Alfa Romeo 156 JTS 2002 Review

Alfa Romeo's mid-sized 156 sedan plays in what must be the most crowded market segment in Australia. A quick tickle of CarPoint's new car search reveals more than 50 different models fall between $45,000 and $75,000. Take out the people movers and 4WDs and you're still left with a bewildering number of vehicles to choose from.

Which is why things like brand awareness and brand quality can play a big part in a purchase decision. How else does a carmaker stand out from the crowd if not by their brand? BMW and Mercedes are know for above average quality and attention to detail, Saab is known for its unique take on design, the Japanese for their mechanical strength and practical focus.

Alfa Romeo is best known as a builder of elegant, exhilarating designs. Stunningly evocative, Alfa Romeo's new car designs inspire the highest form of flattery from other car companies. Take one look at the taillight cluster on the 147 and 156, and then check out Mazda's 2 small car...

Alfa Romeo's also known for some of the sweetest performing, highly efficient engines in production. Witness the awesome, clean revving power of its 3.0-litre quad cam V6 producing 162kW in the GTV coupe and Spider. Even its punchy, torque infested 2.0-litre twin spark four was worth a sigh or two, but that's about to change.

Enter the JTS engine, which Alfa Romeo claims offers better fuel economy, lower emissions and more power and torque in a given engine capacity. Australia will first sample JTS technology on the 2.0-litre, four cylinder engine. Eventually it'll be fitted to all Alfa Romeo engines.

JTS stands for Jet Thrust Stoichiometric, to you and me it means direct injection. Instead of injecting fuel into the induction manifold, the JTS system injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber. Alfa claims its system results in better ignition and a more even, more complete burn which means improved engine response and lower emissions.

The 2.0-litre JTS engine gets new injectors, pistons, camshafts and exhaust system for a net gain of 7kW and 19Nm on the same capacity twin spark engine. Peak power and torque are still produced at the same 6400rpm and 3500rpm respectively.

Alfa Romeo's claim of fuel economy gains is dubious, drawn as it is against engine power output and not kilometres driven. Alfa's claim of 0-100km/h in 8.2 seconds (down from 8.6) seems far more credible.

Alfa Romeo's Australian importers launched JTS in July with a facelifted 156. Only Alfa Romeo diehards will be able to pick the new model without sighting the JTS badge on its rump, the only external difference is the sports side skirts. This was a conscious decision aimed at keeping resale values high on superceded models.

The JTS gains automatic rain sensing wipers, headlight washers, ASR traction control, and VDC and EBA on the ABS. Geddit?! ASR is Anti Slip Regulation, VDC is Vehicle Dynamic Control, EBA is Electronic Brake Assist, and ABS... we all know that one, don't we? More acronyms anyone?

The JTS comes in for a plethora of interior enhancements. A new dashboard finish, entirely new centre console, multi-zone climate control, standard cruise control and Alfa Romeo InfoCentre (trip computer) are all added to the 156 spec, along with a Blaupunkt six-speaker stereo system. Side window airbags enhance the 156 JTS safety list.

On the road, the JTS engine is not backwards in going forwards, providing strong torque across the entire rev range. It's a subtle difference, this engine feels incrementally stronger at all points and in all conditions. Standing starts have a little extra zing, roll-on acceleration is a touch more urgent, and downchanges are answered with a stronger back smacking punch.

We did experience a couple of unsettling hiccups in the Alfa's myriad of stability and traction devices, the anti-lock brakes tapering alarmingly during one switchback corner. The problem occurred twice over our 250km test route inland of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, though we couldn't reproduce it on demand. We'll be testing the Alfa Romeo JTS more extensively in October, 2002, and will publish a full report then.

Perhaps the only other concern with the 156 is the excessive kickback through the steering wheel on poorly surfaced corners. The 156 doesn't have to be moving fast, or attacking a corner for the rough surface to jerk the steering wheel violently in the drivers hands, though it certainly doesn't help. This wouldn't be a big problem if all of Australia's roads were billiard table smooth... but they ain't, so it is.

