An attractive stand for the ‘159 family’
Alfa 159 Sportwagon, world preview
Alfa Spider, world preview
200 bhp Alfa Brera 2.4 JTDM 20v, world preview
An attractive stand for the ‘159 family’
Alfa Romeo returns to the 76th Geneva Motor Show with a spectacular stand on which standard models and special versions come together to underline, yet again, the brand’s unique role in the automotive world.
There can be no doubt that the star of the stand is the ‘159 Project’, displayed in all its forms: saloon, coupй, sportwagon and spider. The latest generation of Alfa Romeo’s is completed here in Geneva, the same prestigious stage where the Alfa 159 and Alfa Brera made their debut last year. And today, obviously, the spotlights will all be focused on the two much anticipated ‘world premiиres’: the Alfa 159 Sportwagon and the Alfa Spider.
The Swiss Show is also an opportunity to present a new version of the Alfa Brera, equipped with the 200 bhp 2.4 JTDM 20v engine, and to admire the lavish, elegant ‘Collezione’ versions of the Alfa GT and Alfa 147. The Alfa Romeo building at the rear of the stand, was designed with the same stylistic refinement and state-of-the-art technology, and contains the offices, Alfa Cafй and lounge areas, while sophisticated LED screens on the walls employ an original video-art installation to underline the deep bond between Alfa Romeo products and the concept of ‘Art in motion’.
In other words, world previews and cars from today’s line-up coexist perfectly at the Geneva Motor Show, successfully representing ‘sportiness and elegance’ as interpreted by Alfa Romeo, the fruit of the most sophisticated technology and a long history of cars and designers, races and engines that have written the history of technological progress and of motor racing in the 20th century. Because the heritage of the Alfa Romeo brand embraces all this, plus the work and professional pride of the thousands of people – technicians, blue-collars and managers – who have played their part over the years, in the plants, the offices and the racing venues. Here lie the roots of the inimitable personality that makes an Alfa Romeo stand out immediately from all the other cars on the road.
Alfa 159 Sportwagon and Alfa Spider
On the stage at the Swiss Show is the station wagon version of the Alfa 159, a car with its own personality and strong features that are summed up successfully in the definition ‘Sportwagon’. Three versions are on display in Geneva: one has ‘Alfa Silver’ paintwork and is equipped with the powerful 3.2 V6 Q4 24-valve engine delivering 260 bhp, the second is ‘Ruby Red’ with the 185 bhp 2.2 JTS engine, and the third is ‘Dawn Light Blue’, powered by the 200 bhp 2.4 JTDM engine. The three Alfa 159 Sportwagons are lavishly equipped and epitomise Italian styling and performance, and the handling of a true sports car, with the flexible use and the versatile interpretation of space you expect from a prestigious station wagon.
The other undisputed queen of the stand is the fascinating, new Alfa Spider which through a complex, refined game of allusions, recalls Alfa Romeo’s glorious tradition in this sector (from the Giulietta Spider of the 1950s to the Duetto and this model launched in the 1990s); it proposes cutting-edge solutions, inheriting the excellence of the mechanicals and engineering from the Alfa Brera, as well as its elegant, sporty styling.
The public will be able to admire two versions of the Alfa Spider in Geneva: a 2.2 JTS delivering 185 bhp and a 3.2 V6 Q4 delivering 260 bhp, both in the top-of-the-range outfit that includes 7 airbags, VDC, ASR, automatic dual-zone climate control, Wind-stop, Blue Tobacco natural leather upholstery and 18” alloys.
The Alfa Brera and Alfa 159
There is also room for the other two cars from the ‘159 project’: on one side, the Alfa Brera, the fascinating car that transforms the traditional soul of the coupй into the more exciting spirit of ‘absolute sportiness’, and on the other, the saloon which was recently awarded the prestigious 5-star rating by Euro NCAP.
Geneva marks the debut of a new version of the Brera equipped with the powerful 200 bhp 2.4 JTDM 20v engine, with a maximum power output of 147 kW (200 bhp) at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 400 Nm (40.8 kgm) at 2,000 rpm. The engine has 5 cylinders in line and is the most powerful of the JTD multivalve engines with Multijet technology, with a specific power of 84 bhp/litre.
Next to this debutante is the second Alfa Brera, a Q4 version with black paintwork and a 3.2 V6 JTS 24-valve engine, a jewel of automotive engineering which delivers 191 kW (260 bhp) at 6,200 rpm and peak torque of 322 Nm (32.8 kgm) at 4,500 rpm.
Both cars are lavishly equipped. Take the safety equipment for example: 7 airbags (including knee bags on the driver’s side) VDC, ABS with EBD, ventilated disc brakes front and rear, MSR, Hill Holder, ASR and foglights. And from the long list of devices designed to guarantee the highest possible level of comfort on board, we can mention: dual-zone automatic climate control, radio with CD player and CD changer, parking sensor, Bose Hi-Fi system, a Visibility Pack (rain sensor, dusk sensor and misting sensor), map radio navigator and telephone with voice controls. The two versions both have natural leather upholstery and 18” alloy wheels.
Now we can go on to the 159 saloon, the four-wheel drive Q4 version of which is shown in Geneva, equipped with the powerful new 3.2 V6 JTS 24v engine (191 kW – 260 bhp), with ‘Ocean Black’ paintwork that interprets the Alfa Romeo concept of ‘classical sportiness’ perfectly. It is lavishly appointed with precious Frau ‘pieno fiore’ fine-grain leather upholstery on the facia, seats and door panels. Plus tri-zone climate control, aluminium trims, electric seats, Cruise control, 7 airbags, VDC stability control with a hill holder, map radio navigator and telephone with voice controls, xenon headlights and 18” alloy wheels, parking sensors and reclining rear seat.
