Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £18,550 to £27,800
Looks terrific, mixes Italian flair with real quality, has sporty handling but a decent ride, sounds crisp and keen, is roomy and well equipped. Sportwagon estate is much roomier than its 156 equivalent.
Steering too light in some versions, awkward handbrake, mediocre fuel economy, portwagon not that versatile.
Alfa's latest attempt to take on BMW's 3-Series is a worthy rival with substance as well as character. The V6 Q4 is especially good.
The 159 was launched under short-reigning Alfa CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, formerly of BMW and Rolls-Royce and a declared Italophile when it comes to cars. The design and engineering of this 156 replacement were almost finished when he arrived, but his arrival certainly concentrated Alfa's minds on making the 159 as good as possible. The 159 hasn't quite become the BMW 3-Series rival it was intended to be, but it is nonetheless desirable, and has uniquely Italian characteristics.
Built on an all-new platform, the 159 is bigger than the 156 - 105mm longer in the wheelbase - and appropriately roomier. The style is similar outside and in, if more solid and aggressive without the lightness of touch, but there are almost no carry-over parts from the 156. That means the front double-wishbone suspension is an all-new design and the former rear struts are ditched in favour of a sophisticated multi-link arrangement. Besides the four-door saloon, there is the Sportwagon estate - considerably roomier and more practical than the 156 Sportwagon, although the 156-based GT also remains on sale.
From late 2007 an automatic dubbed Q-tronic became available in the 159 range with the 150PS 1.9 JTDM, 2.4 JTDM and flagship 3.2 JTS V6. The Q-tronic is a £1500 option.
