The 159 Sportwagon shares its interior design with the sporty Brera and Spider, which means deep-set dials and either a metal-effect plastic (on Turismo models) or an aluminium (on Lusso models) finish. The writing on the dials is unchanged from the original Italian – the petrol gauge is marked ‘benzina’, for example – and the quality of the materials is excellent.

The finish could be better with the occasional uneven gap letting the Alfa down, but the steering moves for height and reach, and the seats offer an excellent range of adjustment.

Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon comfort levels are about on par with the competition. It’s not as roomy in the rear as you might expect, but it’s no worse than many cars of this size. That said, less expensive cars like the Honda Accord Tourer and Volkswagen Passat estate have more generous rear seats, but many people don’t see these brands on the same level for image.

However, the Alfa also comes with automatic climate control, electric windows, and the seats themselves are generally comfortable.