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A little history…
Alfa Romeo is one of the longest surviving motor manufacturers.
It was first formed in 1910 as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda
Fabrica Automobili) to build French cars under licence. Nicola
Romeo bought out the company in 1915 and it subsequently became
known as Alfa Romeo. A number of gifted engineers saw Alfa Romeo
win the first World Championship in 1925 and numerous road races
in the 1930s.The late 1940s and early 1950s saw the Alfetta
grand prix cars assert complete dominance over grand prix
racing. The 1950s also saw the emergence of the company as a
mass-producer of road cars rather than a producer of bespoke
road cars and race winners.
Alfa Romeo. The very name conjures up images of racing glory.
The Milanese maker had much success in the great road races –
the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia and Le Mans. The marque was also
known for hugely successful grand prix cars and svelte, sexy
sports cars.
The racing successes were, however, mostly a very long time ago
and unfortunately the brand's road cars became known, in the
1970s and 1980s, for rust, dodgy electrics and patchy build
quality. Despite this, however, a little of the past magic shone
through in the company's products. With Italy's largest
automaker, Fiat, buying Alfa in 1987, a slow renaissance began. |
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And so to the Alfa Romeo 159...
At the core of Alfa Romeo's current line-up is the 159
range. Here we test the 159 2.4 turbo diesel. This model
accounts for the majority of new car sales in New
Zealand, indicative of the growing popularity of diesels
in NZ.
They have long made up the majority of sales in Europe.
Sales have also been helped, no doubt, by the
availability of a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The next
biggest seller is the 2.2 petrol four cylinder. The
top-of-the-range 3.2 v6 Q4 (four-wheel drive) model
comes next, with the 1.9 diesel accounting for only a
few sales.
First impressions of solidity are borne out by a quality
interior with a slightly retro dash and console angled
towards the driver. The car is stacked with extras as
standard, which befits a car in the premium saloon
sector, including dual climate controlled air
conditioning and leather interior.
The 159 wears Alfa's new corporate face, also shared by the
Brera sportscar and convertible Spider. The styling is certainly
more aggressive and solid looking than its beautiful
predecessor, the 156. Although I think it quite masculine in
appearance my wife adored the styling so it will appeal to both
him and her. There are some lovely details – witness the
exterior lights.
Driving it...
The expectation of any new Alfa is that the driving
experience will incorporate fun and feel. The 159
doesn't disappoint, with a planted feel and very
competent dynamics. The wishbone front suspension and
multilink rear set-up is aided by anelectronic
stability program. |
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What did take a bit of 'getting the head
around' was that such an overtly sporting car should have a
diesel engine under the bonnet! Driving in the normal mode
showed a somewhat leisurely demeanour and should provide fuel
consumption as low as 6 litres/100km on the open road. At the
push of the sport button the car takes on a much more sporting
character with the 6-speed auto holding on to the lower gears
longer. Personally I'd be driving it in sport mode most of the
time!
Safety
The 159 comes with the following safety features as standard:
*driver and passenger airbags
*seat-mounted side airbags, head curtain airbags and
driver’s knee airbag
*Height adjustable inertia reel front seatbelts with pre-tensioners
*side intrusion bars in the doors
*5 star Euro NCAP crashworthiness rating (the highest
available)
Family-friendly Features
Given its sporting car character, how does the 159 'stack up' as
a practical family vehicle? Well, pretty well, actually, with a
roomy interior and good size boot. The 159 Sportwagon's useful
445 litres of load space rises to nearly three times that amount
with the 1/3 2/3 split rear seats folded. The Sportwagon also
has roof rails for a luggage carrier.
Specifications (petrol 2.2 JTS)
Technical:
*2387 Direct injection common rail diesel (2198 4 cyl 16 valve
injected)
*power 147kw (136kw)
*transmission: 6spd manual or optional 6spd auto (6spd man or
6spd selespeed – this is a robotised clutch gearbox with paddle
shift gear selection)
*4 wheel disk brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution,
emergency brake assist and electronic stability program
*5 star Euro NCAP rating
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Equipment includes:
*6 airbags *rain sensing wipers
*cruise control *parking sensor
*17-inch alloy wheels *radio CD stacker with steering wheel
*leather upholstery controls
*auto headlight *dual climate controlled air
conditioning
Performance
0-100kmh 8.4 secs (8.8 secs)
maximum speed 224kmh (222kph)
fuel consumption; urban 11.6 litres/100km (13)
extra urban 5.9 litres/100km (7.3)
combined 8.0 litres/100km (9.4)
Warranty
3 year/100,000km |
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Summary
Occupying the premium midsized saloon segment of the market, the
159 isn't in the everyman (or woman) load hauler category.
However, at the current price entry point of $49,990 on the road
for the 2.2 JTS petrol model it provides a very real alternative
to the default German choices of Audi and BMW.
It has the style and qualities for sales success.
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Prices:
2.2 JTS (Manual) $56,990
2.2 JTS (Selespeed) $59,990
2.4 Diesel $66,990
2.4 Diesel Sports wagon $69,990
www.ccs.co.nz
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