Hatchback Alfa best of new breed

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

The Alfa Romeo 147, the 2001 European Car of the Year, had a head start - it is built on the excellent chassis of the 1998 winner, the 156 sedan.

The 147 won the award the other day, with 51 of the 56 judges picking it over such notable newcomers as the Ford Mondeo, Volvo S60 and C-Class Mercedes-Benz.

The win brings the Fiat Group's total since the competition started in 1964 to 10 - seven for Fiat, two for Alfa Romeo and one for Lancia.

"This is a remarkable result for Alfa Romeo and it demonstrates just how outstanding the new Alfa is," said Lawrie Malatios, general manager of Alfa Romeo importer, Ateco Automotive NZ Ltd.

"The Alfa 147 was up against some tough competition, yet it dealt them all a crushing blow when it came to judgment day.

"Naturally, this bodes well for our plans with the Alfa 147 when it arrives in New Zealand next year."

The Alfa Romeo 147 was launched in Europe last month, offering a choice of three Twin Spark 16-valve four-cylinder engines: two 1.6-litre units developing 77 kW and 88 kW, and a 2.0-litre producing 110 kW. An 80kW common rail diesel variant will be introduced next year.

New Zealand is likely to get the 110kW model with a Selespeed manual/automatic transmission. No word on price but the new distributor has promised to be aggressive.

The new model is a celebration of Alfa's sporting heritage. Designers deliberately added to the car reworked versions of many motifs typical of recent Alfas.

Traditional styling cues included the three-part pattern formed from the two horizontal air intakes and vertical badge - and a V-shaped bonnet that blends in below the headlamps, reminiscent of the 6C 2500 Villa d'Este of 1949.

The 147 borrows its chassis and suspension system from the much acclaimed and sporty 156 sedan. Its torsional rigidity is the same too.

The car comes with up-to-date electronic driving aids, including brake force distribution and stability control, and a safety package of six airbags - two at the front, two at the sides and two window bags.

Equipment includes a sophisticated dual-zone air-conditioning system that monitors the heat of the sun on window glass and allows the driver and front passenger to adjust air temperature.

There is also a multifunctional display showing time, date, outdoor temperature, check control, speed limit warning, fault indicator and trip computer.

The standard sound system comes with eight speakers. The car can also be fitted with a Bose hi-fi system with six-channel amplifier and active subwoofer. Voice command technology is also available, along with a full array of on-line instruments that include phone, navigation system and a colour television screen.

The luggage compartment comes with a retaining net and a base that doubles as a waterproof tray for wet windsurfer sails or ski boots.

The European Car of the Year award was introduced in 1964 and the jury is made up of 56 motoring journalists from 21 European countries.

To gain entry to the competition, new cars must have gone on sale in at least five European markets during the year. Points are awarded for design, comfort, safety, running economy, handling, performance, practicality, respect for the environment, price and value for money.

An initial selection of 10 cars is made from the new models that go on sale during the year. These are included in the final vote.

Each jury member is given 25 points to distribute among the ten finalists, with a maximum of 10 going to the first choice.

Finishing order this year was: 1. Alfa 147 (238 points); 2. Ford Mondeo; 3. Toyota Prius; 4. Audi A2; 5. Mercedes C-Class; 6. GM Opel/Holden Corsa; 7. Volvo S60/V70; 8. Chrysler PT Cruiser; 9. Peugeot 607; 10. Citroen Picasso.

Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo has realigned the prices of its soft-top two-door Spider range. The top-range 2.0-litre Twin Spark with the power hood is down a whopping $10,000, from $79,995 to $69,995, and a new entry-level Spider with a manually operated hood has been introduced at $64,995.

"The US dollar has been getting all the bad news, but changes against the Euro have been minimal and it has enabled us to add a new version of the Spider to our range for 2001," said Malatios.

"The new model takes the soft-top Alfa Romeo into a whole new market sector."

The new version comes with remote central locking, climate control air conditioning, alloy wheels, full instrumentation, front and rear fog lights, sports cloth upholstery, a CD-equipped audio system, and power steering, windows and door mirrors.

Both versions of the Spider are powered by the 2.0 litre 114kW Twin Spark engine mated to a five-speed gearbox and share a common chassis and suspension.

"At this new price, our only problem will be revealing to sports car buyers that they can now afford a real, classic Italian thoroughbred, rather than a copycat sports car," said Malatios.

The Spider has contributed to significant growth for Alfa Romeo. In Britain, for instance, sales across the range have increased by 77 per cent in 12 months.