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I can’t remember the last time an Alfa Romeo got as much network UK screentime as the 147 which belongs to the Italian detective Aurelio Zen, played by Rufus Sewell in the BBC drama Zen, based on the best-selling novels of the late Michael Dibdin.

What a terrible shame that this excellent product placement opportunity wasn’t filled by the new Giulietta!

Shooting apparently began in Spring 2010, so perhaps it was just too soon for the new Alfa hatch, or maybe a brand new car just didn’t suit the character?

Whichever or whatever the case may have been, if I was an Alfa Romeo exec, I’d be getting in touch with production house Left Bank Pictures, in the event that a second series is commissioned (Dibdin had 11 Zen books published).

Neat and compact

If your job involves you regularly driving rental cars or switching between different vehicles from time to time (as mine does) then this product is a godsend.

The One For All Universal in-Car Charger turns your car’s cigarette lighter socket into a charging station and works with mobile phones (including iPhones), MP3 players (including iPods), PDAs, digital cameras, sat nav, game players and other devices.

Even if you don’t drive for work purposes, how many times have you borrowed your partner’s car for a trip and then found that your mobile phone is running out of juice just as you need to make that urgent call - and you’ve no means of recharging it?

This problem can now become a thing of the past with the One For All Universal in-Car Charger.

Its neat and compact and comes with seven interchangeable tips for iPod/iPhone, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, MiniUSB (5 pin), LG, Samsung and MicroUSB*  so you get seven chargers for the price of one and it also features an auto shut off to prevent your car battery from draining.

And the whole lot fits into a slinky little felt pouch with a drawstring which you can simply keep in your briefcase or handbag. In fact, it’s small enough to fit into most coat pockets. I’m an iPhone user myself so I left the other tips in a drawer at home, making the pouch that little bit more compact so there really was no excuse for leaving it behind (although, to be honest, I did - just the once).

The One For All Universal in-Car Charger costs £17.99 and is available from selected Comet stores and online at www.comet.co.uk

We’ve already had A2, A3, A4, A5 A6, A7 and A8 from Audi, so it might seem perfectly logical that its smallest car yet (under 4m in length) should wear the A1 moniker.

Well I actually think there’s a more appropriate name than the one chosen - but more of that later.

Firstly, cutting to the chase, the A1 is basically Audi’s MINI killer. Although Audi officials describe the A1 as the first ‘true’ compact premium car, pointing out that Audi is regularly partnering and mingling socially with other luxury brands whilst implying that MINI is more of a funky fashionista’s favourite. I see what they mean, but it didn’t stop them referencing the MINI in all the comparison charts within the A1 press pack.

In key areas relating to running costs, the A1 seems to have BMW’s MINI licked. In the depreciation stakes, the Audi is projected to retain a range average of 60% of its value over 3 years, 30,000 miles, versus the MINI’s 50%, whilst also enjoying lower insurance group ratings than its retro-styled rival.

And while we’re on the styling theme, Audi is keen to highlight the A1’s design as being modern and edgy - definitely NOT retro.

The car is exquisitely detailed and built like a fine Swiss watch. The fascia is a little on the grey side but you can specify some glossy contrasting vent sleeves to lighten the mood. On the exterior, 4 roof contrast line colours are available on the extensive options list to accentuate the A1’s silhouette and I thought these were very effective indeed.

Dynamically, the A1 is agile and unruffled over a range of road surfaces. The larger 17-inch wheel and tyre combination really looked the part but it took the edge off the smoothness delivered by the 16-inchers, so you’ll need to decide which matters most.

Power delivery from both the petrol and diesel variants was punchy although the latter’s extra torque coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox, meant the oil-burner got my vote - especially when you factor in 70.6 mpg and CO2 emissions of 105 g/km.

Now back to the name. I was watching an episode of ‘The Apprentice’ last week in which two of the more annoying contenders were bickering, one questioning the other’s arithmetical competence. “Actually, I got an A-star in Maths!” came the rebuttal.

Hmmm, A* (star). Yes that’s top marks as opposed to ship-shape and Bristol fashion, very good.

The only problem is that when I remember the 1 or 2 classmates from my schooldays who regularly achieved such high results, I also remember that they were the last kids to get picked at sports…so they didn’t come tops in the popularity charts.

Audi will be hoping the supremely capable A1 succeeds where the ‘Peter Perfects’ failed.

Initial order books are full so the outlook is currently rosy.