Until that time, it's hard not to come down in favour of the Alfa Romeo 156 JTS. The last model was already good value, and the new high-tech engine, along with a truckload of additional features and equipment makes it even harder to overlook the 156 JTS. And that's before we wax lyrical about its stirring lines and striking profile.

Mike Sinclair jumps aboard for a seven day test of the Alfa Romeo 156 JTS.

We could at this juncture launch into a detailed (and no doubt boring) technical tour de force on the relative merits of the latest in four-stroke spark-ignited combustion technology - direct injection. But, at the risk of offending the entire engineering department of Alfa Romeo, we're not going to.

Not because the fact that the Italian makers' new 2.0-litre direct injection engine, dubbed JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric), isn't a cracker - it is. Indeed, it's a more than worthy replacement for the 'old-tech' Twin Spark series that Alfisti have loved for the better part of two decades.

Nor is it because the JTS engine doesn't deliver what direct injection proponents promise - a blend of spirited performance and good fuel economy. It does this too. Heck, the new powerplant even copes admirably with what a number of pundits have suggested limits the potential of petrol direct injection - the laughingly unrefined fuel mixes at this end of the globe.

Rather we're not going to waste bandwidth on lengthy explanation of what admittedly is very clever combustion technology because few if any owners of the JTS will care about the millisecond-long goings-on betwixt piston crown and sparkplug. What they will value, and very probably wax lyrical about over a Chinotto or Espresso is the end result - one of the best four-cylinder power plants available Down Under today.

With 121kW and a healthy 206Nm on tap - up 7kW and 19Nm from the venerable Twin Spark - the 2.0JTS is at the muscular end of the atmo four-cylinder world. Lusty, free revving, smooth and yet with a physical and aural signature all its own, this variable-timed DOHC, 1970cc, 16-valve inline four is a ripper.

Being fat and frugal off the bottom - as you'd expect given its long-stroke configuration - is only half the story. Indeed, the engine may pass the tough Euro 4 emission standards but there's plenty up top too - enough top end rush to satisfy all but Honda's VTEC brigade. In fact, it's almost too easy to bump the 7500rpm rev-limiter when exercising the 156 in lower gears.

Given enough room, Alfa says the new JTS-engine will run to around 220kmh, a few km faster than the TS. With the 0-100kmh sprint just over 8.0sec there's almost 0.5sec difference, again in the favour of the new mill.

Installed in the revised and upgraded 156, the new engine joins forces to create an attractive package at the value end of the Euro-prestige spectrum. Indeed, the local Alfa people have done some real work on the spec sheet to reinvigorate the $49,950 156JTS.

At the driver-car interface, there's leather upholstery as standard, revised interior finishes and a new centre console complete mit six-speaker Blaupunkt CD and tuner. New multi-zone climate control and cruise control are standard, as is the new dash-top trip computer, dubbed InfoCentre by Alfa Romeo, and goodies like fast glass, automatic rain sensing wipers and headlamp washers.

Under the skin, there's now six airbags (front, side and window bags) and a trio of computer-controlled dynamic aids - VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), MSR (Motor Speed Regulator) and EBA (Emergency Brake Assist). These, says Alfa, respectively help the driver maintain control of the car in emergency (and during extra spirited corner carving), decrease the chance of front wheel lock up during ham-fisted downchanges and minimize emergency stopping distances.

ASR traction control and antilock brakes are also stock fare.

Out of the showroom and on to the road, the good news continues. This is an engaging ride that rewards controlled inputs. The five-speed manual box takes a little familiarization - it's no S2000 - but it has a real tactility to it. Front-wheel-drive builders generally take note.

