• Gold award for Giulia's ride and handling

The Alfa Romeo Giulia has once again been honoured at this year's influential Auto Express Driver Power Awards, taking home the Gold prize for its ride and handling category and Bronze in the battle for overall Car of the Year.

In the face of tough competition from across the entire industry, the Giulia showed how popular it is with its owners, taking Bronze in the overall Car of the Year category. The infamous Alfa Romeo driving dynamics were also recognised in the Giulia, as it took home the top prize for its Ride and Handling, while also topping the charts for its engines.

Driver Power is the largest and most comprehensive new car customer satisfaction survey in the UK and uses data from thousands of car owners to rank models on everything from reliability to performance to practicality. Now in its 17th year, the Driver Power New Car Survey delivers a true representation of what a car is like to own.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief, Auto Express commented, "Our Driver Power results couldn't be clearer: owners simply love the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Coming third overall (with a 93 per cent score) is a stellar result in itself, while a first-place finish for the Giulia's ride and handling confirms our road testers' view that the Giulia is a dream to drive. Add in top-notch scores for the engines and safety features on offer, as well as an impressive result for styling, and it's clear Alfa's decision to build a classic rear-wheel drive sporting saloon was more than justified."

Andrew Tracey, Alfa Romeo UK marketing director, said: "The Auto Express Driver Power Awards are a reflection on what it's like to truly own a new car. The results from this year's awards show that the Alfa Romeo Giulia remains one of the best new cars to own, and the fact that this is based on the feedback from actual customers makes this even more meaningful."

Fellow FCA brand, Fiat, was also recognised these annual awards with the iconic Fiat 500 crowned winner of the Premium Small Car category, thanks to its stylish exterior and capable ride and handling.