The Audi A1 range is available to order now with prices (adjusted to include the January VAT hike) starting from £13,420 for the 1.2 TFSI SE model.

Skoda has practically cornered the market for small, functional high performance hot hatchbacks with its new Fabia vRS.

I choose the word practically carefully. It’s certainly not because there is any degree of doubt as to the vRS’s cornering ability - far from it – but more of that later.

No, it’s because while most hot hatch superminis can lay claim to a degree of practicality and versatility by merely possessing an upward opening rear door and folding rear seats, the Fabia vRS trumps them resoundingly with a very useful extra pair of doors for rear seat passengers.

If the rear doors really matter to you, your supermini hot hatch shopping list is a very short one indeed. In fact it seems you really need to step up to the Golf/Focus C-segment to avoid clambering through two larger front doors to gain access to the rear seats.

It seems the Fabia is Hobson’s choice here, but should you come up with a viable alternative, Skoda, in poker terms, will see you and raise you with its estate version which adds 180 litres of load-lugging ability to the hatchback’s 300 with the seats upright. Folding them will open up a cavernous 1460 litres.

Whichever bodystyle you choose, the 180bhp 1.4TSI engine delivers neck-snapping acceleration off the line covering the 0-62 sprint in just 7.3 seconds.  Aerodynamics dictates that the estate has the higher top speed by one mile per hour at 140.

I got to try the Fabia vRS at Prodrive’s Warwick facility so was able to explore its considerable talents in a safe environment before taking to the public highway for some real world motoring.

The XDS electronic limited slip differential ensured a tight turn-in for accurate cornering with less steering input when you’re wringing out the exhilarating performance of the supercharged and turbocharged motor via the wheel-mounted paddles of the fabulous 7-speed DSG gearbox.

Out on the road, slipping the DSG into auto mode allows the Fabia vRS to display a more mild-mannered demeanour. It rides 20 mm lower than regular Fabias and sits on rather fetching 17″ alloys with low-profile tyres but the ride quality is still quite acceptable.

You can see why Skoda felt quite comfortable about abandoning the diesel unit of the vRS’s predecessor as combined fuel consumption of 45.6 mpg is quite remarkable for a car with this level of performance.

The Fabia’s rather upright, tallboy design doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a hunkered down, sporty look, but its recent facelift has improved things somewhat while a host of personalisation options will allow buyers to choose different combinations of roof, body and alloy colours.

The Fabia vRS is on sale now priced at £15,685 on-the-road for the hatchback and £16,480 for the estate. What are you waiting for?

Renault’s new compact coupe-roadster aims to put the wind up the Mazda MX-5 and Peugeot 207CC.

Renault describes the Wind as a compact, inventive, fun-to-drive coupe-roadster.

Let’s break it down:

Compact. At 3.83 m long, you can’t argue with that. It slots neatly between the Twingo and Clio.

Inventive. Hmm, I think this may be stretching it a little.  Although the folding roof mechanism is clever, it’s fairly close to the solution pioneered by Italian designer Fioravanti which saw production on the Ferrari Superamerica some years ago. Apparently, Renault has added a cover to the pivoting lid which earns the French carmaker the right to a separate patent. So I’d say more evolutionary than “revolutionary”, as Renault puts it.

The key benefit of the flip-top lid is that it takes up very little storage space so the Wind’s boot capacity remains constant at 270 litres with the top up or down. Its arch-rival, the Peugeot 207 CC offers just 187 litres with the roof stowed. Opening or closing the roof is a push-button affair and takes just 12 seconds.

Fun-to-drive. The car was developed with assistance from the Renault Sport Technologies division so the prospects for an entertaining drive were quite promising.  These are the guys behind the Clio 2 Renaultsport platform, upon which the Wind is based.

We set off in the 100bhp 1.2 TCe model in Dynamique S trim which features the larger 17” alloys as standard. The car was finished in a very modish shade of brilliant white paint, the only non-metallic option available.

Our test route took us along a mix of motorways and twisty mountain roads which allowed us to explore the Wind’s road manners in some detail. Most open-topped cars suffer from a lack of torsional stiffness which often translates into soggy handling but the Renaultsport gurus have reinforced the Wind’s bodyshell to endow it with very tidy road holding and precise turn-in.

The 153 Nm of torque on tap were found wanting a little as we climbed through some of the sharpest hairpins but they proved more than adequate as the hills flattened out.

The 1.6-litre version offers an extra 33bhp but just 7 more Nm of torque so I would probably plump for the peppy and more frugal ‘blown’ Wind.

