One of the most stylish estate cars in the world will receive its world debut at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show. The new Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon is identical to the gorgeous Alfa 159 saloon from the B-pillars forward, sharing the sharply sculpted 'beak' and distinctive three-lamp headlight arrangement. A thick C-pillar and sloping third side window disguise the relatively upright rear window, but there is no doubting that Alfa sacrificed outright load lugging ability for style. Indeed, the 159 Sportwagon is no longer than the saloon it is based on.

Buyers will have a wide choice of engines for the 159 Sportwagon when it reaches UK shores late this year. There are three petrol engines: 160bhp 1.9-litre and 185bhp 2.2-litre four-pots and Alfa's 3.2-litre V6 with 260bhp. All petrol engines are fitted with direct injection technology and continuous valve timing on both inlet and exhaust valves. Diesel options are in the form of three Multijet turbodiesel units: the 1.9-litre engine is available in either 120bhp (eight valve) or 150bhp (16 valve) varieties, and the diesel range is topped by a characterful 2.4-litre five-cylinder utilising four valves per cylinder to extract 200bhp. A six-speed manual appears to be standard across the range, with six-speed auto and Alfa's Selespeed (clutchless manual) gearbox optional. As with the saloon, the new Sportwagon is front-wheel drive as standard, with the option of Q4 four-wheel drive on the higher-powered derivatives.

Alfa Romeo will be hoping to tackle the excellent BMW 3-series Touring head on with the 159 Sportwagon, and on style the Alfa wins. The 159 has a good chassis, but the BMW 3-series still leads the class on dynamics. The Q4 versions have a better chance of appealing to drivers, though with a stylish and comfortable interior, the Alfa looks to be a strong package against other buyer options.

Watch out for our review of the new Alfa 159 Sportwagon later this year on the Alfa Romeo Road Tests page.

Shane O' Donoghue - 1 Feb 2006