'Sport' is an over-used word in motoring circles. You'll find it applied to the bootlids of all kinds of unworthy cars. Models that in most cases are about as 'sporty' as a half-hearted jog around the block. But not in this case.

True, the 'Sport' badge applied to this Alfa Romeo 147 is a limited edition attempt to shift product. But at least it's a product that's inherently sporty. For not much more than standard model prices (which means from £13,450), buyers can expect to find all the options included they probably wouldn't have been able to stretch to. Which means new 17-inch 5 spoke wheels, satin effect wing mirrors, a roof spoiler and a chrome exhaust. The sport theme continues inside, with some subtle touches starting with exclusive Q2-type cloth used for the seats, aluminium pedals, sports dials, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and darkened roof lining.

The top-of-the-range Sport Q2 version has some unique features over the Sport specification, the most fundamental being the Q2 Limited Slip Differential. This is complemented by lowered sports suspension and unique Q2 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the higher specification machine adds black leather sports seats, dual zone climate control and stainless steel kick plates over the Sport specification. All 147 Sport models are available in Alfa Red, Stromboli Grey or Carbonio Black.

Only 450 147 Sport and 350 147 Sport Q2 models are being made available. The standard Sport variant is available with either a 1.6 TS petrol engine or Alfa's well regarded 1.9 JTDm diesel unit. The Sport Q2 comes equipped with the 1.9 JTDm 16v unit, endowing the LSD-equipped car with a lusty 150bhp. There's a choice of three or five door body styles, whether you go for the stand Sport or the Sport Q2 (available from £16,950 for the three door hatch and £17,450 for the five door version.)

Otherwise, it's the standard 147 recipe, one that was freshened up a little a couple of years back. The styling re-think took its cue from the marque's excitingly styled Brera, the headlamps now being a good deal sharper, tapering to inboard points. These lamps feature triple lamp clusters and the smarter bumper houses tiny front foglamps and far more aggressive air intakes.

"Constant development has made this Italian prestige hatch surprisingly desirable."

Walk round to the rear of this Alfa and you'll spot a chromed strip at the bottom of the tailgate which should do a very good job of dissuading following drivers from high beaming you. The rear lights are a good deal larger than those of the original 147, smeared across the tailgate and rear wing. A redesigned lower bumper assembly houses the number plate and the rear end of the car is nicely finished by a reprofiled tailgate that makes the Alfa badge significantly more prominent. It's tough to spot one bad angle.

If you owned an early 147, you'll also find that the interior has come in for a little attention, the stylists charged chiefly with improving the perception of quality. Soft touch two-tone fascias are in, as are moves to make the instruments that little bit more legible. Other more elemental improvements to the car have included a revision to the suspension, aimed at improving ride quality. There's a great deal of 'tuneability' in the double wishbone front and MacPherson strut rear setup and weight has been reduced significantly.

With the launch of models like the latest 159, Alfa's understanding of how to screw together a decent quality car has come on leaps and bounds. This 147 is no exception, the current car featuring a built-in sense of occasion that's utterly absent from a Volkswagen Golf or even an Audi A3. Sit inside the 147 and the memories of Italianate driving positions that we grew up with in Alfasuds and Giuliettas are banished forever. Seat, pedals, steering wheel, gearstick and mirrors all appear to be positioned around an anthropomorphic figure of a human being rather than a gibbon (as was the case with the old 145). The rest of the interior has other such considerate touches too.

Of the three engines on offer to Sport buyers, we'd recommend the two diesels. There are of course diesels and diesels. Some aren't too far removed from the smelly old clatterers that many of us grew up with, whereas others are unrecognisable from cars of this ilk and are actually preferable to a similar capacity petrol engine. Chalk the JTDm engine as fitted to this 147 up to the latter category. Even the eight-valve version fitted to the standard Sport model is pleasantly punchy, if not in the category of super diesels that are now being explored by companies such as Volkswagen. With common-rail Multijet technology, the 120bhp JTD engine offers a smooth, progressive power delivery, with its 280Nm of torque arriving at only 2,000rpm. All of which means you don't need to bury the accelerator pedal through the carpet in order to make respectable progress.

The torque of this 1.9-litre engine makes the big-boned 147 appear rather lithe, sprinting to 60mph in 9.6 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 120mph. This is a second quicker than the 1.6-litre petrol car, a model which gets nowhere near the JTD's average fuel return of nearly 49mpg. A CO2 emissions showing of just 153g/km also helps to make the diesel car a winner in the environmental stakes.

As a driving machine though, it works best in 150bhp 16v JTDm guise as specified on the Q2 variant. Between 1,750 and 3,250rpm, there's a huge shove in the back, the elastic power delivery catapulting the Alfa down the road in a deliciously addictive manner. Even in sixth gear, the 147 Q2 will dispatch the 50-75mph increment in just 7.9 seconds. From rest, it will accelerate to 60mph in 8.8 seconds and run on to a top speed of 129mph. Average fuel economy is pegged at 47.9mpg and emissions amount to a mere 157g/km.

Overall? Well the 147 is hardly in the first flush of youth. It's no secret that a replacement 149 is just around the corner. But it's also true that the best time to buy any car is at the end of its development cycle, a process which has made this Italian prestige hatch surprisingly desirable. If it takes the Sport marketing package to remind buyers of this fact, then so be it.