ALFA Romeo test drive 156 1997 - 2003 sedan

The best means ...

Alfa-Romeo-156 Alfa Romeo
Alfa-Romeo-156 debuted in the fall of 1997, replaced the Alpha-155 on the conveyor. A car with a sedan body is equipped with four -cylinder engines with a capacity of 90; 120; 155 l. With. and V-shaped 2.5-liter 190-horsepower six. The latter twists a six -speed manual gearbox. Two modern diesel engines are also offered.

The results of the annual competition of the car of the year sometimes cause slight bewilderment. But from this acquaintance with a titled car becomes even more interesting - I want to understand how virtues it took off so high.

AT FIRST SIGHT...
The first time the future car of the year happened to see at the Frankfurt salon. Honestly, he did not make much impression there. Either artificial lighting, or the tightness of the stand prevented, but my perception did not come to the right condition. Yes, the car looked extravagant, and nothing more. And all the alpha do not occupy this.
Only when I had seen enough for a living one hundred and fifty -sixth, who, in a considerable number for the novelty, traveling around Italy, realized that the first impression this time failed me. In the natural habitat, the new alpha is damn beautiful. Describing lines and forms with words - an ungrateful occupation, on that is, photographs. One designer reception is still worth noting. The outer handle of the rear door is hidden in a black corner of glass, and the front, shiny, on the contrary, is striking. Therefore, even from a short distance, the car looks like a two -door compartment. Sports style at a sporting style, but it is better to sit back through a full -fledged door, without engaged in equalibrics.
English journalists called the appearance of one hundred and fifty sixth ... sexy. Maybe they have their own view of things on the island or we do not understand the subtle English humor? It seemed to us that in the appearance of the car there is, rather, something courageous and, therefore ...
Everything, enough, leave such reasoning to the followers of the old man Freud, and we ourselves continue to get acquainted with the car.
So, Alfa-Romeo-156 with a 2.5-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine and a six-speed gearbox.
Driver, passengers and suitcases
The door closed, the noise of the outside world has disappeared - it's time to delve into the study of the salon.
Planting on the front seats was unexpectedly high. Not a bus, of course, but also no hint of pseudo -sports lying on the floor. The driver can adjust the saddle in height. Having descended down, he will see wipers in front of him, and a long hood will go into oblivion. In the upper position, the ceiling will run into the eyes. The height of the salon is not impressive at all. A person is higher than average height, raising the seat, can easily rest his head at the upholstery. But the range of longitudinal adjustment of the front seat is quite sufficient. The seats themselves are rather soft and, despite the promising profile, it is not very reliable, as it turned out in the future, they fix the bodies of the riders. There are no complaints about the pedals, only the site for the left leg is too horizontal - you have to pull the sock. A review through external mirrors, covered in drop -shaped buildings, let's say, moderate.
Devices with light dials, hidden in two deep wells, are well perceived by the driver. A good example of a combination of an unusual style solution with high functionality.
The rear seat did not cause emotions. It is quite possible to live there. They didn’t expect another - the car is rather big.
After standing for a few seconds with the key in his hands and in complete confusion in front of a locked trunk, they found a keyhole ... under a rotary proprietary emblem. Looking around the space opened by the look, they decided that there would be plenty of baggage here, only it would not be too convenient to load it through a small opening. Here the style clearly prevailed over practicality.
Among other things, the creators of Alfa took care of the safety of small passengers. Opening the front door, you can turn off the right pillow of safety with the key. Her castle is located on the right end of the front panel. When a child rides in a special children's seat, a pillow, having worked, can do troubles.

The enthusiasm of the autobahn
The engine responds unexpectedly solid, slightly muffled bass to the turning of the key. We touch, accelerate - the motor, gaining momentum, grumbles as if under the hood not two and a half, but all six liters of working volume. Such a sound will please the owner’s ear, especially the one who is not alien to the desire to feel like a rider. Other extraneous sounds almost do not penetrate the salon. Only in the front racks at high speed is a slight rustling is heard.
Under the wheels, the beautiful asphalt of their, bourgeois highway. Similar cracks in the coating, the suspension swallows unnoticed - the car does not even move. The idea of \u200b\u200bspeed can only be given by a speedometer or competitors far behind. By the way, the same can be said about acceleration - it seems that everything happens too slowly, but at the same time it literally presses you into the back of the seat. It stands at the start by promoting the engine, a little sharper than necessary, release the clutch, and the inconsistent tires of the buzzing needle touring 205/60WR15 will rub the asphalt for a long time, leaving black stripes.
The steering wheel is quite sharp. From the stop to the stop, the steering wheel bagel (by the way, very convenient) makes only two and a half turnover. Yes, and reacts to the rotation of the steering wheel Alpha almost without delay. The gearbox lever itself lies in the hand. Its moves are small, the switching is clear. This was always famous for the Fiat products (recall that the Alfa Romeo brand belongs to the Fiat concern).
And now we will slow down. The pedal seems too tight - the effort is big, but you can dose slowing down very accurately. For such an evil car, what is needed.
In general, the impressions are strong. But not only on smooth wide roads have to ride. Here, in the foothills of the Alps there are enough local paths - narrow, winding, not always perfectly smooth. Perhaps that is why Italy gave the world so many riders. Motor training on such natural routes, you want not to - you will receive special training.

