Italian marque Alfa Romeo has had an embarrassing leak as photos of its all-new Milano -- which forms part of the replacement for the 147 small car. The low-res photos were posted on Facebook over the weekend and were taken inside an Alfa Romeo manufacturing plant.
Having been spotted numerous times during high speed testing in Germany with camouflage, the cat is now out of the bag thanks to some shifty mobile phone photography. And you can bet your bottom dollar that Alfa's top brass are livid.
The revealing photos expose the Milano's design which takes some of its design cues from Alfa Romeo's Ferrari-fighter, the 8C Competizione super car, while keeping the trendy Italian hatchback body shape.
The headlights in particular are reminiscent of the high performance 8C's and the bold Alfa grille has been reworked as well. But unlike the three-door only MiTo model which features round tail lights, the new five-door Milano has wider and slimmer brake lights.
Despite being a five-door hatch, the vehicle retains the 147's 'hidden' rear door handles, delivering the illusion of a sporty three-door model.
There were also some interior shots which show a stylish new design sure to appeal to fashionistas. The switchgear and HVAC controls in particular look very suave and will help the car stand out when compared to its European rivals in the form of the BMW 1 Series hatch, Audi A3 and Mercedes B-Class.
Alfa Romeo hasn't realised any official statements on the new Milano as yet, so powertrain and chassis specifics are still unclear. Various four-cylinder engines are expected, including smaller capacity turbo petrol and diesel models.
There is also a chance that the Milano GTA will offer a V6 or high output turbo petrol powertrain for enthusiasts.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi