15 Mar 05
The 147 range is a mixed bag, and in many ways, the 1.6-litre (120bhp) Twin Spark is the most appealing option. It's the truest to the tradition of the great Alfasud: a small car which did not need to have a large engine or pump out immense power to be entertaining. The engine revs smoothly and willingly, and gives more than enough urge at the lower end to give hot hatch-like responses. Its steering is the most direct, with the diesels and 2.0 obviously tuned to cope with those engines' extra weight, but a little more remote and less natural-feeling. Of the cars tested, this version had the slickest, quickest transmission as well, though all could benefit from a shorter-throw gearshift, especially the 2.0, whose gearchange verged on the rubbery and awkward. The JTD 16v, although a more pragmatic bet than the 2.0 and benefiting from a six-speed gearbox, the driving experience still reminds you a bit too much that the 147 is closely related to the much less glamorous Fiat Stilo. It just doesn't feel uniquely Alfa Romeo, however fast and flexible it might be. The 115bhp JTD is even more Stilo-like, though the chassis modifications have thankfully left it feeling less nose-heavy than before.
Superficially, though, Alfa has got the cabin design spot-on: the new instrument dials, keeping the labels for 'acqua', 'giri' (revs) and 'benzina', are somewhat contrived but maintain the distinctively Italian ambience, and whilst some of the upholstery/trim combinations are a bit tarty - the pale beige alcantara with chrome-effect door handles and detailing in particular - those with severely minimalist tastes are hardly likely to opt for an Alfa in the first place anyway. It's this atmosphere which will probably pay the largest part in creating the right perception: even if, objectively, we know that a Ford Focus is just as dynamic, irrationally the 147 will always seem like the more characterful purchase from behind the wheel. Not a great car, then, but it's good enough; good enough to live up to its image, and good enough to hold its own and maintain Alfa's credibility whilst the company is in this transitory phase.
The 2005 147 is on sale now, priced from £13,660-£19,040. For more on the revised range, check out 4Car's full Road Test.
