16 Apr 04
Other interior cosmetic touches include a brushed aluminium-look gear knob with chrome shaft, but sadly no machined aluminium H-gate. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped, and the rest of the dashboard is typical 147/156. A single-slot CD player with eight speakers comes as standard but a MP3-capable stereo is available, as is the fabulous Bose system upgrade which adds a sub-woofer to the boot. A ten-CD multichanger can be specified and is fitted in the boot.
The rear seats are just about spacious enough for adults, although taller people will feel a bit claustrophobic on longer haul trips. However, for kids or those of smaller dimensions they're ideal.
The GT lives up to its Grand Tourer name fairly well, with a relaxed engine characteristic at motorway speeds. However, if a tempting B-road comes up, the handling is composed, with little body roll through corners. There is, however, considerable wind noise at speed.
For £21,495 the 2.0 GT is good value for money with six airbags, heated mirrors, remote central locking, air conditioning, electric front windows, fog lights and ISOFIX mounting points on the rear seats. Some of the options are a bit pricey, i.e. £840 for Xenon discharge headlights and £1,800 for Nuvola blue iridescent paint (it changes colour in the light), so go easy as you may not get the cash back on resale. Although there are plenty of Alfa dealers ready to bite your hand off to order a GT (all cars are made to order), make sure your dealership has a good reputation for sales and after-sales service before you put pen to paper.
