Alfa Romeo 159 JTD 2006 Review

Road Test

When Alfa Romeo replaced the 156 with an all-new sedan earlier this year, such was the degree of improvement Alfa claimed the all-new car offered, that it also decided to jump a few numbers. And it certainly is a jump in almost every direction - not least in terms of size. Now almost a medium-sized prestige car in terms of packaging, the 159 seems -- without the benefit of back-to-back testing -- bigger inside than all of its main rivals.

But the growth in size has done nothing to alter the sleek styling of the car and on the road it is still as distinctive and stylish as the rest of the Alfa range.

Being substantially longer and wider (by 225mm and 85mm respectively) and lower than the outgoing 156, the 159 creates an immediately imposing presence with its wedge shape and rearward rising waistline, triple headlights and big 17-inch wire spoke-style alloy wheels.

As you slip into the comfy and big bolstered leather trimmed driver's seat, the view forward emulates an aircraft cockpit with all controls, gauges and instruments aligned for ergonomic use by the driver. The seat adjusts in a multitude of directions and the steering column offers both rake and reach adjustment enabling you to get a good driving position in front of the sporty leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel.

Given the price, the standard equipment list is substantial and includes leather trim, power windows and mirrors, climate control, cruise control and a 10-stack CD audio system, with the latter featuring control buttons on the steering wheel.

It also features a diesel engine for the first time -- in the form of a 147kW/400Nm 2.4-litre five-cylinder common-rail turbo unit.

Fire it up via the push button starter and it has a surprisingly sporty note to it. It is not as quiet as some of the latest generation diesels but neither is it a particularly harsh or agricultural sounding powerplant.

As you firmly plant the right boot, off the line, there is a degree of tardiness as the engine revs rise and the turbo boost develops but hit 2000rpm and you get the full force of the maximum 400Nm thrusting you into the back of the seat. At this point, under forceful acceleration, you can also detect a slight degree of torque steer requiring a firm grip on the wheel but the grippy 255/50 Pirelli tyres have little trouble in maintaining traction -- at least in the dry.

The engine will keep pulling strongly through to about 4500rpm but what surprises is how fast it gets there for the free-revving nature of the engine makes it almost feel like a turbocharged petrol unit. As a result you can get caught short in the wrong gear and an enthusiastic launch requires some pretty quick shifts. Thankfully, the six-speed manual box is pretty slick and smooth with a well-defined gate.

Official ADR 81/01 combined fuel consumption is listed as 6.8lt/100km, but if you push the car on a bit -- and it certainly offers plenty of temptation to do so -- the fuel consumption quickly rises. Over a week's mix of country and city driving CarPoint managed only 9.5lt/100km.

On the highway at 100kmh in sixth, the engine is spinning over at a relatively lazy 1700rpm resulting is a fairly quiet and refined cruise. The underpinnings are definitely on the firm side but the comfy seats and reasonable suspension compliance produces better than acceptable ride quality.

On the flip side, when you get onto a twisty country road, the Alfa sits firm and flat and delivers predictable and sporting handling. The steering is sharp and direct although it doesn't offer the same degree of feedback as some previous Alfas and it still has a huge turning circle for the size of the car.

Push on hard and the well-balanced responsive chassis feels quite lively - possibly a little too lively in some instances with the car getting a little jittery over particularly poor cut up corners - but reasonably stable. When grip does become an issue, the well-calibrated traction and stability control system steps in with the minimum of fuss to guide the car back onto your desired line.

Alfa has always prided itself on delivering sporty sedans and even with a diesel engine under the bonnet, the trademark driving characteristics remain. That said, unlike many diesels, this is not a car to be driven lazily. It demands, and encourages, active driver participation.