A TECHNO-packed trim grade has been introduced by Alfa Romeo, offering between £1,500 and £3,000 worth of extras for around half the price.

Named Sportiva, the new level is based on Alfa's flagship versions and available with both the Italian marque's MiTo supermini and Giuilietta hatchback ranges.

In the compact MiTo's case Sportiva boasts similar features to the Distinctive trim, with £1,500 worth of option upgrades for £750 more.

Included are exclusive 18-inch Quadrifoglio Verde sports alloy wheels, sports kick plates, and Sportiva badges, while the cabin theme is black and green with darkened interior headlining.

Matt black steering wheel inserts accompany a black leather steering wheel and handbrake, plus black Alcantara sport seat upholstery - all finished with green stitching.

On the Alfa Giulietta, Sportiva builds on Veloce trim adding oversized red Brembo brake callipers mounted inside 18-inch spoke design alloy wheels with a dark titanium finish.

You also get leather upholstery plus a rear armrest with storage compartment and sport kick plates, in total giving £3,000 worth of upgrades for an extra £1,860.

MiTo Sportiva is available with three engine options - the 875cc TwinAir 85bhp model at £16,100, the 1.4 MultiAir 135bhp at £17,000 and the 1.6 JTD 120bhp diesel at £17,750.

Six powerplants are up for grabs in the Giulietta Sportiva, including the new twin dry-clutch semi-automatic ALFA TCT, starting at £23,110 for the 1.6 JTD 105bhp version.