We leave the Paris Expo at Porte de Versailles, dodge the heavy congestion around Porte de Versailles and climb up onto the Périphérique, right in the middle of the city's notorious rush hour.

For the fast motorway journey across North West France and through the South East of England, into London, after two tiring days, few cars could be more suitably attired for this trek than the new Alfa 159.

A huge step forward in every conceivable area, at last Alfa Romeo has a genuine product platform that pitches the brand firmly into the "premium" automotive segment and a car that is a real alternative to its rival offerings from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Despite being a right-hand-drive model the Alfa 159 is very easy to drive on European roads thanks to its impressive visibility. Here we are queuing at a toll booth as we head North up the A1/E15, towards Calais, the Alfa 159 attracting many glances from passing motorists.

We race up the A1/E15 in the warm French evening sunshine, cruising past the cars and lorries heading northwards on this key artery autoroute.

Approaching Calais and the Alfa 159's wipers are very soon kicking themselves into life and swishing across the windscreen as the weather quickly changes.

Approaching the Calais terminal: The cruise control on the Alfa 159 is simple to operate and, conveniently located behind the steering wheel, it makes motorway driving effortless and relaxing.

By the time we roll up to the "Tunnel Sous La Manche" the heavens have opened and we are in almost monsoon conditions, the Bridgestone tyres though reassuringly gripping the drenched tarmac.

The Alfa 159 simply exudes Italian style and has an unmistakable presence on the roads, and with its bright red Mangoletsi decals glistening in the autumn rain, it attracts much attention.

Le Shuttle is pretty quiet for a Friday evening, and within minutes of our arrival at the terminal we are already ensconced on the train for the just over half hour journey under the English Channel.

Imposing its presence on the train, the Giugiaro-penned lines of the Alfa 159 and its eye-catching Mangoletsi colours attract much attention with fellow passengers, interested to know more about this car.

Building the tunnel under the English Channel has knocked huge chunks off the journey times from France to England, and the trains are quick, pretty plentiful and very quiet and smooth when in motion.

M25 Services: The 150bhp direct-injection 16v diesel engine offers ample power and torque, and coupled to the precise 6-speed gearbox, provides excellent performance and economy.

M25 Services: The Alfa 159 is proving to be a real hit for Mangoletsi, and in particular the 1.9 JTDM, with more than 100 examples having been delivered by them to their customers already.

M25 Services: A huge step forward in every conceivable area, at last Alfa Romeo has a genuine product platform that pitches the brand firmly into the "premium" automotive segment and a car that is a real alternative to its rivals from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

M25 fuel stop: The Mangoletsi Alfa 159 is finished in Alfa Silver (which is a very effective colour at night) with a stylish red leather interior, and with their famous 'arch M' logo in red splayed on the rear doors, and the traditional Alfa Romeo 'serpent' slicing across the roof.

M25 fuel stop: Our car is fitted with stylish 18-inch "telephone dial" wheels and the 235/45 R18 Bridgestone tyres grip the road well, and despite their low profile, do not offer a harsh ride even over poor surfaces.

The M25 motorway just wouldn't be the same without roadworks and the associated speed restrictions, and the long-running road widening operations near Heathrow serve to slow our excellent progress.