Alfa Romeo 159 TBi - the charm of appearance
It is clear that Alfa Romeo is a prestigious brand. For fans of this brand and not only it is synonymous with grace, alluring shapes, sportiness and an unforgettable driving experience. And at the same time, many (there may be supporters among them) make faces at the same time, saying that for them Alpha is also a capricious car that hits the pocket when reselling. We probably will not find another brand on the market that would both attract and warn against buying.
Other brands have a more consistent image. Especially the German Audi and BMW, whose cars, as well as the active marketing people, made us believe in their reliability and sporty spirit. They cannot be denied elegance, and in some models even beauty. But it is the Italian brand that has an emotional charge that distinguishes it from other stately limousines. Awakens desire. It fires the imagination. It makes you thirsty.
Interesting... it's not about constructors. Recall that Walter de Silva was the author of the ingenious design of the predecessor model 156. When he began to draw for Audi for several years, he began to produce wonderful, beautiful and exciting cars ... but not so beautiful and not so exciting ... If it's not about the designers, then it's about how? When accepting or rejecting subsequent projects, does the company's board think it's better when the sharp midday sun shines outside the window, and the scheduled siesta in an hour makes you feel good and creative?
The reason must be sought elsewhere - not the whole world just wants to get into a car thirsty, with a fiery fantasy and signs of desire. Some people prefer something exclusively sporty or aggressive, others want comfort and dignity. Someone is looking for something quiet, and someone is looking for something inconspicuous. And they drive sports cars either with dignity, calmly or inconspicuously. And the rest ... look back at Alfa Romeo.
The heroine of today's test knows this and looks good from all sides. Compared to its predecessor, it has grown noticeably (as much as 22 cm in length and 8,5 cm in width), but optically it has not become heavier by a single gram. The design of the rear is exemplary, especially in the version with symmetrical twin tailpipes. Smooth lines, harmonious and dynamic, crowned with magnificent 18-inch wheels, make the side of the car indifferent to everyone. And of course - the front of the car, which only comes up with one word - aggressive and acts like a bulldozer in the left lane. Even the door handles, which are already (unlike their predecessor) "seen" from the rear, are so magnetically shaped that hiding them in the pillars was impractical.
The interior design does not disappoint either. Alfa offers the driver a tasteful mix of leather upholstery that also covers almost the entire cabin, numerous aluminum trims and quality, soft-touch plastics. The red illumination of the watch adds spice, while the fashionable Start / Stop button and the socket that "stores" the massive key during the trip provide a sense of modernity and the presence of modern trends and technologies in the car. Covered with a double roof, the clock is easy to read, and the computer display operation is very convenient. The center console is turned towards the driver, and the fuel level, coolant temperature and boost pressure gauges are so deeply “drowned” in the console niches that they are not visible from the passenger seat. Beautiful!
In Italy, they have always been able to cut and sew beautifully. Only the seams were not always aesthetically pleasing, and the materials used were often more suitable for sewing striped prison uniforms than for smart dresses. However, this time it is clear that the Italians did not save on materials or aesthetics.
However, not everything is perfect - just like in the Lancia Delta, which I happened to test a few months earlier, in the Alfa 159 I found the cruise control knob in the most inopportune place - resting on my left knee. With my two-meter height, many cars seemed cramped and the Alfa Romeo 159, unfortunately, also fell short of my dimensions. The armchair did not want to sink very low, my hair rubbed the upholstery of the ceiling, and after unfolding the backrest (to see the road, I had to somehow lower myself), there was not enough space on the sofa behind me even for a child. The car does not indulge in spaciousness, despite the increase in the wheelbase by more than 10 centimeters compared to its predecessor. The back seat will comfortably accommodate 2 adults (but not too big). The shape of the sofa gently hints that the third person is not welcome here.
All these shortcomings, however, faded into the background when I finally took my seat and pressed the START button. Enough stories about centimeters in length and width. Let's talk about capacity and what comes out of it. A total of 1742 is exactly the number of cubic centimeters in the Alfa Romeo 159 TBi engine. However, when combined with a turbocharger and direct fuel injection, this unit offers the driver a whopping 200 horsepower. However, the big surprise will be the flexibility of this engine: 320 Nm and this is already from 1400 rpm. These are the parameters of engines with almost twice the power. This high torque allows you to change gears less often and catapult the car forward from low revs. With this engine, the sedan accelerates from 100 to 7,7 km/h in just 235 seconds, and only accelerates to XNUMX km/h.
It is a pity that this masterpiece hidden under the hood is not accompanied by the right sound. The engine is heard only above 4000 rpm, and even then it is a barely audible purr from under the hood, and not an exciting sports growl. The six-speed gearbox is no different either. While the gears are perfectly matched to the engine, the gearbox could be more precise and have shorter jacks.
Having driven several hundred kilometers with this model, it seems to me that the behavior of the 159 on the road is closer to covering long distances in a safe limousine than to “throwing” the tail along the serpentine (the latter could be tested thanks to the fact that electronic safety assistance systems can be turned off). The suspension is stiff and not very comfortable, which makes it at least as good as a sports engine. Worse with steering, which is not informative enough, and at the same time can suddenly pull the steering wheel out of your hands when driving on ruts.
Combustion? When driving 5 people with a full trunk, I couldn’t get below 10 liters per 100 km. I suspect that without a load the result would be much better - the manufacturer even promises a value of 6 liters, but I drove a Lancia Delta with the same engine and on an experimental section of several tens of kilometers along the highway, which I drove at a speed of 90 km/h, the result barely approached 7 liters. So I have no idea how to achieve the catalog result of 6 liters/100km. In the city, fuel consumption is about 11 liters/100 km. At current fuel prices, this is quite an expensive pleasure. There's probably no way to deny it... Prices for the Alfa Romeo 159 TBi start from a promotional PLN 103.900 for the Sport version and end at PLN 112.900 200 for the Sport Plus version, and this is one of the lowest prices per 2.0 km in the middle class. segment. At similar prices you can only buy the Skoda Superb 200 TSI 2.0 hp. and Ford Mondeo EcoBoost hp Who will buy it? Those who care about the appearance of the car and the brand image, as well as those who turn a blind eye to a significant drop in resale value.
Emotional cars are usually easier to describe, but with the Alfa Romeo 159 there is a problem when it comes to writing the closing paragraph. Everything looks beautiful and promising - great design, good finishes, perfect engine. Even the price looks as attractive as rarely ever. It’s a pity that the 159th “grown up” from the previous model has become too polite (because even in the 200-horsepower version of the engine you can’t hear it) and evokes the same feelings in the driver as the Superb or Mondeo. Is there "something" in Alfie that keeps her from going wrong? We are waiting for some dangerous “alpha” facelift and keep our fingers crossed for a bit of rudeness, at least in the strongest version.
