Alfa Romeo 147 Ti 2006 Review

7-day Test

First arriving in Australia in 2002 with three-door and five-door iterations Alfa's 147 has plenty to offer performance-orientated drivers on a budget. The latest upgrade is more a refinement than an overhaul -- but if it ain't broke don't fix it.

The 'new' 147 has a subtly restyled front and rear, new wheels and an updated interior complete with new dials and switchgear. And it's cheaper to boot.

Sitting on 17-inch alloys and with a widish track, the 147 has a very purposeful stance for a small car. And with its characteristic 'pinched-nose' grille the car looks aggressive too.

The interior -- so often a bug bear in past Alfas -- features black leather Recaro sports seats, and leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob. The seats are very supportive but we found the ergonomics a little muddled and left leg room was in short supply -- it could become seriously uncomfortable on long trips.

The Ti comes well equipped with air-con, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control, CD player, steering wheel controls and nifty interior treatments including credit card and cup holders. Interior-wise there appeared to be none of the quality issues that have plagued Alfa Romeo in the past. In fact the fit and finish was pretty good.

One doesn't buy a car like this expecting limousine accommodation but even so the back seats are particularly tight -- boot space though, is around 15 percent greater than before.

The 147 is pretty well kitted out electronically with six airbags, trip computer, security immobiliser, traction control and ABS.

At the heart of the 147 though is the 110kW/181Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine coupled to either a five-speed manual or semi-automatic Selespeed transmission. The 2.0-litre engine has plenty of punch and the car's small size means it's pretty zippy around town.

The 147 Ti is also reasonably frugal -- around 12lt/100km around town and down to about 8.5lt/100km on the highway.

The 147 has well-weighted and precise steering, agile handling, good grip and plenty of muscle. The engine pulls hard from down low in the rev range and at only 1250kg performance is brisk. It has standout styling and dare I say it -- plenty of street cred.

While hot hatches haven't caught on here yet to the same extent as fuel-burdened Europe it is a burgeoning segment. And with petrol prices again on the rise and the V8's reign under threat, the performance hatch market is going to hot up in Australia.

Alfa's accomplished 147 is going to rattle a few cages.