The new 631bhp Ferrari Amalfi has been unveiled as the firm’s new entry-level model, with more power, overhauled styling and revamped aerodynamics compared with its Roma predecessor.

Its underpinnings are shared with the Roma, but Ferrari says it is an all-new model, with nearly every panel changed and the front-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 extensively reworked.

That reworking means the Amalfi is a more powerful proposition than the car it replaces, with an output of 631bhp – an increase of 19bhp. Torque remains at 561lb ft, and power is delivered via the same eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for a 0-62mph time of 3.3sec, 0.1sec quicker than the Roma.

While those increases in power and speed seem modest, Ferrari has instead concentrated on making the engine more responsive when operating in higher gears, especially third and fourth. This is most apparent in its 0-124mph time, which now takes 9.0sec – cut by 0.6sec.

Key to this increased responsiveness is a 1.3kg-lighter camshaft, which also allows for a higher engine revolution speed, the fitment of the 12Cillindri’s Bosch-made ECU, which optimises engine performance, and new ducts in the headlights to send more air to the turbochargers while also reducing drag.

Yet while it possesses more power, one of the entry-level Ferrari’s key focus areas was accessibility, according to product development chief Gianmaria Fulgenzi. As a result, the Amalfi is one of the most “drivable” Ferrari’s ever made, which is important because 50% of Roma buyers had never driven a Ferrari before, according to Fulgenzi.

“We wanted to create a car that was for new-to-Ferrari owners, perhaps experiencing a Ferrari for the first time,” he said. “It had to be easy to drive, not too intimidating, even with more than 600bhp. This car is designed to be accessible to everyone while still offering experienced drivers the ability to use its full potential, whether on mountain roads or highways.”

To meet the accessibility brief, work was done to make the Amalfi “more predictable”. New underbody lips and a redesigned active rear wing both work to better manage air flow. With the wing in its most extreme of three positions, it adds an extra 110kg of downforce compared with the Roma.

The Amalfi also has a brake-by-wire system that replaces the mechanical braking components with a computer-controlled setup that in turn translates pedal pressure into the appropriate braking force.

This, said Fulgenzi, makes the car more usable “in any weather condition” and is a “huge improvement” compared with the Roma. “With this system the driver can have the same braking feeling and distance in every situation,” he added. “It is more predictable.”

The changes make the Amalfi quiet, stable and safer when driven in its comfort-focused modes but also “a very high-performing car” when pushed. “We wanted to have a car that everyone can use daily,” said Fulgenzi. “When you are with your family, you want a car that is completely safe. When you are alone, you can [change the settings] to improve your engagement.”

The mechanical changes are extensive, but the design refresh is more evolution than revolution. Chief designer Flavio Manzoni said the aim was to keep the Roma’s design, “but give it a modern touch”, with a focus on simplicity and purity.

Ferrari says every exterior panel – bar the glasshouse – is new, and it is at the front where most of the styling changes have been made. Gone is the Roma’s sleek, pointed nose and grille, now replaced by a new design that is similar to that of the larger Purosangue SUV.

“It was important for us to give a new identity to this car, which is consistent with the identity of the new Ferraris, without repeating the same elements,” said Manzoni. “But there should be a certain family feeling across the range.”

In the cabin a new centre console, referred to by Ferrari as the interior “bridge”, is milled from a solid block of aluminium. It is joined by a new 10.25in central infotainment screen, which sits alongside the 15.6in digital instrument cluster and the 8.8in passenger screen.

One of the biggest changes compared with the Roma is the reintroduction of physical steering wheel controls. This includes the start/stop button, which was requested by owners.

Asked why the Italian car maker changed the name from Roma to Amalfi , despite it still looking similar enough that customers may refer to it as “the new Roma”, marketing boss Enrico Galliera compared it to art. “When you buy a painting, the name should be new. It deserves a new name,” he said.

Deliveries of the new Ferrari Amalfi will begin in left-hand-drive markets at the start of next year, followed by right-hand-drive models soon after. Prices in Italy start at €240,000 (£204,700).

The Roma Spider will stay on sale alongside the Amalfi , with a drop-top version of the new sports car expected to arrive in a few years’ time.