ALFA Romeo has a habit of making cars that, rather like a fine wine, age well - and the Giulietta is no exception.

It might not seem like it but this family hatchback been around for almost seven years now, yet it still looks fresh, appealing and exciting.

A modern classic in the making? Who knows, but 20 years hence I expect there will be more than a few people in the market for them.

Like all modern cars the Giulietta has had a few tweaks and tucks during its lifespan and last year saw its exterior styling given a refresh and new headlamps introduced.

These modest modifications have enhanced rather than radically overhauled what was already a winning formula.

Put simply the Giulietta looks better than pretty much any other hatchback in its class, exuding that inimitable sense of Italian style.

Britain's love affair has been an on and off one with Alfa Romeo and while there have always been plenty of die-hard enthusiasts dedicated to the brand it's quite a while since we bought them by the bucket-load.

That dates back to some long-running reliability issues that now seem to have been consigned to the history books but also periods when the car maker seems to have at least partially bowed out of the UK market.

As far as the Giulietta goes its timeless beauty, elegance and sleek design lines make for a very visually appealing and winning combination.

That classic Italian style extends to the interior too, which is elegant with the kind of sporty flourishes one associates with the marque.

The carbon-effect finish in this model was one of the stand-out features and it comes with a Uconnect 6.5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB, Smartphone connectivity and six speakers.

As far as practicality goes the Giulietta doesn't fare too badly. While there might not be an abundance of space in the rear it's capable of transporting two adults in relative comfort, though headroom is slightly constrained by the styling.

It has a decent sized boot though (350 litres) and with the seats folded down carrying capacity increases to 1,045 litres.

Many cars make an attempt to be all things to all men when it comes to driving dynamics and the Giulietta is no exception.

Alfa's DNA system is actually one of the car's great strengths. The last time I experienced something like it you could choose between Eco, Normal and Dynamic but now it offers Dynamic, Natural, and All-weather driving modes.

I tended to switch between the Natural and Dynamic modes, the Natural one being perfect for everyday motoring. The Dynamic mode really does give the vehicle added verve and sparkle and imbibes the Giulietta with a different character altogether.