Alfa Romeo's 159 - the car to replace the 156

The car that has to replace the Alfa Romeo 156, the award-winning sports sedan that redefined Alfa Romeo and took the legendary Italian car maker to new sales records with its unique blend of performance, ageless style and Italian brio, has one of the toughest jobs in the industry. That car is the Alfa Romeo 159 and it makes its world debut at the 2005 Geneva International Motor Show on 1 March 2005.

In truth, the new Alfa Romeo 159 sits above the 156. It is a larger car in every dimension with a range of larger, more powerful engines than its 156 predecessor. Its engine range is headlined by a new 3.2 litre V6 engine, which beats with an Australian heart as it is the Alfa Romeo variant of the joint-venture V6 engine produced in Australia.

Why 159 and not 157 or 158? The number jump signifies that the new 159 sits on an all-platform and the use of this new package of body and suspension will, in future, be signified by '9' in the vehicle name. Incidentally, 159 is also the name of one of the most important Alfa Romeo racing models of all time.

The new Alfa Romeo 159 will arrive in Australia in 2006, initially sliding into the local Alfa Romeo range above the existing 156 as befits class-straddling size. The Australian range, along with prices and specifications, will be announced when it goes on sale.

Joining the Alfa Romeo 159 on the carmaker's Geneva stand is the Alfa Romeo Brera, the all-new sports car that will also arrive in Australia in 2006. Like the 159, it sits on the new platform and will also be powered by the new 3.2 litre V6 engine. The details The Alfa Romeo 159, the first of a new family that will replace the 156, makes its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. This original saloon is the heir to a successful model and it continues where the 156 left off, aiming to become the new benchmark for the segment. The new Alfa Romeo 159 will be launched in Europe in mid-2005, prior to an Australian launch in mid-2006, It has an elegant, sinuous line, which combines generous dimensions with the compactness typical of Alfa Romeo sports cars, thanks to a balanced play of proportions and volumetric ratios.

The result is a prestigious car that combines refined 'Italian' styling with Alfa Romeo's sporty elegance. Distinctive styling

Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, the new car has a number of distinctive features that highlight its strong personality and make it immediately recognisable, in the best Alfa tradition. Starting from the front, which is strong and dynamic, dominated by the Alfa Romeo family feeling of the characteristic cloverleaf sporting the large shield. The line of the entire car springs from here, combining a light stylistic 'aggressiveness' with strikingly elegant forms: an impression that is underlined by the light clusters, which are delightful design features.

The trapezoid shape of the front accentuates the car's sensation of solidity, highlighted by the way the passenger compartment rests on a powerful 'shoulder'. This runs all along the waistline of the car, broadening considerably when it reaches the rear pillar. This pillar has a double stylistic function: it links to the curve of the rear window, above the rear axle (another clear stylistic expression of strength, robustness and dynamism), and embraces the passenger compartment thanks to the stylistic device of the classic Alfa Romeo 'elbow'. The front pillar is set further back to make the line look sleeker, underlining the presence of the powerful engine, and making the passenger compartment look more compact, improving visibility on bends.

In other words, sleek but solid, dynamic but robust: only outstanding stylistic balance can combine such different characteristics. For example the 'muscular' wing which, next to the generous wheels, marks the widest point of the car, unequivocally conveys the ideal of a car that is firmly 'anchored to the ground'.

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