Alfa's sexy beast on the way

The Alpha Romeo 156 offered a leap in quality that allowed owners to enjoy their passion for the cars alongside reliability that until then had not been expected.

They weren't perfect - but those glitches that remained were small enough to be seen as character, rather than flaws.

The 156 replacement, the 159, arriving in May, promises not only a further leap in quality, but enhanced driving dynamics courtesy of a completely new chassis and suspension set-up.

The earliest cars to arrive will include a 1.9-litre variant with an engine from a current car. Otherwise there'll be new JTS powerplants, including 3.2-litre V6 and 2.2-litre four-cylinder petrol units.

JTS is short for Jet Thrust Stoichiometric, but don't expect a jet engine under the bonnet. It's Alfa's tag for the system that best exploits its direct petrol injection, the result being 191kW from the 3.2, and 136kW from the 2.2.

Yes, the 3.2 has that Holden connection, but Lawrie Malatios, Alfa Romeo NZ's general manager, bristles at the suggestion it's a Holden unit.

"Only the block comes from Holden - it's made at the GM plant - but everything else is from Alfa Romeo in Italy."

New Zealanders can also expect a 2.4-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel offering a grunty 400Nm of torque.

It's a high-tech unit that meets Euro 4 standards and includes a particulate trap to eliminate fine dust, as stipulated by incoming Euro 5 limits.

More to maintain? Nope - it's a "for-life" system that doesn't even need an additive top-up.

Of course, the 159 wouldn't be an Alfa without style, and the Giorgetto Giugiaro design was planned to continue the trends the 156 began.

It's a subtly sexy wedge of a beast with the deep "V" of the bonnet accentuated by the horizontal headlight cluster and the lateral air intakes.

The car's lines may be sleek, but function hasn't been forgotten. The new platform supports a bodyshell which uses box elements to form a rigid transverse and vertical connection with the longitudinal load lines.

The result is a high-torsional rigidity, which pays both dynamic and safety dividends.

That safety equation is backed up by as many as eight airbags, including one to protect the driver's knees. They're part of a package in which the car got a five-star NCAP crash rating.

Alfa Romeo has had a low profile recently, given Kiwi purchases are driven by new models. But that will change this year with the arrival of the 159, Brera, Spyder and a 147 diesel.

"We've been very quiet," Malatios says. "But from May we'll really be looking to rack it up."

He's expecting big things from the diesel unit. "The power is significant, and it's also available with a six-speed automatic."

Has the improvement in diesel fuel made a difference? "Absolutely. Some of our engines would have run on it before, but not at their best, and there was no point compromising with the new range."

As it is, Malatios sees diesel as driving further changes in our market for 2006. "This year the two things we'll notice most are the growth in small-car sales and the growth in diesel sales."

Price? Malatios is keeping mum, but, says, "It'll be competitive."