Charis Whitcombe recently road tested the Clio fitted with the same 1.2-litre engine and shared my opinion on the virtues of the unit.

Renault officials said that no diesel variant is offered or planned since there is no diesel competitor in the segment but a glance at the Peugeot listings shows an HDi version of the 207 CC and MINI is also planning an oil-burning convertible – so Renault may wish to reconsider its position on this point.

Prices start at £15,500 for the 100bhp 1.2 model and rise to £18,200 for the 133 bhp 1.6 VVTi Collection limited edition.

The Wind is not a hard-edged machine for typical Renaultsport fans, but it is a stylish and accomplished little coupe-roadster.

The name may cause you a few sniggers initially but once you get over that, you’ll find it’s a breath of fresh air.

Click here to check out the photos from the launch of the Renault Wind.

There’s no getting away from how important the Giulietta (joo-lee-eh-tah) is to Alfa Romeo’s future as it attempts to reach out beyond its ever-faithful Alfisti to achieve real mass-market appeal.

But can the car’s ability match Alfa’s ambition? I went along to the UK press launch at Goodwood to find out.

Alfa says the Giulietta has been ‘designed to beat the best in the mid-size C Segment’ which accounts for a quarter of all new car sales in Europe and the repeated comparisons of specs and prices to equivalent models of the VW Golf, suggest that the Italians mean business.

During the presentation, we were treated to a slightly gimmicky ‘Minority Report’-type video depicting Fiat Group Design Chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti explaining the care and attention that has gone into the design of the Giulietta as he dragged, flicked and sketched images of the car onto a huge transparent screen. Video gimmickry aside, however, I firmly believe this Alfa stands up as one of the most elegant executions of the 5-door hatchback genre (no 3-door version is planned).

Replacing the aging 147, the Giulietta offers more space, refinement and equipment as well as a vastly improved Euro NCAP safety rating, achieving five stars and an overall score of 87/100 - the best ever for a compact car.

A range of five new turbocharged Euro 5 compliant engines ‑ three petrol and two diesel – are on offer, the smallest of which being the 1.4-litre petrol unit which pumps out 120bhp.

But I tried the top of the range 1750 TBi Cloverleaf version which emits 235bhp and endows this particular Giulietta with a 0-62mph sprint time of 6.8 seconds on its way to a flat out maximum of 150 mph.

Getting behind the wheel I felt that the interior didn’t quite match the high expectation set by the sculptured exterior. There were some neat touches like the Alfa-branded pedals and quality was generally good but I felt it lacked a little polish for a car costing almost 25 grand. Rear headroom is also tight, especially if you opt for the glass sunroof fitted to the test car.

On the move the Giulietta delivered its power smoothly and progressively. The DNA system which allows you to choose from different driving modes to suit your mood (and pocket), seems to work better than it does in the MiTo Cloverleaf. The Dynamic setting delivered sharpened throttle and steering responses without the unruly, terrier-like snapping-at-the-leash of its smaller sibling.

And this was typical of the Giulietta’s deportment throughout my time with the car. It came across as very grown-up and refined. The seats looked sporty and sculpted but the foam density suggested that comfort was prioritised ahead of grip.

Perhaps this is just an example the kind of subtle compromises that Alfa needs to make in order to move on from being a popular ‘niche’ brand with a small group of dedicated followers and begin shifting product in large quantities.

Another important part of the process is encouraging buyers who may not previously have considered an Alfa, to see the brand in a new way. To that end, we were given a sneak preview of the glamorous new TV ad campaign which features Hollywood A-lister, Uma Thurman, sliding behind the wheel and declaring, “I am Giulietta”.

Ms Thurman was apparently chosen for her unique blend of talents and cross-gender appeal and Alfa will be hoping that the Giulietta’s similar skill-set will translate into sales success.

I think Alfa has got the mix just about right with the Giulietta. It may not quite match the Golf on outright quality, but its combination of style, safety and on-road poise deserves to win new fans for the Milanese brand.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta goes on sale on July 24 with prices starting from £16,995.

I subsequently tried out the 170bhp variant and have to say that, given the price differential and the improved economy and CO2 emissions, I’d go for the still perky, lower-powered model and use the cash saved to raid the options list.

Check out some great photos from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta UK Launch at Goodwood.

