ALFA Romeo test drive 156 1997 - 2003 sedan

Tira Fuore I Soldi

The century will end soon. Among other things, it was a century and truly beautiful cars-it is unlikely that something similar Bugatti or Talbot Lago ... Ivan Paderin will ever be created.
Alfa Romeo 156, perhaps, is the last of them, and it was he who became a 1998 car in Europe. This is symbolic - at the end of the century and, perhaps, for the first time in the last decade, the car was not called the most technically advanced, but primarily beautiful.
In the early 70s, the portrait of the car boss in the mass consciousness began to be associated with a snow-white smile, an expensive tie, hours at the price of a good car and a on-duty phrase of the type in the new model, we concentrated our entire potential. The time of authoritarian - Porsche, Issigonis, Ferrari, Lefera, capable of building a car around the motor or around the suspension, ended only with its plan. Managers - clerks with organizers and secretaries came to the main roles in the world auto industry. For example, the opinion, for example, insurance companies, began to influence the process of creating new machines. In general, modern cars have not been pleasing to the eye for a long time. What beauty is there, even if the names of the models began to come up with computers ...
And now - Alfa Romeo 156. Time turned back ... Verily - now they are not done. In her clean, exquisite lines, the designer’s hand is felt. Incredible ...
The new Alfa Romeo has the most remarkable among classmates - sports sedanov - appearance. Two years ago, the automobile world with approval met the result of a radical breakdown of Volvo models - replacing square forms with rounded forms. If you recall the Alfa Romeo 155 with its corners and flat surfaces, it may seem that recently in Turin they experienced something similar to what happened in the gchtborg at one time. But no! The fact that for the Volvo revolution is a normal phenomenon for Alfa Romeo: in this century, all Italian Kazseri worked at the company without exception. Each of them gave the machines their unique style: Pininfarina - academic, Bertone - constructivist, zagato - supergressive ... Yes, and in the Alfa Romeo itself, bodybuilders work out of the latter. Thus, the models of the company constantly became samples of high fashion. They say they do not argue about tastes. But, on the heart, can Volvo 40th series compare in beauty with Alfa 156?
Alfa 156 - Sugan.
In the sense that she was born exclusively in the bowels of the Alfa Romeo style center - without the participation of other body studies. It is known that both Pininfarina and Italdesign offered their 156th options, but the preference was given to the project of the ALFA Romeo chef Walter de Silva. So there is continuity - a project of stylists Alfa Romeo for a second time in a row (following Alfa 155 in 1991) was selected as the best.
At the stage of the project behind the new Alfa, its own name was fixed - Giulietta (Juliet) - a reminder of its great -grandmother, the predecessor of models 155 and 75. Giulietta has not been released for 13 years, but is still the most famous model of the company. And it would seem - a new car with that name is simply doomed to success ... with regular customers and fanatics of the brand. After all, Alfa Romeo cars are specific, designed for a narrow circle of their customers, who need not just a sedan with a 2 -liter engine, namely Alfa Romeo, and he does not care about the Sedans with the Fiat or Opel emblem.
However, Alfa Romeo is no exception, the Saab, Citroen, Lancia, Subaru ... average annual sales of special machines (from one manufacturer) never exceeded 300 thousand copies - Alfa Romeo cars, for example, was released in last year only 160 thousand. And the leadership of the Fiat concern, which has been owned by Alfa Romeo since 1986, put up with this position of products of its specific branch in the market of machines with a sports character. For the time being ...
To break out of a strip of failures that accompanied the 155 and 164 models on the market, the company decided to play around the field. That is, to bet not only on your client, but also try to interest new ones. In other words - take them from Saab, BMW, Subaru, Audi and Volvo. Therefore, in order to be the answer to Shakespeare's to be or not (the appearance of any new model accompanying, however) was positive, they decided not to take risks - the car did not go to the series as Giulietta, but under the usual digital index for most eyes and ears. And do not rack your head: 155+1 \u003d 156.
