With 500bhp lighting up those rear tyres it will need it.

It certainly is a good-looker.

Yes, the Giulia harks back to recent Alfas like the 156 and the 159 not the gawky Mito or the awkward Giulietta. The short overhangs, cartoonish trefoil grille, long bonnet and exaggerated rear haunches will turn heads on any street corner.

What’s it like inside? The main controls are grouped together on the small steering wheel in a similar fashion to a Formula 1 car, while the ‘human-machine interface’ (Alfa’s description, not mine) consists of two simple, user-friendly knobs for adjusting the Alfa DNA selector and the infotainment system. Even the starter is on the steering wheel.

The DNA selector is a fancy name for different engine mapping programmes and we’ve already seen it on the Mito (where it did nothing for the teeth-chatteringly harsh ride) but the Giulia has had the benefit of several more years’ research and development. Here the choices are: dynamic, natural, advanced efficient and racing.

Premium materials include carbon fibre and real wood.

What about the rest of it? Carbon fibre was chosen for the propeller shaft, bonnet, roof and seat frames, while aluminium was selected for the engine, suspension – including the front domes and front and rear frames – wings and doors. The rear cross-member is made of aluminium composite and plastic and the braking system uses aluminium callipers and carbon ceramic discs.

So is this a new beginning for Alfa?

It certainly looks like it but we’ve been here so many times before. Arguably, Alfa bosses released the pretty 4C two-seater too early because that car seems to be something of a work-in-progress. Hopefully, the multiple delays that have beset the Giulia programme will result in a more rounded car.

The Alfa brand still has brand equity but in this market – dominated by BMW, Audi and Mercedes – the Giulia will need more than residual goodwill.

Why it’s great:

Looks stunning, amazing performance, packed with technology

Why it ain’t:

The jury’s still out on whether or not all the tech will actually work.