THERE are times when updating something which has gone before is not always guaranteed to be a resounding success.
"It's on days like these," as Matt Monro sang in the original film, that I question the creation of a new version of The Italian Job.
Back in 1969, the movie was of the moment. England's triumph in the football World Cup three years previously combined beautifully with the pride of the British motor industry in the form of the BMC Mini in the creation of a big screen bullion heist.
Time will, of course, prove the point one way or the other of this cinematic contemporising, but another recent update of an Italian job in the motor world is one I heartily applaud.
The Alfa Romeo 156 first began to grace UK driveways at the beginning of 1998. Its striking coupe-style bodywork concealed the fact that it was a cleverly disguised four-door medium sports saloon.
A couple of years down the line, the Turin carmaker introduced an estate version. The 156 Sportwagon bowed in with more of the lifestyle look to it than a purely practical load-lugger.
Both Saloon and Sportwagon were the subject of an interior makeover last year and the beginning of last month saw further revised versions of both models launched into the UK marketplace. These changes were designed to further capitalise on the success of the model most responsible for Alfa's progress over the past five years, in which more than half a million 156's have sold worldwide.
From its introduction, the 156 Sportwagon brought a more graceful look to the estate car sector, and recently, I took to the roads in the company of the two litre petrol-powered JTS Veloce. This is one of a septet of 156 Sportwagon versions which also offer three further engine options, two of which are new JTD Multijet turbodiesel power sources.
The original 156 Sportwagon was a very sexy estate car - now, with a new Giorgetto Giugiaro nose and headlight set-up, it is even more head turningly stylish.
More an extended coupe than purely an estate car, the Sportwagon does take putting on the style to new extremes. So much so, that in majoring on the image side the car's load-carrying capacity, while adequate, is not over generous.
However, the Sportwagon does offer added lifestyle practicality over the saloon version. Folding rear seats increase the luggage space, there are facilities to keep cargo under control on the move, plus a power point and hidy holes in which to store things.
All four trim levels come with a generous level of standard kit such as air con, a sextet of airbags, electric front windows, remote central locking, ABS braking with Electronic Brake Force Distribution, ASR traction control and VDC stability control.
The Veloce model moves to a higher plane, adding electric windows all round, dual zone climate control, leather steering wheel, and that fine piece of on-the-move safety kit, steering wheel mounted sound system controls. However, I did feel that perhaps the light beige interior fabric of the test car would not prove too practical in the long run in a family car.
Mounted on 16-inch alloys, the 156 Sportwagon handles sweetly with no hint of its estate car persona, grippy balance taking you entertainingly through a series of bends as the two litre engine warms to its task in refined fashion.
The bottom line is that the further revised 156 Sportwagon is now even more graceful, bringing renewed style to a sector well blessed with quality in the shape of the BMW 3-Series Touring and the Audi A4 Avant.
FAST FACTS
Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon 2.0 JTS
Price: £19,970
Mechanical: 165bhp, 1,970cc 4 cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-spd manual transmission
Max speed: 137mph
0-62mph: 8.2secs
Combined mpg: 31.7
Insurance group: 16
CO2 emissions: 212g/km
BiK rating: 24%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 8yrs anti-rust
Words: Malcolm Robertshaw