Alfa Romeo 159 2006 Review
New 159 will appeal to buyers' heads as well as their heartsAlfa Romeo 159
Grunty petrol and diesel engines
Comfortable seats
Not so much
Too much road noise
Tiny glovebox
A few interior rattles
The renaissance started with the launch of the accomplished GT in mid-2004 but this year could prove the biggest for some time now and could put Alfa Romeo firmly on the shopping lists of Aussie car buyers.
But the good news doesn't stop with the 159 sedan. The 159 is the basis for three more new models due this year -- the 159 Sportwagon, Brera and Spider.
Priced from $49,990 to $74,990 the new Alfa 159 is on sale now with a choice of three powerplants -- two new petrol engines and a turbo diesel mated to six-speed manual gearboxes.
The Alfa Romeo 159 went on sale June 1.
FEATURES
In a bid to win back old buyers and attract new customers Alfa Romeo has gone in hard with a very competitive package.
All models include leather upholstery, front and rear electric windows, dual-zone climate control, remote central locking with immobiliser, electric heated and folding door mirrors, stereo radio/10-stack CD with steering wheel audio controls, leather steering wheel and gearknob, fog lights, cruise control, 17-inch alloy wheels, rain and dusk sensors and rear parking sensors.
In addition the V6 model also includes 18-inch alloy wheels, Xenon headlights with washers, front electrically-operated seats with driver's memory, Bose sound system and hands-free Bluetooth telephone connection with USB i-Pod connection.
They offer between 60 and 62kW/litre and almost 90 per cent of maximum torque is available at a low 2000rpm. All meet stringent Euro 4 exhaust emission regulations.
The 20-valve 2.4-litre 147kW/400Nm five-cylinder turbo diesel engine features Alfa Romeo's JTD MultiJet common rail direct injection systems.
All three engines are mated to six-speed manual gearboxes. Six-speed automatic transmissions will become available on 2.4 and 3.2 V6 in early 2007.
The steering wheel is adjustable and in combination with the multi-adjustable seats a comfortable driving position is easily attainable. There is plenty of room for the tall and long-legged. The back seats too are well planned but are really only for two.
One complaint is that the glove box is so small the owners' manual is located in the boot. A couple of credit cards are about all it's good for.
COMPETITORS
Alfa Romeo sees the 3 Series BMW as its natural competitor. The Audi A4 and (when the auto arrives next year) Lexus IS250 also loom large on the radar of Alfa's PR people. It's going to be a tough ask prising customers away from these brands especially with their reputation for quality construction and reliability -- aspects lacking on Alfa's CV in the past. But Alfa Romeo is trying hard and the 159 seems to be the best built Alfa we have driven for some time.
Fighting hard Alfa have priced the 159 very competitively and offer plenty of standard equipment not seen in their rivals including leather interior, 17-inch alloys and CD stacker. On this basis the 159 is very good buying indeed.
CarPoint sampled the 2.2 JTS petrol and 2.4 JTD diesel and both are very impressive engines. Acceleration is fairly brisk with Alfa claiming 8.8secs for the 2.2 and 8.4 for the diesel but feels quicker than that. What is most impressive is the torque of the engines, particularly the diesel which is prodigious.
The engines are both very quiet with just a hint of burble from the diesel. One niggle though is that a lot of road noise comes in through the floor. More sound deadening or some overmats could alleviate this situation though.
We loved the clutch and gearbox combination. The clutch is light (but not overly so) and the gearbox offered slick easy changes. Another great positive was the well weighted steering which in combination with the drivetrain ticks all the 'Drivers' Car' boxes.
The 159 seems very well bolted together and the interiors in particular featured well-fitting panels and quality materials. Our diesel car though had a couple of rattles which may indicate that there are still a few quality issues -- but it's a big improvement overall.
The ride is a good balance between sports and comfort providing both a comfortable ride and good handling. The 159 is a great package and could well prove to be the most important Alfa for some years.
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