The Alfa Romeo 159 : Finale

So, now that we've decided that it looks simply stunning, the car goes like stick, how does it feel to drive and how does it feel in the handling department?

The car weighs 1550 kg dry and has a 2.2 L powerplant putting out maximum of 185 bhp. Its a little low for the size of the beast at only 119 bhp/tonne and thats all the way at the 6500 rpm range. Not unusual for a natural aspirated car but japanese rivals particularly the "H" brand have achieved far greater numbers, in particular a certain Type-R.

Torque figures however are far more competitive. At only 4500 rpm, the car produces its peak torque at 230 Nm. Making it easier to drive compared to the track-purpose Type-R. I found that in Automatic mode the car simply wants to relax and not bother what goes on around it. The steering is responsive and will happily take bends with ease.

Tap/hold the gearlever to the left for 2 seconds and the car shifts into Manual selespeed mode. This is where it gets fun. The 159 is a front drive format (for those that dont know, this means that the front 2 wheels are being powered by the engine) and as a result handles impecably well around bends and quick turns of the wheel.

You dont feel like your sitting on a spongy cotton candy cloud nor do you feel like you are sitting on concrete with a bare backside. The car simply sits lower to the ground at higher speeds, maintaining comfort as you ride, but with a bonus of feeling much more planted.

Overtaking is a breeze as you dont feel that you strain the engine like in a much smaller 1300 cc car nor does it punch you in the guts and pull your head back like in a turbocharged Golf Gti or WRX.

However I do find there is a slight niggle when it comes to changing gears at low speeds. You try to expect the response to be like in a regular manual but it doesnt come. Instead changing gears downwards or upwards is kind of like playing chess with a computer. You know its fast and accurate but it still decides to think first. Forgivable really but frustrating if your right foot isnt used to the timing.

The trick with the Selespeed is to NOT lift up your right foot as you change gears with the shifter. Maintain position of the rightfoot so you dont confuse the computer.

Fantastic little Italian bella really.

Coming to a halt I check the usual essentials of a car, glove compartment, boot etc etc and find that everything is what you'd want from a sedan but with added excitement of a sports car.

Press the start button to turn the engine off, pull out the key card and you walk way smiling as you turn around to look at it over and over.

...the question is, how does it go?

Step 1.

Insert the key card into its slot. The card is more like a thick slab of packaged butter you get at a hotel restaurant.

Step 2.

Step on the brakes and press the start button on the left of the steering wheel.
The engine instantly roars to life then dies down into a low hum. Weird.
Not like an Alfa at all.

Step 3.

Drive like you're insane.

Well no, not really. You see the 2.2 JTS uses a Selespeed gearbox. The Alfa Selespeed system patented by Magneti Marelli is both an automatic and a manual.
In Manual mode, you push the lever up to change to lower gears. Push the lever down to change to upper gears. Your left foot will be happy because there is no clutch to work with!

To go into automatic mode you have to pull the gear lever to the right and hold for 2 seconds. The electronics will then set the car into D.
Drive as usuall, however, Alfa's do not behave like your typical German or Japanese car. In order for the gear to shift up, you need to let go of the accelerator from time to time.

It takes practice because you have to time your right foot in order to synchronise with your gear changes.

At low speeds the car is happy enough to trundle along and not spur you on to go faster. But secretly wishes that you make it run a little when you see a straight empty road ahead by flooring the throttle. 8 seconds is all it takes to get to 100 kmph and should you have a heavy foot, run all 6 gears and you'll find the speedometer reaching 220kmph very quickly. All in a car that weighs 1.6 tonnes!

...you know you're sitting in an italian.

..when the car completely envelopes you in supple napa leather, the dashboard isn't a plethora of buttons and doodackies. There are no satnavs or in your face LCD monitors to take away the driving pleasure. Your legs somehow manage to squeeze in and your knees within a fraction of an inch to touching the dash.
Sitting in the back offers less legroom and headroom particularly for the 6 footers. You see, Italians aren't a very tall bunch of people so Malaysians would feel quite at home in this car.


The centre console is angled towards the driver in typical Italian style. The turning indicators levers and cruise control sticks exude more class than a bowl of caviar in a posh French restaurant. The gear lever looks at you inviting you to take the car to its limits while shouting out the window at the man driving a Japanese car "You've boughta de wrong car!".

Overall the cabin is certainly a warm place to be in and you would use just about any excuse to drive it, even to the local pub 7-11.

more later...

The Alfa Romeo 159

You may have noticed my sudden affection towards the Alfa Romeo brand. I didnt know used Alfa's were affordable till a few weeks ago.

In 1998 there was a teacher in school who drove an Alfa Romeo Spyder. She was beautiful. (I'm referring to the car!....although the teacher wasnt bad looking herself)

I decided to have a looksee as well as test drive the new AR 159.

Now readers from Singapore may have noticed some of these driving about but thats because the car was lauched there 2 years ago. But north of Temasik, the new Alfa Romeo models have finally arrived thanks to Sime Darby Auto Connexion.

The first thing that you may notice is its proportions. Long sweeping bonnet and low shoulder line creates the illusion that this is a sports car. Well you wont be wrong in thinking so.

This model replaces the highly popular 156 (1999-2006) and immediately drops the hairy chested machismo image of the 156 for a more classy grown up Peirce Brosnan in James Bond look.

The dimensions and pricing of the car look to compete with the Honda Civics, BMW 3 series, Toyota Corolla and Mercedes C class. But should you put the car next to its Japanese and German rivals, the car looks much much smaller.

Peer to the front of the car and you'll notice the front lights have 3 lamps on each side. The Alfa "heart" sits more "upright" now emphasizing the car is now for the more serious of users. The back end of the car retains the solid look of a sporty sedan.

Now onto more interesting bits. The model I tried is the 2.2 JTS Selespeed. The only model available in Malaysia but Sime Darby may decide to bring in the more powerful 3.2 L petrol model if sales go well. It is unlikely they will bring in the 1.9 L diesel as the model requires Euro 4 grade diesel, not available in Malaysia.

Opening the car door activates the selespeed gearbox, you can hear a faint whir and hum, my heart skips a beat but not for the obvious reasons. You see the Selespeed system is notorious for....breaking down. But I certainly the hope changes have been made to improve the overal system.

I sit inside and instantly I know I'm in an Italian car. More later....