Alfa Romeo 159 3.2 JTS V6 Q4
Objectivity is easier with some cars than others. As much as Id love to tell you how many cupholders, how much rear knee room and what sort of pence per mile figure you could expect over a three year/36,000 mile ownership period with Alfa Romeos 159 3.2-litre V6, Im sorry; I just cant. Im going to put my hands up, surrender my responsibilities as your doughty motoring correspondent and just sit here for a while looking at the thing.
Im not the only one whos been beguiled by this cars styling. There are whole legions of buyers who dont care about the interior ergonomics, boot space, fuel economy, emissions, materials quality or even, within reasonable bounds, the cars asking price. All they know is theyve seen one in the pages of a magazine and they want one. Badly.
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2-litre model we examine here is the range-topping variant, priced from £27,050, and is offered not only in saloon guise but also as a snake-hipped Sportwagon model too. Id hesitate to call it an estate because its exactly the same length as the saloon and doesnt appear to offer too many advantages in carrying room, but its also devastatingly handsome. The sleek lines of the long roof give it a coupĆ© feel, as does the roof spoiler and the edgy aerodynamic styling, while a flexible and functional interior offers improved versatility when compared to the old 156 Sportwagon. If youre planning on hauling furniture about, however, youll probably need to shop elsewhere.
"Think that youre au fait with the Alfa 159 3.2 V6? Delve a little deeper and itll throw another surprise at you. This car takes a lot of getting to know"
Enthusiasts may well be thinking that 260bhp is an awful lot to direct through the front wheels of the car and theyd be right. Although the old 156GTA was an exciting ride, there was no doubt that it was right at the limits of what it could deploy to the tarmac. Accelerate that car hard and the nose would rise, weight over the front wheels would reduce and youd see the traction control light flashing dementedly as the electronics fought to control wheelspin, the engine cutting power back. Especially in the wet.
This proved rather frustrating when trying to exploit the cars magnificent engine but the 159 has all the answers. Rather than rely on just the front wheels, the 159 3.2 V6 spreads the burden amongst all four. Yes, you did read that right, this car features Alfas Q4 all-wheel drive system, giving it some genuine all weather capability.
Its properly quick too, getting to 60mph in a fraction over 6 seconds and running on to a top speed in excess of 150mph. Based on a Holden unit from Australia, this is not the 3.2-litre many will have been expecting but its not a direct transplant, Alfa Romeo having done a whole raft of tuning and fettling in order to give it that characteristic Alfa sound. You wont buy this engine for its economy or emissions.
Youll buy it for its ability to put a number on rivals from BMW, Audi and Mercedes in virtually any weather condition and at a price that undercuts rivals when equipment counts are taken into consideration. After watching one appear in my rear-view at the Nurburgring, I can assure you this vehicle has more overtaking presence than almost any BMW, the gimlet-eyed headlamps and razor-sharp front grille looking rather intimidating. The rear end is genuinely tricky to differentiate from the 156 at first glance, but the side view shows sharper creasing and swage lines with a longer front end. As cohesive a piece of penmanship as the 156 was, the 159 is a better-balanced car.
The architecture of the 159s cabin is perhaps a little disappointing, offering an evolution of the 156s fascia which looked great in 98 but which now seems a little dated compared to the more imaginative designs out there. Build quality is better than before and rear legroom and headroom have both improved, although youd opt for a Saab or Volvo if this was a priority. Safety is an area that Alfa have taken huge strides forward with in recent years and the 159 3.2 V6 shows this quite clearly, the car having been awarded a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
One of the Alfas aims with the 159 project was to take the lead in the field of automotive passive safety. An Alfa Romeo engineered all-new floorpan, which incorporates high performance materials, multi-ply sheet metal, and laser welding helps on this score. The construction of the bodyshell also benefits from numerous measures, such as the use of boxed elements that are rigidly connected both transversely and vertically; three load lines in the front, longitudinal beams that run the entire length of the car, built-in deformable structures, and a large number of spot welds around structural nodes. The result is impressive torsional rigidity of the bodyshell which Alfa claim is the best in class.
The 159 also boasts as many as eight airbags, (seven of which will be standard equipment on UK cars), including special bags to protect the knees, and sidebags that extend all along the window area. In addition, there are innovative restraint systems (pre-tensioners and load limiters on the seatbelts), and front seats with an anti-whiplash system that automatically brings the head restraint closer to the occupants neck in the event of a rear impact. There are also a number of electronic systems that enhance the cars dynamic behaviour, including a Vehicle Dynamic Control system (VDC), Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), Hydraulic Brake Assistance (HBA) which cuts in during emergency braking, ABS anti-lock braking complete with EBD, and a Hill Holder to simplify hill starts. The 159 3.
2 V6 is more than just a pretty face. Getting buyers to care may well be Alfas only problem.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Alfa Romeo 159 3.2 JTS V6 Q4
PRICE: £27,050- £29,550 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 273g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 7.2s Max Speed 147mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 24.4 mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and knee airbags, ABS, traction and stability control, ABS with brake assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4660/1828/1417mm
