Alfa Romeo Milano exposed

The next model in line for a major revamp in Alfa Romeo’s range is the 147, and this image -- first published by Italy's Quattroroute magazine, and since doing the rounds on a handful of motoring websites -- provides the best indication yet of how the all-new Milano (which has been referred to as the '149') will shape up.

One look at the image is enough to discern that Alfa Romeo's Centro Stile has carried over many of the cues pioneered by the stunning 8C Competizione, and since partially replicated on the entry-level MiTo.

The new-gen hatchback is expected to make its official debut at next March's Geneva motor show, and it launches in Europe thereafter.

If the car is indeed badged as the Milano, it will mark the return of a nameplate last appeared on a North American market 75 sedan in the 1980s.

Exact technical specs aren't as yet available, but the image suggests the newcomer is slightly longer and wider than the 147, although the heavily tapered roofline conveys the impression that it's marginally lower.

The Milano will reportedly be offered only in five-door guise, leaving the existing MiTo to target three-door shoppers.

Sources suggest the car has been designed to bag a five-star EuroNCAP crash-test rating, and it will be one of the cornerstones of Alfa Romeo's eventual return to the potentially lucrative US market.

Power outputs reportedly range from 99kW in the base 1.4-litre engine to 190kW - in the range-topping twin-turbo 1.8-litre unit. There will also be MultiJet diesels in 1.6 and 2.0-litre capacities, with power outputs between 89kW and 164kW (for the 2.0 twin-stage turbo variant).

Transmission choices will include a six-speed manual and automatic.

The Milano will be a timely replacement for the 147, which has soldiered on for about nine years (it won the European Car of the Year gong way back in 2001).

The entire 147 range was revamped in 2004, with the exterior styling tweaked considerably to be bring it in line with the 159 and Brera -- thanks to a new grille, headlights and taillights, among other fiddles.

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