Alfa Romeo 156 1.6 TWINSPARK
Alfa Romeo's Latest Entry-Level 156 Makes A Lot Of Sense On Paper. But Would You Really Want To Own One? Jonathan Crouch Decides
So you'd like one of those prestigiously badged compact executive sports saloons? The problem is that your budget is hardly large enough to afford one of the cheap four cylinder ones and they're no fun to drive.
Here's one that is. Alfa Romeo's 156 has long been the individualist's choice in this area of the market and would have been more popular still if it had originally been available with the entry-level 1.6-litre Twinspark 16v engine offered everywhere else. Alfa belatedly put that right a few years back and have more recently refettled the 156 line-up in the face of strong competition. The 1.
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6-litre version featured here is available from £14,810 in saloon form with Sportwagon estate models pulled only by the ranges larger engine options. The latest set of styling changes have refreshed the look nicely without altering the basic silhouette. The deeper front grille and the frowning jewel effect lights will catch the eye of the dedicated Alfisti, but few would spot the differences if unprompted. Genuine anoraks will also spot the microscopically modified tail lights and the Sportwagon estate versions ever-so slightly cleaner rear bumper design.
There are six airbags as standard, plus the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) stability system, traction control and remote central locking. This version comes in three trim levels missing out only on the top-spec Lusso package. All include air-conditioning, ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) and a CD player. At Turismo level, you also get alloy wheels, front fog lights and a leather steering wheel, while Veloce models include a sports body kit and dual-zone climate control.
"You're not made to feel cheap just because you've bought the least expensive model....
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The 120bhp unit on offer is the same as that used in the smaller 147 hatchback Alfas - which means it's an engine fit to power a proper sports saloon. Rest to sixty takes 10.5s on the way to 124mph but it feels faster. It's even good on fuel you should average 35mpg. Otherwise, this car is just like any other 156: you're not made to feel cheap just because you've bought the least expensive model. Of course, not everyone will like it which apparently is intentional. That styling falls into the love-it-or-hate-it category. Instead of trying to be all things to all men, the Italians say their cars try instead to be everything to just a few.
Sounds good in the brochure that, but what does it mean in real life ownership? Well the first thing to say is that this is the best built, highest quality
Alfa Romeo ever made the only exception being the larger and more recent 166. Early cars had the odd quality glitch but these appear to have been ironed out since: it's hard to find too many people disagreeing that this car is just as well put together as a 3 Series or a C-class. Turn the ignition key and even this smallest 1.6-litre Twinspark engine sounds good. If you've a drop of real driving blood in your veins, that muted roar works every time. Which isn't to suggest that the 156 lacks anything in terms of refinement. In fact, it's actually the quietest car Alfa Romeo has yet produced, with a sound-dampened cabin that lets you and a friend talk over old times instead of talking over the engine. Only the elements you want to hear make it through. Out on the road, the story is much the same. Enthusiasts may think fondly back to Alfas like the 1900 or the Giulietta, the Giulia or the Alfetta.
Truth to tell however, these, though great cars, were never really great travelling companions. If you weren't in the mood to enjoy them, then a personality clash was sometimes inevitable. That things are different in a 156 is evident from the first moment you drive one. Gone is the strange Italianate seating position of previous models. "If you can't get comfortable in this car", observes a company spokesman, "then you need to see a doctor, not a dealer". The controls are angled towards the driver; so is the gear stick. Plus, there's a climate control system good enough to deliver everything from Malibu in March to Alaska in August. But you'll want to know what it's like taking to the tarmac, gunning through the gears. Buy one and everyone will be asking. There's something about the look of this car which is deeply suggestive in this respect. Perhaps it's the coupe-like styling; perhaps the high waistline. Are these the hallmarks of what Alfa Romeo calls "a great sports saloon"? You'll soon see. Select your favourite road. That one you love with the sweeping, open bends, the curving cambers and the blind brows. The 156 is soon humming along it, the response to your every movement immediate.
Your brain tells your hands to turn. The car responds as if it were eavesdropping. All right, so you soon find yourself wishing for a bit more power: if you can afford a bit more, the 1.8 or 2.0-litre JTS versions will of course please far more in this respect. There's not very much rear legroom in the back either: any
Ford Mondeo or
Vauxhall Vectra will give you much more. But then, you could say the same about a 316i or a C180. Buy this kind of car and you don't tend to want to sit in the back. Given that this 1.6-litre model could be yours for pretty much the same money as a Ford Mondeo or a Vectra, it makes a lot of sense. More natural prestige competitors from
BMW,
Audi or Mercedes will cost you up to £5,000 more.
Of course it also helps that Alfa Romeo residual values are now quite comparable to those of its German rivals. As is the 156. One insider has described it as "the car for the BMW fan who's wavering". And that about sums it up.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Alfa Romeo 156 1.6 Twinspark
PRICES: £14,810-£16,960 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 195g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.5s Max Speed 124 mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 24.8mpg / (extra urban) 44.1mpg / (combined) 34.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4430/1745/1415mm
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