Top: Opel badges were swapped for Vauxhall ones. Above: Styling buck in foreground shows the Indian Summer leather trim set against the fabulous Riva motor boats in the Barberis shipyard

If there’s one thing that mainstream brands Ford and Vauxhall have striven to achieve in recent years, it’s to match premium rivals Audi, BMW and Mercedes on quality – or at least perceived quality.

While that’s no mean feat, both Ford with its Mondeo and latterly Vauxhall with the Insignia, have made great strides in that direction and, while the badges may still lack absolute snob appeal, the cars themselves are widely regarded as being extremely competitive and, by and large, possessing of that elusive premium feel.

But in order to maintain and build on a reputation, one needs to continue to reinforce the message so when Vauxhall chose to show off its latest round of updates to the Insignia Sports Tourer, it did so against an Italian backdrop of classic and lovingly restored Riva motor boats - regarded as the epitome of marine luxury and world-class quality since the 1950s.

Alcide Barberis treated us to a tour of his fabulous shipyard-cum-museum based close to Lago Maggiore, recounting the stories behind some of the 80 or so glorious vessels undergoing meticulous levels of restoration and repair, each valued at anything up to 500,000 Euros.

We were then handed over to Sonja Vandenberk, Assistant Chief Designer, Colour & Trim for Opel/Vauxhall for a presentation on the influences and the design processes which led to the creation of the Insignia’s new optional Indian Summer leather trim package.

Currently more than 60% of Insignia sales are of higher-spec, SRi, SE and Elite models and Vauxhall is expecting this high grade Nappa leather option (cost TBC) to have particular appeal among conquest customers from premium rivals.

Unfortunately, the Indian Summer trim was not available on any of the test cars so we only got a brief opportunity to put bums on seats and inhale the aroma (artificially enhanced apparently) of a complete bullhide which is required for each full interior.

Next we moved on to the driving, sampling the first application of the adaptive 4×4 with a diesel powertrain - the CDTi 160.

The refinement of the installation was certainly impressive. Noise penetration through to the cabin was so minimal that I could barely distinguish the car from a petrol version.

The test car was close to a UK SRi spec but was badged an Opel on the inside so subtle variations are likely.

In terms of grip, the car was unflappable. The adaptive system transfers drive to the front and rear axle as required to the point that it will behave as a rear-wheel drive car if the front wheels are on ice.

Vauxhall’s FlexRide chassis system features two driving modes, Sports and Tour, enabling the driver to select between sharper or more relaxed responses for steering, throttle and suspension settings.

I found the Sports setting to be the more useful in helping us make progress up the challenging mountain route. However, the tight hairpins still had me continually downshifting into 2nd gear when I had hoped the diesel’s 350 Nm of torque might pull us through in 3rd so I’d be surprised if the next application of the 4×4 system isn’t with a more potent diesel unit. The 4×4 weighs some 80kg more than a standard Insignia so perhaps it could use a little extra help.

Vauxhall recognises that 4×4 estate cars are often the weapon of choice for caravanners and others with towing aspirations.

Should you be tempted to hitch your 500,000 Euro Riva to the back of an Insignia, I can vouch for the fact that your substantial investment would be utterly secure as all cars fitted with the trailer hitch come with Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) as standard.

Dr Jens Passek and his colleagues from Opel/Vauxhall’s Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Development team demonstrated how this piece of technical wizardry works closely with the ESP to detect yaw movement in the trailer and then counteract it. All you have to do is apply the brake – it really is that simple.

Definitive prices for the all wheel drive Insignia will be announced next week but the adaptive 4×4 system is expected to add around £1750 to the price of a front-wheel drive model bringing a 160ps 2.0 CDTi Exclusiv in just shy of £24k.

Top: Tunnel Vision; Above: Auris Hybrid deals with the cut and thrust of Barcelona traffic

Toyota tells us that the Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) is for customers who want to stand out - but not too much. No danger there then as the bodywork tweaks which mark the HSD out from other Auris models are subtle almost to the point of imperceptibility.

An optional Pearlescent White paint finish is unique to the Hybrid but only those in the know…would know. And that’s all fine really because while the Prius is out there with its unique silhouette shouting, “Look at me, I have a social conscience. I’m being green!” on behalf of its owners, there are many motorists who support the principle but simply don’t want to bang the drum.

Surveys suggest there are more still who don’t give a stuff about the principle but like the way the numbers stack up.

And the numbers are indeed impressive: 89 g/km of CO2 and 74.3mpg for the basic version fitted with 15″ wheels. That means zero road tax and, for London drivers, zero Congestion Charge, for an asking price of £18,950 for the entry-level T4 model (the higher-spec T Spirit comes in at £20,700).

