Test Drive Alfa Romeo 166 1998 - 2003 Sedan
Blood test
During the race through a narrow and challenging track, someone will definitely fly from asphalt and is in the outsider. In Russia, SAAB 9-5 and Alfa Romeo 166 were on the roadside. Such annoying missions happen not only in sports: life, especially business, is also an eternal struggle for a place on the road to a bright future. The struggle goes according to the rules that are much tougher than in the car racing. One wrong steering wheel - and you are already practically outside the game. Competitors are tightened by a dense wall by, and in order to return to the group of leaders, it is necessary to possess not only skill, but also luck.
So, in fact, happened before our eyes with two stamps - Saab and Alfa Romeo. Competitors for the production of business class sedans bypassed them on a steep priese and are now confidently leading on a straight line. Why it happened, we decided to find out by taking two very interesting cars for a test - Saab 9-5 and Alfa Romeo 166 2001 model year.
PIT STOP. The Saab brand officially appeared on the Russian market in 1993 and immediately took the position of the leader - she was loved in state structures and the private sector. It is enough to remember that it was Saab that created one of the first official services and spare parts stores in Moscow. Business pioneers in the early 90s traded nine, like hot pies: one and a half hundred per month. At that time, the new word Nissan is just beginning to press out from our lexicon the usual name Jeep, and the riding chic was considered a respectable family Volvo. For eight years of years, Saab acquired a good service infrastructure - in the European part of Russia there are six authorized service centers - most in Moscow and St. Petersburg. 
The owner of the brand and manufacturer Alfa Romeo, Concern Fiat, still can not decide how interested in our market and which models, in fact, should be sold here. At the same time, FIAT does not highlight special quotas for Russian dealers, as is happening with Saab. As a result, sellers collect cars with the world on a thread, from other markets. By the way, the problem is about the fact that this car is southern and to our climate is unusual - delusion. Scientists with bitter experience and enthusiasts from social movement Such Fiat We do not need! Dealers are pulling cars designed exclusively for Northern Europe. And even on their own, without the support of the center, warranty obligations are taken - a year without a mileage limit. We will give tribute to the courage and enthusiasm - on Saab 9-5 Russian dealers provide a similar guarantee, but enjoy all the benefits that guarantee the official assembly for Russia. By the way, the Fiat service network, where theoretically can serve and repair Alfa 166, turned out to be much wider. Today, these are twelve stations, four of which are located in Moscow, while others are scattered by region, from St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod to the Kopeysk himself. Externally, everything is not so bad, but the models are still dropped.
Cuore Sportivo. The phrase sports heart Italians came up with Alfa Romeo style. In it, according to the design of the designers, the solidity of the businessman and the elegant light of the playboo is harmoniously connected. The idea is subject to appearance, interior decoration, dynamics and temperament. In Western Europe, this approach produces an irresistible impression on the consumer - after all, in fashion, the refusal of smoking and sporting cutting of business costumes. Business lunches have replaced the business party in Squash and negotiations for the barbell in fitness centers.
Another thing is Russia - while the President rides in Austria on skis, discussing the problems of financial anchlus, a significant part of domestic businessmen attends not only theaters and sports clubs, but also a casino, nightclubs and private saunas. And in recent establishments, it is not accepted to throw out the appearance of the aristocrat in the tenth generation - we left all of the people ... The car is still important as a social character reporting on the position of the owner in understandable surroundings of the boundaries.
The appearance of Saab 9-5 more suitable for our mentality: his forms suggest thinking about confident business, a strong family, a decent account in the bank. Although it also felt this Cuore Sportivo, but in Swedish presentation it looks more restrained and hidden. The Russian SAAB, rather, causes memories of the aviation glory of the brand - and in the Soviet country, the Air Force pilots received good salary and enhanced nutrition.
Business package. The Swedes are fairly true that the consumer of expensive cars in Russia prefers complete mince, so they supply cars to us in a very rich basic configuration. It is heated seats, climate control, cruise control, on-board computer, almost a complete electric car, at least two airbags with a company system of active head restraints SAHR. In addition, there are also such fairly exotic things as the rain sensor and self-impacting intra-alone mirror.
Alfa is more democratic. Cruise control is absent, like electrochromatic mirrors and heated seats. For an additional fee, you can get folding side mirrors, curtains for all rear glasses and xenon headlights. And then, even having poured from 9-5 to the set of options, 166th will still be somewhat cheaper.
In other words, 9-5 and 166 are offered almost the entire gentleman's set of business class, without which the dear modern car does not think.
BUSINESS PLAN. Times, when wealthy Russians paid attention to the fact that the surface is the leather-electropacle climate, - already ringed in the fly. Competitors understood this earlier than Saab and Fiat. And not only invented how to sell their cars cheaper. They scored forces to shout about the advantages of their models at every step. We have already learned how to fall asleep under the hymn Ford, which does not sound anything on cable channels, read on every corner of Revolvolution, and from the street to come to free BMW and Audi test drives.
And who did you hear about Alfa Romeo? Only dubbed fans buying European autosurvines who are trying to advertise this brand. But Russians are interested in and large not only the cheap Palio. Alfa Romeo 166 with its combination of price and quality, multiplied by driving abilities, probably could take a strong position. We have a lot of people who, in addition to money in the wallet, there are some more gasoline in the blood.
Former glory Saab eclipsed Other - a high price of the car in a car with high cost of operation. Not the final role was played by the final transition of General Motors, which only since the end of last year began to more or less actively engage in the promotion of the brand in Russia, offering special prices to begin. But the GM giant is weak down to the eyes and ears of customers - in Russia, it seems, it is more interested in sales of a more democratic Opel, reincarnation of the Niva and other projects on the mass baking of hot pies.
In Alfa Romeo 166 and in Saab 9-5 in power, dynamics, maneuverability and speed. Thanks to the turbine, the torque in Saab has the best characteristics and more active in pickups. The Alfov Six loves turnover, and when the engine is spinning to its 3500--4000 thousand, Italian is already ready to give the Swede good odds.
Saab is equipped with a traditional automatic machine with normal, sports and winter modes. The automatic transmission is very live and instantly respond to work as a accelerator pedal. Adaptive sportronic with electronic control and manual transmission mode on Alfa Romeo 40 minutes after 40 minutes adjusts to the style of sitting behind the wheel, and in manual mode switches to a higher transmission only when the speed reaches the limit, and when the stop automatically switches to the first transmission.
The handling and behavior of both cars on the road deserve estimates perfectly. The work of the suspension, the accuracy of reactions - all this gives pleasure from the management process itself. We only note that the SAAB suspension is noticeably softer, but by energy intensity the Swede relets Italian.
Both cars in terms of their riding qualities clearly exceed many competitors in the class - primarily the fact that they harmoniously combine comfort, safety and ease of management with an active driver character. We went to them through the streets of the city and were noticed with surprise how lonely these two cars in the Moscow stream. They turned into Russia in a peculiar dish for gourmets: very tasty, but it hurts little and expensive ...
Text Andrei Timofeev, photo Alexey Ilyin
Cars are provided by the representative office of General Motors of the CIS in Russia and the Armenian Company, (095) 289-9191. Insurance is carried out by Ingosstrakh, (095) 956-5555.
A source: "Autopilot"
