Alfa Romeo 159 Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Alfa Romeo 159 range
Prices: £19,950-£28,900 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 10-16
Emissions: 142-272g/km
Performance: [1750 TBi] Max Speed 147 mph / 0-60mph 7.7s
Fuel Consumption: [2.0 JTDm 16v] (urban) 39.8mpg / (extra urban) 64.2mpg / (combined) 52.3 mpg
Safety: Twin front, side and knee airbags, ABS, traction and stability control, ABS with brake assist
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4660/1828/1417mm

YOUR NUMBER’S UP

Our Rating: 7.3 / 10

Alfa Romeo’s 159 continues in its quest to shake the German establishment thanks to an improved engine range. Jonathan Crouch checks it out.

If you habitually buy the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes, it’ll take some mental adjustment to tune into the Alfa Romeo 159. Still, though less buttoned down, it’s impeccably tailored, a class act. Two of the most recent range additions, the 200bhp 1750 TBi petrol model and the 2.0 JTDm 170bhp diesel, are the variants to choose and both saloon and Sportwagon estate body styles remain stunningly seductive.

Alfa Romeo’s 156 did an effective job in establishing the Italian brand firmly in the Compact Executive territory previously dominated by BMW’s 3 Series, Mercedes’ C-Class and Audi’s A4. Its 159 replacement had to improve on perceived build quality, styling and interior space and managed to do so in a way not reflected by sales figures since.

The Italians have kept at it though, further improving 159 saloon and Sportwagon estate models at every opportunity. First we had the Q-Tronic automatic gearbox for turbodiesel models, then the sporty-looking TI trim level. By late 2009 however, the 2.2-litre JTS petrol model that many liked was no longer efficient enough to tempt company buyers who also saw a huge gulf between the 150bhp 1.9 and 210bhp 2.4-litre diesel variants. Alfa’s response was the introduction of a couple of far more modern powerplants to convince the doubters.

Let’s start by talking diesel. Ten years ago, no one would have believed that best selling Alfas would fuel from the black pump – but that’s the case today. Alfa’s sales focus now is on their latest 170bhp 2.0 JTDm engine with its impressive pulling power but for the time being at least, it also sells alongside the older 1.9-litre Multijet unit which soldiers on in 120 or 150bhp guises. At the top of the diesel range, the 210bhp 2.4 JTDm continues on unchanged.

Petrol buyers these days get a much better deal in the form of the 1750 TBi variant, offering 200bhp and a useful 320Nm of torque, developed at 1,400rpm, little more than tickover speed. The 0-62mph benchmark is dispatched in just 7.7 seconds, before topping out at 147mph. However, it’s the flexibility of the in-gear acceleration that sets the engine apart from its competitors. The older 185bhp 2.2-litre JTS engine continues on at the bottom of the range until Alfa UK sell them all, while flagship status remains for the Holden-developed 260bhp 3.2-litre V6 with its Q4 four wheel drive chassis.

On the move, it’s not worth pretending that the Alfa 159 can hold a candle to a BMW 3 Series as an enthusiast’s performance car. Its front wheel drive chassis precludes that but handling can be rewarding and of course the top of the range 159 3.2-litre V6 Q4 has an advantage over some of its rivals when it comes to all-weather security.

The 159 remains a very sharp piece of styling, with 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 that of the old 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.

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 remains good however and rear legroom and headroom are both better than you might expect, although you’d opt for a Saab or Volvo if this was a priority. The boot though, is as big as any in the class and the folding rear seats endow this Alfa with an admirable load carrying ability. The Sportwagon of course, is even better. With 445 cubic litres of luggage space when the rear seats are in place, it’s only 15-litres shy of a 3 Series Touring and a whopping 80 litres up on the old 156 Sportwagon.

If Alfa Romeo’s UK dealer network can get enough executives behind the wheel of either 1750 TBi petrol models or the 2.0 JTDm 16v 170bhp diesel, then it stands a chance of rejuvenating the 159’s dwindling fortunes in the compact executive sector. This is a big ask against rivals as good as BMW’s 3 Series and Audi’s A4, but with performance, fuel and CO2 figures that are now class-competitive, they have at least finally been given the tools to do the job.

It’ll help that equipment le