So, the challenge (and completely unambiguous) is abandoned. The machine is equipped with four injector 16 -valve atmospheric engines (1.6 l - 120 hp.; 1.8 l - 144 hp.; 2.0 l - 155 hp and 2.5 l V6 - 190 L.S.) and two turbodiesels (1.9 l - 105 hp and 2.4 liters - 136 hp). Even with the lightest 1.6 liter of the ALFA Romeo 156 engine, it competes with the new 118-horsepower BMW threek with 1.8 l of the engine (recall that the BMW 316i modification starts only in 1999), not to mention the basic versions of Volvo S40 and Peugeot 406 with 1.8 liters of engines. The most powerful version of the 156th will have to argue with the 190-horsepower BMW 328i and a whole armada of turbocharged machines: Saab 9-3 2.0 Turbo, Volvo S40T4, AUDI S4 and Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo.
So far, it can be stated that Alfa Romeo engines have the greatest specific power among the hopeless engines of competitors. But this is not the main thing. When solving the issue of Alfa or not Alfa,, as it seems to us, to pay attention to the following. Almost all of the above manufacturers, having achieved excellent motor characteristics, emphasize the expansion of the standard equipment of the car - starting with the cup holders and not ending with additional airbags, stabilization systems and even satellite navigation. For Alfa Romeo 156, neither navigators nor electronic stabilizers are provided - the machine is good for its primitiveness, the real Driver's Car. And the appearance ... One glance is enough to say: I want this car!.
I am ready to buy at least one door handle made of aluminum. Wow! The doors are four, and the pens (in the usual sense) are only two, on the front doors. But what! Like 30 and 40 years ago - protruding out, with a button for the thumb. At the rear doors of the handle, a flush with a window frame is placed and almost invisible to the ignorant. The unity of opposites: retro and avant -garde - and all in one Alfa 156.
Almost all car feathers have surpassed this feature of the machine. As personally holding the handle with the button, I note that I did not meet a more relaxed grip when opening the door on modern cars.
The branded pointed shield with the Alfa Romeo emblem, located on the radiator grille, makes the appearance of the car predatory. Four narrow slots around the perimeter of the air intake remind of the pre -war Alfa Romeo - 8SS -2900 and 2300. By the way, the size of the shield forced to arrange the site for a license plate on the front bumper asymmetrically. And if small Italian signs only slightly spoil the type of machine, then our Russian numbers do this thoroughly. At the site of the traffic police, I would go to meet the owners of these machines, and as compensation for aesthetic damage, I would give numbers with a combination of 156 AR.
The interior of the new Alfa is impressive. Design is a sample of sophisticated taste: it is restrained and harmonious - at the same time, individual fragments of the salon with their whimsical forms resemble objects from the canvases of the artists -surrealists and, in general, create an appropriate mood. So some here may become strange. In general, it is beautiful. Damn beautiful!
Dashboard. Light gray plastic in combination with dark woody inserts and white devices in chrome salary. Classics of the genre. Plastic under the tree looks rude, but very believable - it is not polished and varnished. In its texture, it resembles an emphasized and moraine oak board. The designers managed to remove the pseudo -wing darling out of the cabin, which invariably accompanies a plastic casting of wood of expensive species. Very stylish and no less alternatively than ultramoded panels made of polished aluminum or carbon fiber on sports models.
At the top of the central console there are a clock, as well as the indicators of the temperature of the coolant and fuel level. All indications are read very easily.
A year and a half ago, we rolled the 155th Alfa Romeo, its coolest version, Q4T - all -wheel drive, with a turbo engine. Then I remembered the naked, noded plastic of the instrument panel, many square buttons with icons and wide hard chairs. This did not cause discomfort, but then it was not possible to merge with the machine. In this sense, the 156th is the exact opposite of the 155th. There is even a sensation, so to speak, individual ergonomics. Seats with a dense and deep landing. The wooden rim of the steering wheel and the gearbox handle - take them in your hands and enjoy them.
v All adjustments - the steering column and driver's seat - in stock. The pilot is without excess, but enough. There is more in the back seat of the spaciousness. A review forward, backward and out of external mirrors is quite sufficient for such a machine.
v quality of finishing and assembly suggests manual work: everything is tight, solid. Skripal plastic and unimportant fitting of details - in the past. The culmination of salon art - two huge bells behind the steering wheel with the scales of the speedometer and tachometer recovered in them. It looks original and beautiful. In addition, this is practical. Firstly, the scales do not glance at all, and secondly - they are not visible from the neighboring chair. So the front passenger is deprived of the opportunity to tell how to go correctly - and that's good.
