After so many decades of poor, patchy and often pathetic product, we should have all long since forgotten that there was a time when Alfa Romeo was the envy of the automotive world. There are many middle-aged car enthusiasts who cannot remember the launch of the last all-new, world-beating Alfa Romeo. I know, I’m one of them.

And yet, somewhat astonishingly, we still care about Alfa Romeo. There is an entire army of enthusiasts still looking for that excuse to opt out of BMW ownership, walk past the Audi showroom and into the arms of a proper Italian thoroughbred. All they need is the right car.

If looks and build quality were the only arbiters, I’d say this new Brera was it. Its aim is to build on the reputation of the new and reasonably impressive 159 saloon by using its raw material but turning it to a more sporting end. It’s shorter than the 159, stiffer and more rakish. It goes on sale with a 2.2 litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a 2.4 litre five-cylinder diesel and a 3.2 litre V6 motor next spring, with prices ranging from about £25,000 for the 185bhp 2.2 to around £30,000 for the 260bhp V6.

Alfa Romeo hopes this car will deliver the marque back to the sunlit uplands of the 1960s when it appeared it could do no wrong. Yes, the Brera is beautiful, but a day at the wheel of the 2.2 revealed a car that simply doesn’t perform in the way you’d hope of a £25,000 Alfa. For a start it’s quite heavy at 3,240lb and with just 185bhp it needs 8.6sec to reach 62mph, a time more commonly found among lukewarm hatches costing 10 grand less. Flat out, it will do a decidedly average 138mph. The engine is smooth and willing but it is stifled by the sheer weight of the car it has to carry.

Once it has overcome its initial inertia it’s a decent drive, so long as you make good use of its excellent six-speed gearbox to ensure the engine is always singing its heart out. Neverthless, Japanese rivals like the Mazda RX-8 and Nissan 350Z have an explosive punch that the Brera cannot match.

Even European rivals such as the Audi TT 1.8T quattro and the Mercedes C230 SE sport coupé have no problem outperforming the Brera. Shame.

It was with a slighly heavy heart, then, that I took the Brera onto the test track and really started to kick it about. And to my surprise and delight it did rather well, displaying an agility, precision and level of driver feedback that has been lost to Alfas for many years.

Suitably encouraged, I swapped it for the 3.2 litre version, which comes complete not only with much more convincing figures (0-62mph in 6.8sec, top speed 150mph) but also four-wheel drive in place of the 2.2’s front-drive arrangement. And while I revelled in its extra speed and the snarl from under the bonnet, so I could also detect the extra weight of the Brera’s nose in its increased reluctance to change direction.

So it’s safe to say that neither car will recapture Alfa’s sporting glory: one is too slow in a straight line, the other too compromised on corners. But they are nevertheless the best — and the best-looking — Alfas I’ve driven in a very long time.

Yet the most encouraging thing about the Brera is the aspect in which it is least like a traditional Alfa: if the two I drove are any guide, the Brera seems pretty well built. Anyone who has Alfa’s best interests at heart will recognise this as by far the most important component of putting the company back where it belongs. In the modern market, the best conceived car in the world will die a thousand deaths if it is not properly put together.

But now there are two former BMW employees on Alfa’s books, one of whom is in charge of quality, the other in charge of the entire company, so it is hoped this hurdle that has seen Alfa languishing towards the bottom of customer satisfaction surveys for so long has finally been overcome.

We shall see. In the meantime the Brera is an attractive, distinctive alternative to the mainstream norm, with just a faint hint of Alfa magic about it. It’s expensive and far from the best in class, but it is tentative evidence that the marque is steaming steadily in the right direction. And for that we should all be grateful.

Vital statistics

Model Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2 JTS
Engine type 2198cc, four cylinders
Power/Torque 185bhp @ 6500rpm / 169 lb ft @ 4500rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 30.1mpg (combined cycle) / 221g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 8.6sec / Top speed: 138mph
Price £25,000
Verdict Likeable, but expensive and too slow
Rating 3/5

The opposition

Model Mazda RX-8 (189bhp) £20,500
For Stunning value, practical four-door design
Against Very thirsty, engine lacks low-down torque

Model Audi TT 1.8T quattro (190bhp) £25,690
For Still a design icon, four-wheel drive
Against Not much fun to drive, poor ride quality