It wasn’t about the appearance
The Alfa Romeo 159 was truly stunningly beautiful, a real promise for every dance floor, but once on site it turned out to be much less light-footed than expected. Even the very strong V6 we had to call a little lazy at the time. Why the car was so disappointing after the even more beautiful, iconic 156.
The Alfa 156 was dead, long live the Alfa 159. That numbering does not sound like a palace revolution, but just like with a real succession to the throne, the newcomer really did not just fit in the shoes of the highly valued predecessor. The 156 was an icon that retained its dignity even as a dilapidated occasion: too beautiful to perish, and sure to disappear from the minds of loving Alfists. For many, the 156 will be considered the most beautiful sedan of the 90s and that alone made the succession difficult.
Not as fast as the 156
Concerns about this, however, were unfounded, because maestro Giugiaro wrote an unparalleled beautiful sequel. And the driving? Very good, but the swiftness of the 156 was gone. It was as if that model had hurriedly said goodbye to his carefree adolescence and now, at 159, had embarked on a serious adult career. In old test reports we read about solid handling, a steering that has come to rest and a remarkably quiet interior. Beautiful, but those are not things that keep the enthusiast awake. The 159 was never naughty, but wanted to be good, with the fans turning a loving eye for the here and there mediocre finish.
Even the V6 was a bit lazy
And the performance? Fine with the exception of the 1.8 engine, traditionally with a leading role for the V6, the top engine. In the 159, it was linked to four-wheel drive as standard. It is this version whose specifications are most in line with those of the new Giulia Veloce AWD, only the performance of the thickest of the 159’s was never quite good. The sound was fantastic, the thrust itself more than sufficient and the road holding a true demonstration of tack. Really smooth moves were just not part of the intended ballerina’s repertoire: the V6 (which has nothing to do with the mighty 3.2 of 147 and 156 GTA or in the GT) required at least 5,000 rpm to reach full maturity. Until the time had finally come, we could only call the machinery a little lazy. Such a shame, because otherwise the 159 turned out to have every talent that the world could expect from a new Alfa Romeo. The later 1750 TBi turbo engine would make up for it somewhat, but it came too late.
Then don’t dance.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl