The most significant change on the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 is its boot release. Before you label me an eccentric, or plain crazy, let me explain.

Alfa has never been conventional when it comes to popping its rear lid. Previously, when you needed to open the trunk, you had to push a button located behind the rear-view mirror.

Other places Alfa concealed the switch in the past included the bottom of a bin behind the parking brake and deep within the glove compartment.

But now, Alfa Romeo has finally put the switch where you most need it: on the boot lid itself.

Other than relocating the switch, the 159 is business as usual. Equipment level remains extensive and the cabin is a lovely cocoon of rich leather and generally high quality plastics.

Underneath its skin, the 159 features a new Electronic Q2 system which cleverly uses braking to mimic the mechanical limited slip differential found in dedicated sports cars. The actual handling benefits are hard to define without a back-to-back drive with an older 159 though.

Another new introduction to the 159 range here: diesel power. The range now includes a 1.9- litre engine that runs on diesel. A full tank will last you two weeks or so (around 980km), which is an attractive achievement.

But more than covering distances, the engine also induces the kind of cruising enjoyment associated with big-hearted six- cylinder Teutonic sedans.

The trick is the turbodiesel's bountiful swell of torque. Rated for 320Nm at 2,000rpm, the twist from the 1.9-litre is equivalent to what a 3-litre petrol BMW musters at its peak.

In case your behind is numb to the stirring performance, there is a boost gauge in the cabin to show how hard the turbine is working.

Unlike the 2.2-litre petrol that is partnered with a Selespeed semi-automatic transmission, the diesel 159 features a conventional six-speed automatic gearbox.

Called Qtronic, its shifts are not quite as direct or quick- acting as the Selespeed but it is smoother, especially in city traffic conditions.

Working through the gears manually definitely livens things up. The plus point is the engine responds eagerly, right up to its 4,500rpm redline. Although there is the usual diesel clatter to contend with (especially at idling, when the noise is like a Comfort cab), things improve with revs.

With the engine surfing along, the diesel 159 is not only quick but also actually more entertaining to drive enthusiastically than the 2.2-litre petrol. There is always plenty of torque on hand (or at foot) to thrust the car out of corners effectively.

But thanks to a hefty tax imposed on privately registered diesel cars, the car is not going to be outselling the petrol version anytime soon. A pity.

The consolation is that the 2.2-litre petrol version also comes with the new intuitive boot release.