27 Feb 06
Obviously the 159 range has been in production for a few months now, so there has been time to refine the feel and smooth the rough edges. Driving these Sportwagons, I could feel how the cars are really meant to be and it's a pretty good feeling. The trim feels of very high quality and fits together well, nothing squeaks or rattles, premiumness abounds.
I drove the 2.2 JTS first - the Sportwagon's engine range is exactly the same as the saloon's - and it had the punch at low-to-mid engine speeds I'd always expected but hadn't found either in the early saloon or in the related Brera. There's clearly been some work on the electronic throttle's mapping, but the downside is that you now need a footful of throttle to get going from a standstill without the engine dying because the response from idle speed is poor. I also heard a strange, mournful resonance when the engine was running on a tiny bit of throttle, and a second car I tried suffered the same fault. Apparently it's a resonance in the return fuel line, which will be sured by the April on-sale date by clipping the pipe to the nearby bodywork.
On the plus side again, the Sportwagon's steering feels firmer and more credible than that of the first 159s I drove, and nearer to the Brera's helm. The steering's response isn't especially quick - there's none of the wrist-flick dartiness of a 156 here - but it's precise and the Sportwagon clings avidly to the road. Flinging it through tight twists is a pleasure, even though this quite a hefty car.
