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A real head-turner

If Alfa Romeo has banished past ghosts, the 159 is a worthy rival for the BMW 3-Series

Driving an Italian car in Thailand may not sound like a smart choice. Over the years, the Italians have proven that their cars may look great and have excellent performance, but using them in daily life is sort of a gamble - you never know when they will break down.

In the old days problems also included a lot of rust, while poor structural quality resulted in shaking and rattling, all over. Engine troubles like overheating, shabby electronics and lousy air-conditioning were among the bugbears of automobiles from this great country, perhaps more appreciated for its fine food and fashion design.

But then there are people who cannot stand the thought of driving a regular BMW 3-Series or Benz C-Class, for fear of being identified as "one of the rest" - driving a car that gets duller by the moment. Those who dare to be different could end up with an Audi A4 or a Volvo S60.

An even smaller number of individuals, surely fewer than 100 per year, will decide to buy an Alfa Romeo.

I can pretty much call myself an Alfa enthusiast. I love to drive them, but the thought of owning one doesn't really cross my mind.

First, an imported car is way above my budget. But even if I had the money, doubts over reliability would always be the downside. It's a bit like a married man running into a sexy Italian bombshell - you want to but you know you shouldn't. And the Alfa 159 is that woman.

This is probably the most beautiful car you can find in the market today, one that's going to turn heads everywhere it goes.

The 159 is designed by Giorgio Giugiaro, who is surely the Giorgio Armani of auto design, but a stylist who has spent too much time making money designing cars for entry-level European and Korean brands. Now he's back to create a masterpiece with the 159. Just look at the car and there isn't a single design element that you would dare to complain about. This is Italian design at its best.

As for reliability, I can't say much after having driven it for just 100 kilometres.

But according to Alfa Romeo, the 159 is the ultimate sports saloon, which will bring the company back to its heyday once again, thanks to superb production quality as well as engineering excellence.

This will help it fare more closely to the 3 series - the leader of its segment.

It is based on the "Premium Platform", a joint development of the Fiat/Alfa/General Motors get-together before it broke up. (You wouldn't want to know how much money GM lost in alimony!) Originally the platform was to be used for other GM brands like Saab (for the 9-5), but in the end the American company dumped it altogether, showing us once again how the world's largest auto-maker spends its money.

Whether it is parked or in motion, the 159 looks great, with the front end highlighted by the classic heart-shaped front grille and aggressive projector headlights. The side profile looks as if it has been taken from a concept car at Geneva, while the rear end flashes a beefy look with dual exhausts (one on each side) plus a built-in spoiler.

I have always preferred the interior of Alfas to that of their German counterparts for the instant passion you feel once inside, and the 159 doesn't disappoint. There are more round dials than you can count, and even the air vents are round, although this time the air-conditioning goes a step further than that of the 156 - the 159's predecessor.

The seat upholstery is red (who else offers red seats?), while the console gets a silver/black trim that gives it a modern appearance. The quality and feel of the material is superb, and the assembly looks fine - something that you don't really expect from an Italian car.

The console is driver-oriented (what are you going to say about it, BMW?) which stresses the character of the 159 even further: this is a driver's car.

The sporty steering wheel houses the controls for the audio system, as well as shift paddles for the six-speed Selespeed transmission.

To start the engine, you need to insert the remote unit into a slot (just like the BMW) and press the start button. In this respect the Smart Entry system of everyday cars like the Toyota Yaris and Vios, or the Nissan Teana, is one step ahead.

But no one has a remote unit as classy as that of the Alfa. It feels heavy (which usually means that it's expensive) and it looks like a luxury item rather than an electronic device.

The 159 is available with 4-cylinder and V6 engines (made by GM in Australia but currently not for Thailand). The model driven was powered by the 2.2-litre engine, which may not give eye-popping acceleration (and thirst) but may just be enough to deliver a good time when partnered with the Selespeed gearbox, which is basically a manual gearbox with a hydraulic clutch.

The twin-cam 16-valve engine is capable of producing 185 brake horsepower and 230Nm of torque. The engine noise has been lowered, although a true Alfa lover wouldn't mind a louder note.

In the 156, I found that in "city" mode the gearshifts were particularly jerky, and you really needed to concentrate to drive it smoothly at low speeds. With the 159, this problem has been significantly cured. Although you won't get automatic-transmission smoothness, your head won't move back and forth as much during the shifts.

In order to drive the 159 really smoothly, you need to get into manual mode and lift off the accelerator when shifting, just like you would in a manual car. Shifts can be done via the shift lever or paddles behind the steering wheel. During shifting down, the throttle should be "blipped" like you are performing heel-and-toe changes. And while all this is happening you can enjoy the wonderful sound of the engine, constantly reminding you of the character of the car.

In terms of performance, the short ratios allow for acceleration that is on a par with others - 8.8 seconds for zero to 100kph. The top speed is to be 222kph, which is pretty much the normal limit for front-wheel-driven cars.

The suspension is quite beefy, and there is a considerable level of vibration if you are not on a perfectly smooth road. Nevertheless, the front aluminium double-wishbone suspension and rear multi-link suspension offer the level of road-holding you'd expect from a sports sedan.

The steering also has great feel and precision, something that enthusiastic drivers look for. We know that Italians aren't too concerned about electronic assistance, but it has become standard now, so the 159 comes with features like Vehicle Dynamics Control and traction control, as well as ABS brakes with Brake Assist.

The 159 also comes with a load of safety features, like eight airbags (including knee and window airbags) and anti-whiplash head rests, as well as Isofix mountings for child seats.

Priced at Bt3.65 million, there won't be many Alfa 159s on Thailand's roads, which means that as well as being a great-looking Italian car, it will also be exclusive. And you might as well hope that, with this new model, Alfa has got rid of the notorious problems that have long plagued Italian cars.

If they have done that, then the 159 is a worthy competitor for the 3-Series.

Engine: four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve

Displacement: 2,198cc

Bore and stroke: 86mm x 94.6mm

Compression ratio: 11.3:1

Max power: 185bhp at 6,500rpm

Max torque: 230Nm at 4,500rpm

Transmission: six-speed

semi-manual Selespeed

Ratios: 3.818/2.353/1.571/ 1.146/0.943/0.861

Final drive ratio: 4.176

Suspension (f/r): double wishbone/multi-link