Mountain exam
Choosing a path leading to one of the many local towns, we turn it on to it. Here the coating is worse, there are more holes. And the car behaved differently.
When the irregularities pass to the body, noticeable tremors began to be transmitted, and on the wavy coating Alpha suddenly began to swing. If a more or less large bump falls under the wheel in a bend, the car will not slow down to rearrange the stern. Honestly, they expected that the suspension would be more strict. However, the car is quite highly not like a racing bone -spaced. Therefore, apparently, the designers compromise.
Passing the ligaments of the turns, you understand that such an unconditionally useful thing as a hydraulic power steering can sometimes seem superfluous. The force on the steering wheel is small and, which is especially unpleasant, almost constant. It changes little from speed, corner of turning the wheels and their condition (roll or already slip). Manissus at low speed, on the contrary, you will begin to sing all kinds of praises to the hydraulic storage. Alpha's turning radius is not small, and in order to turn on a narrow road, you have to pretty twist the steering wheel. Without an amplifier, the driver would sweat from such work.
It was not so easy to move into the rise from the habit - the engine strove to stall. The motor clearly lacked traction at low speeds, and the clutch work in such modes required some dexterity.
Too thick lower part of the right front strut of the body as luck would have it, it turns out where the driver would like to watch when passing the right turn. So you can grab the curb with wheels.
A hundred and fifty -sixth clings to the road very reliably, heating in corners - moderately. The above, of course, somewhat spoils the picture, but in general the machine behaves quite predictably. You can get into a situation on it either a fool (the presence of a sober mind is an important advantage of the driver of any powerful car), or at their own free will (people without special preparation about such desires are better to forget). Nevertheless, autobas-enthusiasm after the mountain roads has somewhat calmed down.

+ Extraordinary appearance and interior, high speed and dynamic indicators, quite a spacious salon, rich equipment.
- A bad review from the driver's place, an uninformative steering wheel, not enough energy -intensive suspension, a large radius of rotation.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
General data: number of places - 5; equipped mass - 1320 kg; full weight - 1820 kg; maximum speed - 230 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 7.3 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 8.4; 16.5 l/100 km; Fuel - AI -95 gasoline. Dimensions, mm: length - 4430; width - 1745; height - 1420; base - 2595; The track in front/back - 1520/1505; Road clearance - 140; trunk volume - 380 l; The turning radius is 11.1 m. The engine: V -shaped, six -cylinder, is located in front of the front, four valves per cylinder; working volume - 2492 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 88 x 68.3 mm; compression degree - 10.3; Power - 140 kW/190 l. With. at 6300 rpm; The maximum torque is 222 N.M at 5000 rpm. Transmission: front wheel drive; gearbox - mechanical six -speed; Transporting numbers: I - 3.5; II - 2.24; III - 1.52; IV - 1.16; V - 0.97; VI - 0.87; h. X. - 3.55; The main program is 3.97. Suspension: front - on double triangular levers with a stabilizer; The rear - double transverse levers, longitudinal levers, stabilizer. Brakes: disk on all wheels, the front are ventilated. Steering: rheck with an amplifier. Tire size: 205/60WR15.

Instead of a resume
Well, how is he, a car of the year? With one phrase, it is difficult to answer. The new alpha, of course, has its own, completely original style. What can I say, she (repeat!) Is just beautiful. She has her character - bright, but rather complicated. Numerous positive features are diluted with shares of annoying flaws. What Alpha cannot be blamed for is to be banal. The car is contradictory, but very distinctive. He is not one of the crowd. He, if you draw a parallel with people, is a person. And personality is far from always a round excellent student and an exemplary family man.
  

 
 
 

Igor Solidov.
Photo by Vladimir Knyazev
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"