And if you think that means you have to sacrifice performance, you’d be wrong. The combined power output of the 1.8 VVTi petrol engine and the electric motor add up to a healthy 134bhp which will get the Hybrid Auris to 62mph from a standstill in 11.4 seconds on its way to a flat out maximum of 112.

But those figures are not what this car is about. Indeed, putting the car into ‘Power’ mode and wringing out some of that performance made for uncomfortably noisy progress on the carpet smooth hillside roads around Barcelona where the launch took place.

No, the Auris HSD is best enjoyed in ‘Eco’ or full EV modes. The former gives you less throttle response than the Power mode with resultant benefits in fuel consumption, while the latter offers silent, emission-free, electric running for up to 1.2 miles at speeds of up to 30 mph.

This feature enabled Toyota to get permission for us to access an area of the city centre which is usually restricted.

The extra HSD gubbins makes the Hybrid 105kg heavier than a regular Auris, and the battery pack robs it of boot space but otherwise it’s much like every other Auris in that it offers relaxed and comfortable transportation for up to 5 adults.

I don’t think it’ll suit Leonardo Di Caprio and the rest of Hollywood’s green set - but the Auris Hybrid makes a lot of sense to me.

Toyota is expecting around 7,000 UK buyers to feel the same way in its first full year of production. And if the figures aren’t persuasive enough, perhaps the knowledge that the Auris HSD is built in the UK at Burnaston will help to tip the balance.

The Auris Hybrid is available to order now with deliveries beginning on July 1.

Top: Glare reduces your response time at the wheel. Above: 1970s Polaroids revisited

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970s, a Polaroid was an instant snap in the same way that a Hoover was a vacuum cleaner.

But I remember my dad coming home one day with a pair of weird-looking sunglasses that bore the Polaroid name.

I thought this was rather odd but I now appreciate that the first pair of Polaroid sunglasses was sold in 1935 so the US firm already has some 75 years of experience in the field.

Sunglasses are usually viewed as fashion accessories but good quality polarised lenses can really improve your safety on the road - reducing glare in all sorts of weather conditions.

Research by Dutch automotive magazine RTL Autowereld found that Polaroid polarized lenses can improve driver response times by up to 40% when glare affects your ability to see.

I tried a pair of classic-looking Expedition 2702As from Polaroid’s driving range over a week of mixed motoring situations and found that the brown-tinted lenses improved contrast and reduced eye fatigue, particularly over a weekend trip from London to Devon and back. For comparison purposes, I also tried out a more contemporary grey-tinted style called Meteor but preferred the Expeditions as the larger frame blocks out more sunlight and the brown lenses seem to create more natural hues.

So my advice is to keep a good quality pair of shades in your car - and remember to use them. The Brits have a penchant for open-topped motoring but sunglasses will benefit drivers of all types of car.

I recently found my dad’s old pair of Polaroids in a drawer. Although back then they looked naff to my untrained 6 year-old eyes, I now think they’re pretty cool.

WIN: To help you get your hands on some top-spec sun specs, we’ve blagged 5 pairs of Polaroid Extreme sunglasses worth around £80 for our easy-to-enter competition, so why not try your luck?

Mio Navman Spirit 500 is slim and lightweight with a simple to use touchscreen interface

Navman satnavs are now being marketed under a new name - Mio.

I was given a Navman Spirit 500 model to try out for a week or so and here are my findings:

The Quick start guide worked well. I was plugged in and up and running in just over 5 minutes which is pretty good going compared to some.

The suction attachment does not feel as positive as the screw threaded variety and I took a couple of gos before getting a firm purchase. 

On the plus side it was then easy to remove for quick stowage out of sight to keep the car thieves at bay.

The Screen is large (4.7 inches) and the touch sensitivity is very good. The graphics are clear but not quite as slick as those on my other half’s TomTom.

The female voice is a little bit dead pan and lifeless - almost fully synthesised - but the user interface is simple and unfussy so it’s very easy to navigate around and find what you’re looking for quickly.

The device itself appears to think fast on its feet which is just what you want from a satnav. Once I’d mischievously disobeyed instructions, it recalculated my route in a trice and didn’t ask me to make a single U-turn.

At around £139.99 for the the Euro maps model the Mio Spirit 500 represents decent value for money so if you’re in the market for a handy, user-friendly satnav, check out the Mio website for more details and a list of stockists.