Now that everyone knows Alfa Romeos are beautiful, Alfa are going for a new sales tack, 'Beauty is not enough', and having recently driven the 147 GTA I can testify that they are providing a lot more than just beauty in their new cars.

And new cars is what visitors to the Alfa stand at the Frankfurt motorshow will be getting - for starters the GT which premiered at the Geneva motorshow earlier this year and is due to go on sale in December. Based on the 156, the car is styled by Bertone and is designed as a practical yet desirable GT.

The front of the car looks like a grown up 147 GTA - elegant and just a little aggressive. However from the photos, the rear looks a little uncomfortable. In the metal, it is better and quite distinctive, but it could not really be described as pretty.

The restyled 166 has its world debut at the show in two models - the 3.2-litre V6 manual and the 2.4 Multijet 20v diesel auto. Like the 156 the car has merely undergone a facelift. A completely new front end and revised rear lights bring the car into line with the rest of the range. Inside, the car has "lashings of space" (!) and is available in three trim levels - Sports, Elegant and Classic (not that Mercedes customers are being targeted). The dashboard features four analogue dials which overlap slightly "like Olympic rings" (not that Audi customers are being targeted...).

Six engines are available. These comprise four petrol units: the 150 bhp 2.0 TS, the 188 bhp 2.5 V6 24v, the 220 bhp 3.0 V6 and the 240 bhp 3.2 V6 24v. There are two choices of turbodiesel engines; the 150 bhp 2.4 JTD 10v and the 175 bhp 2.4 Multijet 20v. These are all paired to a six speed manual 'box apart from the 3.0, which has an auto box. There is also an auto option on the 2.4 20v diesel.

As with the 156, the range is available in three specifications; Impression, Progression and Distinctive. A TI (Turismo Internazionale - on older Alfas this denoted the model with the most sports equipment) option pack is also available with lowered suspension for a "more entertaining drive", a special badge and 18" alloy wheels. Inside, the seats are trimmed in black leather with an embroidered TI logo in red. There is also a TI logo on the aluminium sill plate and red starter button and instrument panel lighting.

The restyled 156 and Sportwagon have been updated with a striking new look. Penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro and the Italdesign team, the cars look more taut and sporty than their predecessors. The enlarged front grille is the key to the redesign. All lines converge at this point giving the front a more taut, aggressive look. The bumper is narrower than the older model too. The headlights have been completely restyled - round chrome plated lights on a black background topped by the frowning bonnet replace the original less fussy design.

The rear has undergone a more subtle redesign, the restyled lights now enhanced by swage lines. There's also a new emphasising line above the badge, which takes away from the stylish simplicity the bootlid had.

The interior has also undergone various modifications, with new dashboard colours and optional leather trimmed facia, the only car in this bracket to offer this. Seats are upholstered in leather or 'Alfatex', a new microfibre cloth patented by Alfa Romeo. The centre of the dash now features a multifunction display

There are also four new colours in addition to the existing ones. I've used the Italian names, as the English ones aren't worth repeating: Grigio Luce di Amalfi, Grigio Lipari, Blu Capri and Rosso Siena.

The range is defined as with the new 166 and seven engine options are offered, ranging from the 120 bhp 1.6 TS engine to the 192 bhp 2.5 V6 24v (the 3.2 GTA retains the old 156 look).

Later this year The Car Enthusiast will be driving the facelifted 156. The review will be linked from the main Road Tests page.

We don't yet have a date for driving the new 166. We are hoping to drive the facelifted Spider and GTV before the end of the year though. Not much was wrong with the styling of these cars. The new, more prominent grille has been incorporated and the interior has been updated. Of more interest though is the insertion of the 3.2-litre V6 into the engine bay...

Adam Jefferson - 10 Sep 2003