We found that if you operate the Selespeed gearbox in the manner of a clutch-less manual transmission, it will reward you with better performance and smoother changes rather than leaving the car in automatic mode. Drivers can opt to change gears manually using the + or - steering wheel mounted paddles or flick the transmission lever forward for a downshift and back for an upshift.

We felt that in automatic mode the Selespeed wasn’t as smooth to change as it could have been, and it often left the engine revving hard in the lower gears when we would have liked it to change up.  Reversing was also a bit of a hit and miss affair with the robotic clutch taking longer to bite than we would have liked especially at very low revs when trying to gently manoeuvre into a car park.

Ride and handling however is the forte of the Italians and the 159 Ti is no exception. 

The suspension of 159 Ti is lowered by 20 mm which provides a sharper turn-in response from the steering and less body roll than the standard 159, but without the harsh ride that afflicts some sports suspension systems.

Audi and BMW would do well to learn how to provide a suspension that offers better handling that doesn’t rattle your fillings every time you go over a speed bump. We were very impressed with the ride comfort provided by the 159 Ti.

The 19 inch alloy wheels with low profile Continental tyres proved more than capable of keeping the front-wheel-drive 159 2.2 JTS Ti planted on the wet road despite the pretty horrific weather. Brembo brakes with calipers painted in Alfa Romeo red are standard and pull the car up pretty smartly in wet and dry conditions.

To further distinguish the 159 Ti, this limited edition model is fitted with a subtle body kit and aluminium finish door mirrors which completes the exterior transformation.

Inside the 159 Ti occupants enjoy black leather and dark finish materials highlighted by red stitching for the leather and red highlights for the instruments. The sports seats, which are electrically operated and heated, are upholstered in hand-crafted soft Italian leather with the Alfa Romeo logo stitched in red on both the front and rear seats. The same leather and red stitching is used on the steering wheel.

The dashboard is trimmed in darkened aluminum to enhance the red-ringed instruments that are unique to the Alfa Romeo 159 Ti. Aluminium is further used for the drilled sports pedals and the door sill trim strips which, like the exterior, carry the Ti insignia.

The 159 Ti offers the Bluetooth mobile phone connection with finger tip controls on the steering wheel and a USB connection point in the glove-box for MP3 music players.

Externally if black is not your favourite colour, the limited edition Ti models are also available in Alfa Red or Stromboli Grey.