Fridae

Did you notice the pair of black Alfa Romeo 159 sedans featured in the opening scene in the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace? Oddly, being easily the best looking compact executive car in the world has done little commercial favours for the Alfa Romeo 159, what has gone wrong there? With Audi A4s, BMW 3-series and Mercedes Benz C-Classes crowding our roads, the glamorous Italian brand is clearly over-shadowed by the German trinity of premium cars.

The Giugiaro honed lines of the 159 may look like an evolution of the 156, which is no bad thing since the 156 remains one of the most beautiful sedans on our roads since its launch a decade ago. The 159 carries better proportions as the front bonnet is now longer and more elegant. The Italians have clearly played their heritage card very well on the styling of the 159. The facelift, which the 159 had just received, had no major alterations, a strong testament to the beautiful lines.

This handsomely styled executive sedan is capable of housing rear passengers in reasonable comfort, which is a good thing since the interior is a lovely showroom of Italian craftsmanship. Cabin insulation is up there with the best executive cars money can buy. The best seat remains the driver's as the dash is slanted towards him. Alfa still believes in a sporting environment: the centre of the 159's dash is angled to present three minor dials - turbo boost, water temperature and fuel level - at the driver, just like the '69 Spider and plenty of Alfas since.

More importantly, previous Alfa Romeo interior ergonomics bugs have since been banished. Every control and functions are now in logical places. There is also a reasonable amount of boot space at 403 litres. With the new found levels of spaciousness, particularly in the front, the 159 has evolved into one of the most practical compact executives out there.

The new diesel engine is the highlight of this particular test car; a 1.9 turbo-charged diesel engine joins the 159 range in Singapore for the first time. A power rating of 150 horsepower does not sound a lot these days in an executive sedan weighing as much as 1.5 tonnes. The facelifted 159 comes with a weight reduction in an attempt to boost performance, fuel efficiency and carbon emissions and road-handling manners. For the 1.9 JTDM, it benefits from a weight reduction of 55kg. Sadly, the century dash of 9.5 seconds is simply not urgent enough. Turbo lag remains a bugger for all diesel engines. A lunch date with five other Fridae staff members on board was simply punishing the engine, as it reaches an unpleasant octave range that even scream queen Mariah Carey is incapable of. Slightly lethargic performance aside; the typical diesel clatter on idle remains but quickly dissipates once on the move.

A piece of advice to potential Alfa owners is to lay off the power sapping automatic gearbox, or even the slow witted automated manual gearbox. Stick to shifting gears yourself, not a bad idea as the manual gearbox is extremely satisfying.

Despite the shortcomings of the engine, the 159 JTDM comes into its own when in the handling stakes. The hydraulic power steering is accurate and weighs very nicely, not unlike a proper sports car. Disappointingly for passengers, the ride quality edges towards busy as the 159 could struggle to settle down on poorly paved roads. Which I feel is a fair trade off for its handling finesse. With double wishbones up front and multilink suspension in the rear, and shod with 225/50 R-17 Pirelli PZero Rosso tyres, the 159's body control is impressive at all turns and speeds. Also being blessed with 305mm front ventilated and 278mm rear solid disc brakes gives a progressive and assuring feel.

Is this an Alfa where the heart meets the head? The much appreciated fuel efficiency of the 1.9 litre diesel engine is much kinder to the wallet than the petrol 2.2 JTS. As beautiful as the Alfa Romeo 159 might be, it pales in comparison with the Germans and the Japanese when it comes to reputable reliability. However, with all the blues among the current credit crunch, the Alfa Romeo reflects in a need for us to trust again. The 159 1.9 JTDM is a good place to start.

	Alfa Romeo 159 1.9 JTDM
Engine	1,910cc, 4 in-line 2 OHC Multijet direct Injection with Turbo (Diesel)
Transmission	6-speed Automatic, Front Wheel Drive
Max. Power	150 bhp @ 4000 rpm
Max. Torque	320 Nm @ 2000 rpm
0-100 km/h	9.5 s
Top speed	209 km/h
Fuel Economy	7.1 l/100 km(combined cycle)
CO2 Emissions	187 g/km
Dimensions (L x W x H) / Weight	4660mm x 1828mm x 1417 mm / 1495 kg
Price with COE*	S$133,912

*Prices quoted are indicative of prices in Singapore. Please contact your local distributor for prices in your country.