New Alfa Romeo officially unveiled - but what's it called?

This is the first official picture of Alfa Romeo's new Golf rival, which was going to be called the Milano until hundreds of recently laid-off Alfa workers in Milan complained.

It's not yet clear whether this replacement for the 147 will be called the 148 or the Giulietta, but either way Alfa bosses reportedly believe it could be the company's biggest-selling car ever. The sales predictions are optimistically large - up to 100,000 cars per year.

Only available as a five-door, the family hatchback will be powered by a range of the Fiat Group's four-cylinder turbocharged engines. These are likely to range from the 120bhp 1.4-litre petrol to a smooth, powerful 2.0-litre diesel. All will come with stop-start system in an effort to save fuel and lower CO2 emissions.

The chassis gets MacPherson struts at the front and a new multi-link design at the rear, a similar layout to its fine-driving Ford Focus rival.

Sources at Alfa indicate that the 147 replacement will most likely be called the Giulietta. It'll be launched in Italy in March but the UK will have to wait until June when Alfa Romeo plans a launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the company celebrates its centenary year and will be the featured marque.