22 Feb 06
The 156 didn't achieve Alfa's aim of taking on the BMW 3-Series and its ilk, however. Although acclaimed for its driving dynamics and generally spirited performance, it was let down by a number of glitches, reports of more serious mechanical failures in a few cases and, to top it all off, sustained indifference from Alfa's dealers towards actually sorting out any faults. All this is fairly well-documented and charted in Alfa's consistently poor scores in reliability, customer satisfaction and warranty-payout surveys.
Once the initial enthusiasm for the 156 wore off and reality bit, its sales waned and, towards the end of its lifespan, even the most diehard have been steering clear - ironic, really, given that many of the early gremlins had been sorted and dedicated independent specialists had worked out how to make these cars run properly, even if Alfa's own dealers hadn't.
All this has led to the inevitable setting-up of the 159 as one of the great comeback cars. Yes, it's late - because new boss Kalbfell insisted on making sure the quality was good enough, and the dealers brought up to scratch, before launch, rather than letting unfortunate owners do the final testing - but it's stunning enough to make quite an entrance, thanks to Giugiaro's guidance.
Taking many of its styling cues from the Brera coupe and upcoming Spyder - also crucial models for Alfa's revival - it is distinctive, unmistakably Italian, aggressive without being crass and elegant without sacrificing any of its masculine edge. Despite intricate touches such as the triple headlight units, which may be awkward to keep dirt-free, it is uncluttered, if a little dated in its rear saloon-boot profile. The Sportwagon estate, to be unveiled at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, promises to be a more attractive, if not necessarily hugely practical, proposition from this angle.
