Alfa Romeo 159 Limited Edition : UNLIMITED AMBITION

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You don't get a lot of classy compact executive saloon for £22,000. Unless of course you're considering this one, Alfa Romeo's 159 Limited Edition. Jonathan Crouch checks it out

Even after all this time, it still seems ever so slightly sacrilegious to put a diesel engine under the bonnet of something as beautiful as an Alfa Romeo 159. Yet the truth is that today, this Italian sporting brand's sales are, quite simply, built around diesel models. Hence, when the time comes to put out short run special models like the 159 Limited Edition we're looking at here, they're almost always based around diesel power.

I remember being at a British Motorshow with Alfa's Marketing Director a few years ago and discussing the merits of the marque's two then recently launched models, the 159 and the Brera coupe. Rather refreshingly, he dismissed the Brera as good enough `but no Audi TT'. Which made me take a bit more notice when we came to consider the 159. `Tell me why', he mused `this isn't the best car in the compact executive sector?'. I couldn't think of an answer right there and to be honest, in many respects, I still can't. All right, so since then, new versions of the Mercedes C-Class and the Audi A4 have moved the goalposts further forward in this part of the market but for a decently specified version of one of these, you're looking at close to £30,000, the story being the same with BMW's improved 3 Series. This 159, in contrast, though still offering nearly as much as a package, can be yours fully loaded for around £22,000. To put that price into perspective, you need to know what it includes. Loaded with more than £3000 worth of gadgets, including lowered suspension, red Brembo brake callipers, sports dials with red background, black leather upholstery, Carbonio black metallic paint and darkened 19" spoke alloy wheels, the Alfa 159 Limited Edition looks tempting. Production is limited to 250 examples, all of which are powered by a 1.9 JTDM 150bhp Multijet diesel engine. Your dealer will even throw in a ready-to-race James Bond Quantum of Solace Scalextric set for the kids (or for you), featuring the Aston Martin DBS and the Alfa 159 (which was the car the baddies used, in case you haven't seen the film). Otherwise of course, the recipe is pure 159, so let's start by exactly what Alfa mean by Multijet. Here, injection pressure is independent of engine speed and can therefore be varied throughout the rev range, irrespective of the amount of diesel being delivered. This improves combustion, which has significant benefits for both performance and economy. Performance first. The rest to sixty sprint takes just over 9 seconds on the way to 130mph - but that only tells a small part of the story. The pulling power of this engine is extremely impressive.

"This remains a diesel car you can really lose your heart to."

Mind you, it's necessary to adopt a distinctly un-Alfa-like driving style to get the most out of the JTD. Instead of searing the engine up to the red line as you would in a JTS petrol model, you have to get used to changing up a lot earlier. The surge of power begins at 1,500rpm and is all over by 4,500rpm. In-between is enough acceleration to take you comfortably into licence-confiscation territory. Of course, you don't get that lovely JTS zing while you're doing it. But you don't buy a car like this for aural pleasure. Alfa reckon that, thanks to their Multijet technology, this 159 is on average 15% more frugal than some of its immediate rivals - and the figures bear this out. With an average fuel economy of around 48mpg, this is a car that doesn't penalise you for having fun. If you were familiar with Alfa's old 156, then you'll find that the 159 has grown in virtually every dimension compared, but it's still a very sharp piece of styling. 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 and a longer front end. As cohesive a piece of penmanship as the 156 was, the 159 is a better balanced car. It's not worth pretending that the front wheel drive Alfa 159 can hold a candle to a rear wheel drive BMW 3 Series as an enthusiast's performance sports saloon but then perhaps this car is a more natural competitor to top-end Honda Accords and Saab 9-3s. This `sub premium' compact executive sector still yields significant returns and is populated by cars like the Volvo S60 and the Jaguar X-TYPE, cars which the Alfa compares very favourably to. The architecture of the 159's cabin is perhaps a little disappointing, offering an evolution of the 156's fascia which looked great in '98 but which now looks a little dated compared to the more imaginative designs. Build quality still seems good though and rear legroom and headroom are both up to the mark, although you'd opt for a Saab or Volvo if this was a priority. The boot, however, is way bigger than you'd have any right to expect and the folding rear seats endow the 159 with an admirable load carrying ability. Overall, the 159 maybe easy to overlook in this sector, but only until you've tried one. If the car in question you get to look at is the limited edition version we're checking out here, you could end up finding this a difficult proposition to resist. This remains a diesel car you can really lose your heart to.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Alfa Romeo 159 Limited Edition
PRICE: £22,170 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 12
CO2 EMISSIONS: 157g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.4s Max Speed 130mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47.9 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