Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 



Every cloud has a silver lining. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

Every cloud has a silver lining
For a long time now Alfa Romeo has been a staunch supporter of the enthusiast's car for the family.

   



<< earlier review     later review >>

Reviews homepage -> Alfa Romeo reviews

I'm not saying that starting a family can be likened to living under a cloud exactly, but the arrival of the first kid in a car enthusiast's life usually signals the imminent trading in of the car of choice for a car of necessity. Thankfully, that choice has been made easier in recent years, as the car makers strive to fill every niche market. For a long time now Alfa Romeo has been a staunch supporter of the enthusiast's car for the family with its Sportwagon tag. Here we test drive the latest addition, the 159 Sportwagon.

At the time of writing, there are seven basic versions of the Sportwagon available in Britain. All models come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox and the V6 petrol engine can be had with Alfa's Q4 four-wheel drive system. There is a range of nearly new petrol engines, all with direct injection and variable valve timing on both inlet and exhaust camshafts, along with four valves per cylinder. The entry-level model is powered by a 160bhp 1.9-litre. Next up is a four-cylinder 185bhp 2.2-litre and the all-new 3.2-litre V6 that produces up to 260bhp. The diesels are predicted to sell particularly well, at 75% of all 159 sales in the UK. There are two turbodiesel options: a 1.9-litre that produces 150bhp and the engine tested here, a five-cylinder 2.4-litre with an impressive 200bhp at its disposal.

Peak power never tells the full story in the modern turbodiesel so you should be just as impressed by this engine's peak torque figure of 295lb.ft, at your disposal from only 2000rpm. We tested this engine in the Fiat Croma too, though its characteristics have been altered slightly for the Alfa Romeo installation that includes mating it with a six-speed manual gearbox. Alfa Romeo claims to be the first manufacturer to have produced a common rail direct injection diesel engine (with its 1997 Alfa 156) and has since added multiple injections (MultiJet in Alfa/Fiat speak) and multi-valve technology to the mix.

The previous generation 10-valve, five-cylinder turbodiesel was never short on grunt, but it was a noisy unit and was not very well isolated either. In a way, the gruff character suited the sporting Alfa Romeo image, but numbers sold were small. The new car is a paragon of excellence, with the engine nicely muted unless you really push it towards its red line, in which case it sounds quite good thanks to the off-beat nature of a five-cylinder. This is one of many improvements to the 159 (over the Alfa 156) that indicates how much Alfa Romeo wants to be taken seriously in the executive market.

Only 25% of all 159s sold in Britain are forecast to be the Sportwagon estate, so Alfa Romeo wants it to be compared not with the mass-market Mondeo/Vectra brigade, but the more prestigious BMW 3 Series Touring, Audi A4 Avant and Saab 9-3 SportWagon. On style alone the Alfa 159 has those cars licked; this is one of the best-looking estates available at any price, from its distinctive 'beak' grille and six round lights at the front to the curving side profile and characteristic Alfa rear lights. Look closely though and you'll notice that the side-glass actually curves away from the roof line towards the rear at the same time as tapering from the bottom. That little design trick hides the visual bulk of the rear end. You see, style has never really been an issue with Alfa Sportwagons, but in the name of design, practicality has often been compromised in the past. Not any more.

The new 159 Sportwagon holds 445 litres of luggage below a cover, which is a little less than the BMW 3 Series Touring, but more than the Saab equivalent. Usefully, the 60:40 splitting rear seat also folds flat allowing the carrying of up to 850 litres of luggage below the window line. Just as importantly, the 159 Sportwagon can fit in the family. Thanks to an increase of 105mm in the wheelbase over its predecessor, the 159 has what we can happily describe as decent rear legroom.

Alfa Romeo interiors are historically focused on the driver. Though other occupants are not second-class citizens, the 159 carries on that tradition with the deep-set, circular instruments angled towards the driver. Our only complaint with this is that the passengers don't get to see the clock if the stereo is turned off. In our time with the car, the interior felt well made and looks classy at the same time as sporting. It's worth noting that the aluminium-look textured material (standard on Lusso models) and all other plastics in the cabin are good to touch, as is the switchgear and a three-spoke steering wheel wrapped in leather. Nestling behind the wheel, it is easy to find a good driving position thanks to the level of adjustment available. Time to drive.

After 20 miles or so, it struck me that the 159 Sportwagon feels like a much bigger car than either the 3 Series or the Saab 9-3. That is not to say that it is lumbering and awkward, but that its controls make it feel, well, heavy, and you can sense its mass when changing direction quickly or coming to a sudden stop. Overall, the 159's dynamics are among the best five cars in its class, but it's no sportscar. We should have expected that when Alfa mentioned that the car's dynamics have been tuned for a wider audience than before.

I still enjoyed the Sportwagon on some challenging roads. Its brakes are particularly well modulated; the gearbox is as slick as the competition's and the steering has plenty of feel and is suitably direct. The downside of the feelsome helm is what feels like mild feedback of torque steer. Blame that torquey engine (or the weight of my right foot...), but it is very easy to spin a wheel while exiting a junction quickly. Like good 'family planning' the traction control system is quick-witted enough to rein in your excesses without ruining your fun...

There you have it; the Alfa 159 Sportwagon is a worthy competitor to the many lifestyle estates now on sale. For the first time in Alfa Romeo's history the balance is weighed in the favour of practicality, though it is still a good car to drive. We see it as a family car that the enthusiast won't turn their noses up at. Possibly even the silver lining...
Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon UK range overview

- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 1.9 JTS Turismo: £21,095
- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 1.9 JTDM 16v Turismo: £21,595
- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 2.2 JTS Turismo: £22,095
- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 1.9 JTDM 16v Lusso: £22,995
- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 2.2 JTS Lusso: £23,495
- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 2.4 JTDM Lusso: £25,495
- Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon 3.2 JTS V6 Q4 Lusso: £29,350

Shane O' Donoghue - 10 Aug 2006



  www.alfaromeo.co.uk    - Alfa Romeo road tests
- Alfa Romeo news
- 159 images

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 specifications: (2.4 JTDm Lusso)
Price: £25,495 on-the-road
0-62mph: 8.6 seconds
Top speed: 140mph
Combined economy: 40.4mpg
Emissions: 184g/km
Kerb weight: 1680kg

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.



2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2006 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 






 

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©