Alfa Romeo Brera (2006-) Review

Comfort and Equipment

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This is a comfortable car in which to travel, provided you're sitting in the front. Rear passengers get a very raw deal, because knee room is virtually non-existent for adults and headroom is equally hopeless - but we won't be overly critical for something inherent in coupe's make-up. Front occupants get plenty of space and a pair of shapely, supportive seats trimmed in longitudinal strips of leather, which can be had in contrasting stripes. Extra-soft 'Frau' leather is optional.

The UK's standard wheel is 17", with 225/50 tyres, but 235/45 tyres on 18" wheels are optional.

Dual-zone aircon and cruise control are standard, as is a trip computer whose red-script screen, between the speedometer and the rev-counter, looks a bit cheap. So are a full-screen colour sat nav system with Connect telematics (including a direct line to an information centre), and a Bose sound system to complement the standard CD player.

The Bose bass unit robs the otherwise generous, but quite high-lipped, boot of some space, but you can fold the rear seats to make more room for excess baggage. Storage space isn't brilliant, the huge glovebox lid promising a cavernous compartment that sadly isn't there. The door pockets are small, too, as is the compartment under the centre armrest which also contains the remote boot-release switch (there's another on the key but no external release button).

There's a little wind rush around the frameless door windows, but otherwise the Brera is pretty quiet unless you're listening to the gulping of an open throttle. The tyres can resonate over certain coarse surfaces too.