A beautiful car is a beautiful motor. On the appennins, Alfa Romeo will only give in to Ferrari cars. One principle is an excellent body that is hidden around the engine. Alfa Romeo is power, excellent dynamics and good sound. We got a modification with 1.6 liters of Twin Spark - two candles on the cylinder. Twin Spark - Crown Technology Alfa Romeo. The second fuse contributes to the better combustion of the working mixture, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the engine. Therefore, it is not surprising that the specific power of the Alfa Romeo engines is 15-20% higher than that of classmates. And this is not achieved by increasing fuel consumption or a decrease in engine resource. In other in -line four Alfa Romeo - 1.8 and 2.0 liters - Twin Spark technology is also used, but, in addition, they have an intake manifold with variable geometry, which allows us to achieve the lowest aerodynamic resistance in a wide engine speed. The result is the maximum torque (for new engines of 1.8 and 2.0 liters - 169 and 187 nm) is removed at 3500 rpm, and not at 5000 - like Alfa 155 engines, as well as a reduced engine noise level At maximum speeds - respectively 74 versus 83 dB.
The most powerful engine, 2.5 liters of V6, has a traditional collector and 6, not 12 candles. But its control, similarly to Formula-1 forces, is carried out through an electronic gas pedal. The V6 engine is aggregated with a 6-speed gearbox. There will be no all -wheel drive version of the Alfa Romeo 156 - the casement on Quadrofoglio is not so large (about 3%) to cover the costs of developing an all -wheel drive chassis.
Our 156th with 1.6 liters of a motor has an ordinary 5-speed mechanics. The lever moves are short and very clear, the inclusion of gears occurs instantly. The clutch pedal is also fitted for sports driving - you involuntarily begin to throw it as soon as you switch to the third and higher. To monitor the pedal and the moment of turning on the clutch on such a machine is excess.
The dynamics of the car even with 1.6 liters of the engine - higher than the average level. The engine is not felt any kind of clamping, on the contrary - the motor willingly and briskly twists in all programs. The suspension helps to get full satisfaction from the work of 120 horses: in front it is on double triangular aluminum levers, from behind - a completely independent type of macpherson. The first sensations - there is an absolutely stringent connection between wheels and the body. This is especially manifested at low speed, and here - in the comfort of movement - the Italian machine to German competitors is probably inferior. But to expect from Alfa Romeo serene swimming over the road would be ridiculous - this is not Fiat Marea to you.
The main pleasure of controlling the 156th is the ultra-precise reactions of the machine to your actions. This is the new Alfa - strict and clarity itself. From a click to a click - two and a half turning of the steering wheel. The car is absolutely controlled by the driver - quickly and at ease, it is adjusted and shifted from the turn to the turn, quickly stabilizes and allows you to break the turnover of the turn without a drift. Not the slightest hint of buildup and slander. The reactions of the car are simple and naturally pushed to active driving. Maybe that's why the character of Alfa 156 seems more sharp and picky than the Volvo S40 1.8 and even the previous BMW of the 3rd series. Emotions obtained from driving the 156th are comparable only with pleasure from the management of Subaru Impreza Turbo or Porsche 911. Real pleasure.
Note that the stupid steering in this case will not deliver the slightest buzz. Holding the steering wheel in one hand, and in the other a bag of fried potatoes, you can not only collect the entire bouquet of road bumps, but also lubricate the overall impression of the car. So those who interfere with the tonic properties of the suspension and steering wheel, sellers of Alfa Romeo should not be disturbed.
The century will end soon. Alfa Romeo two years before its end made a beautiful thing - one of the last in the twentieth century. Model 156 - undoubtedly, the luck of the company, and in this case the answer to the question to be or not to be positive. Our answer to the question Alfa or not Alfa will be equally positive - this is already for our readers. We recommend. Real beauty today is a rare phenomenon. So, as the Italians say, Tira Fuore I Soldi - prepare money ...
P.S. Now Alfa Romeo is developing a new relatives on the aggregates of model 156. As a supporting basis, the machine will have a spatial aluminum frame. Roadster, which is likely to receive the name Nuvola, will take a niche between Alfa Spider and Ferrari 355 in the Fiat program. The development of the appearance is entrusted to the Pininfarina studio. It remains only to wait and guess ...
  

Source: Motor magazine [No. 8/1998]