26.09.2004 The stylish all-wheel-drive Crosswagon Q4 has just gone on sale, in Paris it has taken centre-stage on Alfa Romeo's modern AND spacious stand

Alfa Romeo have presented a large collection at the 76th Paris International Motor Show, on a spacious stand, finished in very minimalist, modern-looking, silver and red colours.

While the 'World Premiere' of the facelifted Alfa 147 takes centre stage, and the glorious 8c Competzione concept continues to grab the attention wherever it goes, despite being in the public glare for a year now, the new Crosswagon Q4 is doing its bit to grab the show-goers attention.

And it is, without doubt, doing a splendid job of it. One of the two Crosswagon Q4 models on show, both of which are fitted with the powerful 1.9-litre M-Jet diesel, is mounted on a raised dais next to the 8c. Its a prime location, emphasising Alfa Romeo's ambitions for the car.

Behind the car, mounted at an angle, is a cutaway of the engine, suspension and transmission. The neat and compact four wheel drive arrangement, with its ingenious with Torsen C-system differential that continuously modulates torque distribution between front and rear axles according to grip, is laid bare.

Finally, as a giant backdrop, a huge TV-screen pumps out endless footage of the Crosswagon Q4 powering its way through, mud, snow, and rigorous terrains.

Launched back in March at the Geneva Salon, the Crosswagon Q4 is a highly significant model, announcing as it does, the marque's much anticipated return to all wheel traction after a gap of almost a decade.

With four wheel drive set to become a key element of the 'sporty' brand's near future plans, this new model, which went on sale across Europe over the late summer, will be a closely watched barometer.

The centrepiece Crosswagon Q4 here, boasting a sumptuous leather interior, has been presented in a superb metallic silver paint finish. The launch in Geneva utilised a model painted in dark green, a colour that did not in any way do the car justice, and made it somewhat difficult to judge its sharp new lines.

However the colours used here transform the car: it looks positively stunning. The stylish finish blending perfectly with the new matt-grey, off-road-style, plastic panels: the beefed-up bumpers, the jutting wheel arches, and the rakish sill covers. Meanwhile the sweeping aluminium protection plates, together with the similar-polished flowing roof-bars, eye-catching door handles and chunky alloy wheels, neatly carry the theme forward.

All in all the Crosswagon Q4 comes across as a very stylish new addition to the Alfa Romeo family, a car that has turned the much respected Sportwagon into a vehicle that is not restricted by conventional sealed roads.

Most importantly, the Crosswagon Q4 has enhanced the stunning Giugiaro lines, meaning that this muscular car is clearly the prettiest of the new breed of 'crossover' vehicles.

by Edd Ellison in Paris