Alfa Romeo’s new hatchback model, the Giulietta, was launched in Geneva in a bid to mark the company’s 100th anniversary.

Acting as a direct replacement for the old 147 model, Alfa will be hoping that the new car will go a bit further towards competing in the same class market as the VW Golf and Ford Focus – an area that Afla has struggled with in the past. The Giulietta has a cool, sporty look, with the read door handles being hidden away in the window frame to give a more sleek appearance.

Five seperate models were unveiled at the Geneva motors show, each with a different engine size and maximum speed, catering to a number of market niches.

The model will be going on sale in the UK in June, with the buyer having the option to highly personalise the car, with a Sport pack available (including larger alloy wheels and sports seats). The Premium pack has rear parking sensors and a top of the range ‘infotainment’ system.

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A couple of weeks after the Giulietta’s world premiere at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo has released a two-and-a-half-minute long promotional video of its new sporty hatchback.

The spot nods at the past by shadowing previous generations of the Giulietta in the background but also embraces the future by touting some of the Giulietta’s technological and mechanical highlights such as the multilink suspension and start&stop system.

The new Golf-sized Giulietta will be offered with a variety of powertrains spanning from a 105HP 1.6-liter diesel to a 235HP 1.7-liter turbocharged petrol. Video after the break.

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Pininfarina’s Chairman and CEO, Paulo Pininfarina, dedicated the latest concept car from his family’s design house to his brother Andrea who passed away in 2008. The concept, called 2uettottanta, is a modern interpretation of the Alfa Romeo Spider. Although Pininfarina’s work with Alfa Romeo is probably best known stateside for the Spider made famous in the movie The Graduate, the partnership goes all the way back to the 1930s. Both companies are celebrating an anniversary in 2010: Pininfarina turns 80 and Alfa Romeo is 100 years old.

As for the 2uettottanta, both Pininfarina’s press release and its presentation at the Geneva show were filled with design-speak, like how the car “reflects Pininfarina’s determination to look to the future with optimism following tradition.” Details about the underpinnings, like the engine, were not mentioned. Not that we really care, since it will never reach production. The best we can hope for is that some of the design language will make its way into future Alfa Romeo products. Even as a concept, the 2uettottanta is yet another beautiful Italian two-seat convertible, and with that we will leave you to look at the pretty pictures.

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In a preview ahead of its formal debut at the Geneva auto show in March, Alfa Romeo has revealed that the successor to its 147 model will be called the Giulietta. Previously referred to as the Milano, the Giulietta is geared to take on the Volkswagen Golf in the European market, with Alfa reportedly hoping that it will be its most successful model ever, eventually topping more than 100,000 units annually.

Built on an all-new platform and offered only as a front-wheel-drive, five-door hatchback with a more coupe-like profile than the VW, the Giulietta is 171.3 inches long, 57.5 inches tall, 70.9 inches wide, and rides on a 103.5-inch wheelbase. The styling is beautiful and pure Alfa, appearing much like a larger, more aggressive version of the diminutive MiTo hatchback. Alfa’s traditional triangular-shield grille sits up front and is complemented by a quartet of lower air intakes and glitzy headlight modules with LED running lights. LED taillights adorn the heavily sculpted rear, as well. The coupe-like stance comes from the sloping rear hatch and is accented by hidden rear door handles. The interior is littered with aluminum accents and is meant to look inspired by the design of the lusty 8C Competizione.

Five- and six-speed manual transmissions will be available initially—a dual-clutch automated manual supposedly is in the works—with engine choices including 120- and 170-hp 1.4-liter gasoline turbo-fours, as well as 1.6- and 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinders producing 105 hp and 170 hp, respectively. A 235-hp Quadrifoglio Verde model will join the lineup at a later date. Engine stop-start systems will improve city fuel economy on all powertrains, with Fiat’s MultiAir variable valve-timing technology also eventually making its way throughout the lineup—it currently is only fitted to the 170-hp gas engine. Sixteen-, 17-, and 18-inch wheels will be available, with all versions featuring the Alfa DNA drive selector, which allows the driver to set the vehicle’s engine, drivetrain, steering, and stability-control system to one of three settings: Dynamic, Normal, and All Weather.

While the company has released only the car’s basics and a small handful of images, we expect more details as the Geneva show nears. Of course, we’ll have full coverage from the show floor, but watch this space as additional info hits our desks.

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We were saddened to learn that Alfa Romeo is under the impression that their cute yet handsome MiTo is too small for American consumption. But this feels like a slap in the face. Japan is getting 150 special Imola Edition MiTos, and man are they great looking. Painted in Imola Yellow, the cars also get 18-inch wheels, red brake calipers and chromed mirror caps to set them apart from regular MiTos. Inside features fancy Pelle Frau leather, Imola Yellow accents and a little plaque. The Imola Edition MiTos should hit the land of the rising sun in November of this year. There’s precious little left to say, other than do want. Or is that unfair?

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