Alfa Romeo 147 - beautiful Italian
German and Japanese cars in the minds of users have earned the opinion of cars that may not cause delight in body lines and style, but certainly repay above average durability and uptime. French cars, on the other hand, are the epitome of above-average travel comfort. Italian cars are style, passion, passion and madness - in a word, the embodiment of great and violent emotions.
One moment you can love them for their beautiful body lines and attractive interior, and the next you can hate them for their whimsical character...
Alfa Romeo 2001, introduced in 147, is the epitome of all these features. It delights with its beauty, durability and reliability, and can delight a shoemaker. But is the stylish Alfa really as much of a hassle to run as it is common to think of Italian cars?
A little history. The car was introduced in 2001. At that time, three- and five-door variants were offered for sale. The beautiful hatchback was equipped with modern 1.6 liter petrol engines (105 or 120 hp) and a 2.0 liter engine with 150 hp. For those who are economical, there are very modern and, as it turned out years later, durable and reliable diesel engines of the JTD family using the Common Rail system. Initially, the 1.9-liter JTD engine was available in two power options: 110 and 115 hp. A little later, the model range was expanded to include versions with 100, 140 and even 150 hp. In 2003, a sports version was launched on the market, designated by the abbreviation GTA, equipped with a V-3.2 engine with a capacity of 250 liters and a power of 2005 hp. This year the car underwent a facelift. Among other things, the shape of the front part of the body (headlights, air intake, bumper) was changed, the dashboard was redesigned, new finishing materials were introduced and the equipment was enriched.
The Alfa 147's body line looks exciting and stylish even today, a few years after its debut. The unconventional front of the car, with a flirty inverted triangle air intake that runs from the hood to the middle of the bumper, seduces with sex appeal and mystery. In the sideline of the car, it is impossible not to notice a few stylistic details. First of all, the attention is drawn to the rear handles (in the five-door version) ... or rather their absence. The manufacturer, following the model 156, "hid" them in the edges of the door. The taillights, which flow to the sides, are very rounded and look seductive and light. Beautiful aluminum wheels emphasize the individuality and craftsmanship of the entire exterior design.
The widespread individualism in the design of the car body left its mark on the interior trim. Here, too, there is a unique and seductive Italian style. The instrument panel is stylistically diverse. In the central part, where all the control buttons for the air conditioning panel and the standard audio system are grouped, it is quite typical and, one might say, does not fit into the overall concept of the car. The three-tube sports watch looks very attractive and predatory, and at the same time, thanks to its deep fit, it can only be seen from the driver's seat. The speedometer needle in its original position points down. The sporty feel of the car is enhanced by the white dials available on some versions of the Alfa 147.
The described model was a three- and five-door hatchback. The five-door variant dominates the three-door with only an extra pair of doors. It is a pity that the extra centimeters in the back seat do not go hand in hand with them. In both cases, the external dimensions are identical and are respectively: length 4.17 m, width 1.73 m, height 1.44 m. With a length of almost 4.2 m, the wheelbase is less than 2.55 m. There will be little space in the back seat. the worst. Rear seat passengers will complain about limited knee room. In a three-door body it is also problematic to take the back seat. Fortunately, in the case of the Alfa 147, the owners are often single and for them this detail will not be a big problem.
Driving a compact Italian beauty is a real pleasure. And this is in the truest sense of the word. Thanks to the multi-link suspension system, Alfa steering precision surpasses many competitors. The designers managed to fine-tune the car's suspension so that it exactly followed the chosen direction of movement and did not show a tendency to oversteer even in fairly fast corners. As a result, people who prefer a sporty driving style will feel right at home behind the wheel of an Alfa. The driving pleasure of this car is incredible. Thanks to the direct steering system, the driver is well aware of the tire contact conditions with the road surface. Precise steering informs you in advance when the grip limit is exceeded. However… As always, there should be a but. While the suspension does its job well, it's not permanent.
Cars of the Italian manufacturer, as you know, have been delighting with their style and handling for many years. However, it's a pity that aesthetic values don't go hand in hand with the durability and reliability of beautiful Alfas. Unfortunately, the list of shortcomings of this model is also quite long, although it is still clearly shorter than other models offered by the Italian company.
Despite numerous shortcomings, Alfa Romeo has a lot of fans. In their opinion, this is not such a bad car, as the reliability statistics show, in which the stylish Italian takes the second half or bottom of the rating. At the same time, it is often believed that this is one of the most reliable models of the Italian concern.