Though our launch car exhibited some glitches in the shape of inconsistent ABS operation and an annoying level of kickback in all but the smoothest of corners, our most recent 156JTS was relatively fuss free. A blast up one of our favourite goat tracks showed no significant levels of kickback and the brakes were strong and fade-free. As there have been no published spec changes in the interim, the differences could be something as simple as tyre choice and/or pressures. Or perhaps yours truly just needs to try harder...

The verdict? Well, you can't argue about spec level, and while looks are personal, we still haven't found anybody who hasn't given it the thumbs up. Even the asymmetric positioning of the front number plate works.

There's an option of mating Alfa's Selespeed semi-automatic gearbox to the JTS mill, or auto and six-speed manual versions of the 2.5-litre V6 which top out the 156 range. For our money, however, you're looking at the pick of the bunch... At least until somebody throws us the keys of the 250hp GTA.

BOTTOMLINE: Deserves a spot on the shopping list, but don't buy without driving first.

Alfa Romeos are sporting cars, and wagons are not (depending of course on whether you class wagons such as SS Commodores and the like as sporting), so it was with a great deal of curiosity that we sampled the Alfa 156 Sportwagon.

In the finest Alfa tradition, the car looks the part, combining the bold and distinctive front-end style of the 156 sedan with a body that the tries its best to snub the usual slab-sided design of most wagons. Wagons are bought for practical reasons, not aesthetic ones, but this car’s bold nose, sweeping side window lines and imaginatively designed taillights minimises the design compromise.

Inside, it is a similar story with a good looking dash and plenty of traditional Alfa touches, such as big, deeply sunken round dials for speedo and tacho, plenty of chrome trim and a beautiful wooden steering wheel and gear knob, and there is leather trim as standard. However, the gauges are difficult to read in bright sunlight when wearing sunglasses.

There are also a host of singly-housed auxiliary gauges, all angled to the right, which is good for the driver, but the passenger can’t see the clock.

While the seating position is comfortable, the window sills are too high for both passenger and driver and the door arm rests too low. The central arm rest is nicely padded and folds away neatly and easily, which is good because when changing down gears quickly, the arm rest gets in the way of the driver’s elbow.

The cruise control buttons are located behind the indicator and obstructed from view by the steering wheel, making it impossible to see while driving.

Rear vision isn’t great; the C-pillars are too wide and the rear headrests further impair the view.

Front interior space is good, though headroom is at a premium for taller drivers. Legroom is tight in the back too, with the front seats pushed back.

We initially thought the dual-zone climate control worked well, but it did struggle in temperatures over 30 degrees, and fan is noisy when working hard.

The 2-litre four-cylinder Alfa engine (121kW, 206Nm) lacks start-line grunt and with the air on, was difficult to launch with what we would consider normal revs; it was happier with either more or less throttle. But Alfa engines are designed to rev, not to produce large sums of torque and once underway, the engine provides responsive, spritely performance. On the open road -- Alfa’s natural habitat -- it performs willingly, all the way up to the 7000rpm redline.

Overtaking is easy, and we did so in fourth-gear with plenty in reserve. Generally, the engine is quiet but it develops a very sporting growl as the revs climb.

Conspiring against all of that is a long clutch throw that was not easy to master when getting off the lightly-weighted pedal, especially for someone with long legs. You have to think too much about getting your leg away from the firewall, and that’s not conducive press-on style driving.

Gear selection on the five-speed box is precise and has a sporty feel to it, though the stick is too long.

The power steering is very responsive, sharp and well-weighted but clearly the suspension is designed for superior European roads. The Sportwagon is smooth and quiet when travelling on even surfaces but when travelling over bumpy roads, the ride becomes unpleasant and noisy, and the shock is transferred to the steering wheel.

In conclusion, the Alfa deserves to be on the shopping list, but have a good, hard look at the competition, even if that includes larger vehicles. The Sportwagon has dynamics that make you forget you are driving a wagon, which is great if family considerations dictate the purchase of such a vehicle. On the downside, the problem of launching the car with the air on is frustrating and something that could be hard to live with. The long clutch travel is annoying too, though something you'd probably get used to.