According to reports, the Alfa Milano is officially on its way and has already been presented to potential customers for an initial introduction.
A positive reception is essential to the success of the car, though this report refers only to the style.
The first impressions apparently reveal a car that reflects the Fiat Bravo, both in terms of platform and chassis, but dressed up in Alfa systems and style, with the new look being born from the 8C competizione, and followed by the MiTo.
There are no big differences in Alfa style with the new Milano, but a five-door reminiscence of the MiTo.
While we’re not talking an unattractive car, first impressions lead us to believe that the Alfa Milano is of conservative design, less innovative when the 147 first appeared in 2000.
The original 149/Milano designs were based on the longer and more slanted style of the Alfa 159, and with the new Milano, we’re likely to see a rounder and more compact car.
Reports have the front of the Milano as a more agressive look, that loses the purely estetic nature of the front grill, taking on a real function as air intake, with the Alfa logo as a centre piece.
The headlights take on a classic German look, though are reported to be too small and stretch vertically up the car.
Whether accepted or not, we suspect this is a deliberate choice for the Milano, which is a wide car with a large front.
The side-on look has been described as the most similar to the Fiat Bravo in terms of its size and vertical shape towards the windows.
The Milano includes a long indicator stripe down the side (LED technology) and a clearly visible “waist line”.
The rear door has no handle and the car slopes towards the rear, giving it a pleasant coupé look.
Any reference to a people mover style has been lost, and the rear features more modern lights than the round ones previously seen on sports style Alfas.
The interior shows modifications on the Bravo and Lancia Delta style, with a clearly sports-style Alfa dashboard, featuring a centre console with multimedia technology and AlfaDNA switch, identical to that of the MiTo.
Comfort and space are normal, and can be compared with the competition, though the Milano is more similar to a BMW Series 1 than an A3 Sportback.
It appears that the Alfa Milano will cost about 1,800 euros more than the Fiat Bravo, but we’ll have to wait for it to appear in dealerships early next year for driving impressions.