The Alfa Romeo 159 is the latest offering in a famous line of distinctive sports saloons from Alfa Romeo. It boasts the space of a compact executive car combined with sharp, dynamic ability, an elegantly contemporary design and reassuring levels of comfort.
The Alfa Romeo 159’s safety credentials are equally reassuring, which is an attribute backed up by the solidity of the car’s construction. This four-door saloon feels built to go the distance.
It will do it in considerable style too, aided by a full equipment roster aimed at delivering security, enjoyment and convenience in equal measure. The Alfa Romeo 159 is an entertaining driver’s car but it’s also a comfortable car for passengers.
Even entry-level Alfa Romeo 159s are equipped with electric windows in the front and rear, alloy wheels, an eight-speaker CD/radio sound system, audio controls on the leather-trimmed steering wheel, manual climate control, an immobiliser and an alarm. These features are in addition to the comprehensive safety equipment mentioned above.
Lusso models also include such items as Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a media player and USB port in the glovebox, cruise control, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control and automatic operation of the wipers and lights.
Top TI trim adds, among other features, leather upholstery, sports seats, 60:40 split folding rear seats, heated front seats and aluminium cabin trim highlights.
The Alfa Romeo 159 has an excellent safety record and has been awarded EuroNCAP’s maximum five-star crash test rating for occupant protection. That achievement is aided by the fitment of seven airbags as standard, including twin-stage front airbags for both front occupants and even an airbag to protect the driver’s knees. A knee airbag for the front passenger is available as an option.
As well as the extensive provision of airbags, the Alfa Romeo 159 features anti-whiplash head restraints, three-point seatbelts for all five occupants and three ISOFIX securing points for child seats. Sophisticated electronic driver aids such as VDC stability control and an advanced anti-lock braking system (including ASR, EBD and Brake Assist) are standard fitments.
The 1.9 JTDm 16v diesel engine produces the lowest CO2 emissions. With a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive it emits 157g/km. The 2.4 JTDm diesel produces 179g/km, which is the same as the lowest-emitting petrol model, the 1.8 MPI.
The Alfa Romeo 159 line-up offers a choice of six power outputs. Three petrol engines develop 140bhp, 185bhp and 260bhp. The 1.9 JTDm 16v diesel, meanwhile, produces 150bhp and the 2.4 JTDm diesel is tuned to give 210bhp with a manual gearbox and 200bhp with the Q-Tronic automatic.
The Q-Tronic is a six-speed automatic transmission that also permits sequential manual gearshifts when desired, as well as sport and winter settings. Manual gearboxes have six forward gears on all models apart from 1.8 MPI versions, which have five.
The 1.8 MPI is the most fuel-efficient petrol model, with 37.2mpg economy and 179g/km of CO2 emissions. Its perky 129mph performance is boosted to 139mph by the 2.2 JTS petrol version, which averages 30.7mpg and 218g/km.
The most powerful variants are powered by a potent 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine. This option is available with manual or Q-Tronic transmissions as well as front-wheel drive or Q4 four-wheel drive for added traction. In manual front-wheel-drive format it delivers 155mph combined with 25.7mpg and 260g/km.
The muscular five-cylinder 2.4 JTDm diesel is also available with either front-wheel drive or Q4 four-wheel drive and manual or Q-Tronic. The manual front-wheel-drive variant gives 144mph performance mixed with 41.5mpg and 179g/km. The entry-level diesel is the 1.9 JTDm 16v, which trades a little performance for extra economy but it is still capable of 132mph despite its impressive 47.9mpg and 157g/km credentials.
A modest £18,547 gives access to the Alfa Romeo 159 in entry-level 1.8 MPI petrol guise. The diesel equivalent is the 1.9 JTDm 16v, which starts at £20,699. Across the line-up, Lusso trim is £1,500 more than the standard grade and top-line TI models are £1,000 more than Lusso cars. At the head of the range, the powerful 3.2 JTS V6 Q4 TI Q-Tronic is priced at £30,683. The top diesel model is the £27,552 2.4 JTDm Q4 TI.