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| Road Test: Alfa Romeo 159 (2006-) |
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| Compact Executive |
by: John Simister |
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Click for 159 Gallery
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| PERFORMANCE RATING: |
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Clearly the V6 is fastest - it does 149mph and reaches 62mph in 7.0 seconds - and its flat torque curve makes the performance easy to exploit.
It sounds delicious, too, the usual Alfa V6 note reproduced convincingly on this all-new engine. The 2.2 JTS also sounds correctly Alfa-like, this time much like the old 2.0 Twin Spark, complete with crisp-edged exhaust note. It has rather more low-speed pull than that engine, though, while still reaching 62mph in 8.8 seconds and a maximum speed of 138mph.
The petrol engines' natural enthusiasm is one reason why you might favour them over a diesel, but the 2.4 JTD is as muscular and sonorous a unit as ever. It's very energetic, with its newly enhanced outputs of 200bhp and 295lb-ft able to reach 142mph and sprint to 62mph in 8.4sec - so it's notably quicker than the 2.2 JTS as well as more relaxed and more economical.
However, you're not going to feel short-changed in either the 160bhp 1.9 petrol or the 150bhp 1.9 JTD diesel: both of these engines retain all the enthusiasm and verve of their larger counterparts, with plenty of mid-range muscle and the ability to cruise comfortably at motorway speeds. The diesel's a little noisy at idle, but otherwise makes an appealing sound; it makes for a sensible real-world option.
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Introduction If this doesn't do it, it's hard to know what will... |
| BEST COMPACT EXECUTIVE CARS |
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