14 May 03
A blend of performance estate and off-roader, the Kamal concept car had the look of an idea recently hatched and rapidly conceived. The model had no interior, and its exterior detailing did not look entirely finished either, although the nose, featuring a modern reprise of Alfa grilles of the '50s, looked terrific. The Kamal is no publicity stunt, however; its rather attractive appearance hints both at the cross-over four-wheel-drive Alfa 156 Sportwagon that will appear in less than a year, and an SUV version of the executive 166 replacement Alfa is also considering. Designed by Alfa's styling department, the Kamal makes a far better fist of combining sports styling with the high-riding demands of an off-roader than either the Porsche Cayenne or the BMW X5.
As if to confirm the incongruity of marrying a high performance car with an off-roader, 'Kamal' apparently means a 'synthesis of opposites' in Arabic. Handily for Alfa, given its traditional association with blood hues, it also means red in Sanskrit. No doubt the Kamal will lack the ultimate adventuring capabilities of a Land Rover, doing without low-range gear ratios, but it does have electronically controlled torque-sensing locking differentials to share power between the wheels, as well as an air suspension system. This provides scope for adjusting the ride height to clear obstacles, while at speed the Kamal lowers itself to improve stability and aerodynamics. The bias towards road use is further confirmed by the appearance of the 3.2-litre V6 from the 156 GTA, which delivers 250bhp through a six-speed Selespeed sequential transmission. This powertrain will probably be used in the 156 cross-over, but not the 166 SUV, for which a new range of engines is planned.
Although the Kamal concept was less than complete, development of the cross-over 156 Sportwagon is well underway and should debut within the year. It won't be the first time the company has offered a four-wheel-drive estate; coachbuilders Pininfarina manufactured a four-wheel-drive 33 Sportwagon some years back, but that car had the most basic of all-wheel-drive systems. This new 4x4 Sportwagon should be altogether more convincing - particularly on the road.
The Kamal could be more significant, however, for the impact it has on the 166 replacement. Alfa has yet to decide on the configuration of the next 166 line-up, which could include both a saloon and an SUV, the latter particularly important because Alfa is planning a return to the United States in the latter part of the decade. Given the current SUV backlash in the US, the company may ultimately decide against an off-roader, however. The 166 will be developed on the Premium platform that Alfa, Lancia and Saab had been co-developing. The Swedish company has since withdrawn, but Alfa and Lancia will continue developing this platform, which will allow both front- and four-wheel-drive layouts, as well as transverse and longitudinally arranged engines. In other words, the V6 will be mounted transversely, and the V8 in-line.
Those V6 and V8 engines will be born of the same family under development with General Motors. Fiat Auto, which included Alfa, is partnering GM for the development of new engines, one result being the availability of a (much needed) range of large capacity engines. Alfa will develop its own cylinder heads, but the bottom-end of the engine could be sourced from GM's Australian Holden division. The engines will debut in 2005 in the replacement Alfa 166. The engine will also be used in the next-generation 156, Spider and GTV.
