Alfa Romeo 147 : GOING FOR AN ITALIAN?

The Alfa Romeo 147 Provides A Welcome Breath Of Fresh Air For Motoring Writer June Neary

A small, affordable little Alfa Romeo would, once upon a time, have been something I would have steering people well away from. Not any more. Well, not since the arrival of the 147 anyway. This car has changed Alfa's sales figures in the UK beyond recognition - and deservedly so. Audi's A3 and BMW's 3 Series Compact are its intended target competitors, so you can infer from that that the car had better be not only good but of exceptionally high quality. It is. Yet at the same time, Alfa haven't lost their sense of style - or that great sound when you stretch out your right foot and the open road beckons. For all those reasons, were I to be shopping in this market, the 147 is a car I would find difficult to resist, especially in its recently facelifted form.

There's a real tension in this design: my colleague here recently described it thus: "the bonnet crease points curling over like the whitened knuckles of a balled-up fist. Like an oncoming jab, the overall effect isn't subtle; instead the bearing is one of threatening aggression." All of which rather put me off before my test car arrived and I had a chance to inspect the 147 in the metal. I don't want to be putting out `threatening aggression'. Fortunately, as usual, he had been exaggerating. Alfa says that the 147's original look was been borrowed from the 1949 Alfa Villa D'Este - which didn't mean anything to me. Nevertheless, I quite liked it, particularly from the rear. A seat inside an Alfa used to be not much better than a seat in a Fiat - which was generally where everything was borrowed from. No longer. Sit inside the 147 and the memories of Italianate driving positions that we grew up with in Alfasuds and Giuliettas are banished forever. Seat, pedals, steering wheel, gearstick and mirrors all appear to be positioned around the figure of a human being rather than a gibbon (as was the case with the old 145). The rest of the interior has other such considerate touches too. Alfa hasn't forgotten its heritage and has built upon the inherent romantic appeal of Italian cars. However, its also true to say that around the relentlessly well-finished cabin are some determinedly modern high-tech touches. Six airbags come as standard, as does dual-zone climate controlled air conditioning. State-of-the-art multiplex wiring has made possible the option of a full-screen voice activated satellite navigation system with an inbuilt Bose stereo and GSM telephone system. It's not cheap, but the satellite navigation setup is one of the best available anywhere, as is the Vehicle Dynamic Control, which is a stability control system which aims to prevent the 147 spinning.

There's a choice of three or five-door bodystyles and various engines are offered. The pick of the range could well be the 1.9-litre 150bhp Multijet turbodiesel developing 225lb ft of torque from a low 2000rpm. There's still a lower-powered diesel rated at 120bhp, plus two Twin Spark petrol engines also rated at 120 and 150bhp. Performance tends to be taken for granted with Alfa Romeo ownership, but build quality has in past times often been woeful. Fact is that since the 156 was launched at the end of 1997, Alfa's understanding of how to screw together a decent quality car has come on leaps and bounds. The latest 147 takes this foundation and reinforces it further.

Prices start at a reasonable £14,897 for the 1.6 3-door Turismo I tried. All models get six airbags, climate control, tinted electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, an alarm and a decent RDS radio/CD player with eight speakers. Plusher Lusso specification cars come with steering wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control, alloy wheels, front foglamps and an adjustable front armrest with recess.

In a word yes. It has all the quality of its German rivals with a welcome dash of extra spirit.