The Alfa GT and Alfa 147
Under the spotlights of the Swiss Show is a special version of the Alfa GT which conveys the model’s unique personality perfectly. Developed in collaboration with Bertone, the Alfa GT embodies original styling, lavish equipment and exciting performance, reflecting a new concept of sportiness, which embraces comfort and elegance too. The version on show, a ‘Collezione’, was designed for a more sophisticated clientele. In addition to the usual standard equipment, it also has a number of exclusive features: 17” alloy wheels (a borehole pattern with chrome treatment), black-framed front headlights, a body-coloured front bumper grille, two-tone leather seats with a perforated cushion and Alfa Romeo logo, beige/black facia and gear and hand brake levers covered with leather. The carpet and mats, centre console and side partitions are all the same beige colour. And finally, this refined Alfa GT also offers a map navigator with a telephone and voice controls, complete with a subscription to the info-telematic services.
The 147 also fits into this context of Alfa Romeo styling and technology, and a 5-door version is on show in Geneva, with the ‘Collezione’ outfit and metallic black paintwork. This compact Alfa is equipped with the brilliant 150 bhp 1.9 JTDM engine, and features the most sophisticated safety equipment as standard: VDC, ASR, ABS with EBD and six airbags. The outfit also includes dual-zone automatic climate control, new 17” alloys with a double ray pattern, radio with CD player, Cruise Control and electric rear windows. The car on display also features exclusive two-tone beige leather seat upholstery, a map navigator with built-in hands-free telephone, and radio and telephone controls on the steering wheel.
The sophisticated ‘Ble&Me’ system
Some versions of the Alfa 159 Sportwagon and Alfa Brera feature the innovative BLUE&ME system, based on Windows Mobile technology, and developed jointly by Fiat Auto and Microsoft, which changes the communications, information and entertainment paradigms in the car, improving the comfort and quality of the time spent on board.
The device is extremely simple to use, and allows you to make/receive telephone calls and to listen to music simply and safely as you drive. And thanks to Bluetooth® technology, you can also communicate with the outside world from the car using your own personal mobile phone or HDA.
The system on offer will be supplemented in future with more evolved devices giving access to the many novelties that technological progress has in store for the coming years: from a complete multimedia system to satellite navigation. In addition to which there is a whole range of services that will make all your journeys more comfortable, safer and easier.
The ‘Ble&Me’ device on the Alfa 159 Sportwagon and Alfa Brera incorporates a sophisticated hands-free system with voice recognition that guarantees maximum driving safety in all conditions, and respects the law because the driver can use the system without taking his hands off the wheel. The system allows drivers with a Bluetooth® mobile phone to use the telephone even if it is in a jacket or a bag, automatically lowering the radio volume (when this is on) and routing the interlocutor’s voice through the stereo speakers. The system is also extremely compatible with all cell phones currently on the market and can be updated to comply with new standards and future telephones.
The ‘Ble&Me’ device is built into the car and the control keys are positioned on the steering wheel for immediate, safe access to the system; the driver can find a number in his phone book by scrolling the control panel display, or ‘mute’ the call for confidentiality.
One interesting feature is the fact that the mobile phone only has to be registered with the system once. It is also possible to transfer one’s personal phone book to the car, automatically updating it every time the system recognises a cell phone.
Privacy is guaranteed because access is only granted to the phone book if the telephone registered with the system is in the car. The number or name of the caller is shown on the display if it is in the phone book and the number can be called ‘vocally’ by dictating the numbers or pronouncing the name if it has been memorised.
The evolved voice recognition process means that the voice does not have to be ‘learned’, and the device is able to memorise up to 5 cell phones at the same time, allowing immediate use of the hands-free system by several users of the same car; and programming can obviously be modified whenever necessary. And finally, the hands-free system with voice recognition can also reproduce a ‘personal’ call tone using the radio speakers.
These are the features of the hands-free system with voice recognition, but there is more to the innovative ‘Ble&Me’ system on the Alfa 159 Sportwagon and Alfa Brera: it allows the motorist to listen to his favourite music when it is recorded on a mobile phone, one of the new smart phones, on an MP3 player or on a USB pen drive. This is made possible by a USB port in the glove compartment, to which any digital device with a similar connection can be connected, allowing musical audio files (MP3, WMA and WAV) to be reproduced directly through the stereo system. And because all the information is visible on the instrument panel display, the client can scroll through the system archive (divided by type, album, artist, etc.) either vocally or using the steering wheel controls, and select the piece he wants to listen to by the controls on the steering wheel.
The Alfa Romeo Racing Teams
In the world of sport, ‘Alfa Romeo and innovation’ make a strong team. Both as a sponsor and competing with its own Racing Teams, the brand and its athletes have promoted its winning spirit and its use of the most sophisticated technology. This is embodied in the Alfa Romeo Ski Racing Team, a group of eight slalom, downhill and SuperG experts (Giorgio Rocca, Kristian Ghedina, Massimiliano Blardone, Manfred Moelgg, Karen Putzer, Denise Karbon, and sisters Elena and Nadia Fanchini) and their trainers (Flavio Roda and Gustavo Thoeni). Alfa Romeo is also Official Supplier to the Luna Rossa Team that is taking part in the build-up to the prestigious 2007 America’s Cup, and sponsors the ‘Alfa Romeo’ maxi-yacht of owner and skipper Neville Crichton, the boat which set new speed records in the past season, winning the Grand Slam and the most important high-sea regattas. And finally, the brand is sure to be one of the protagonists with its private team in the World Touring Car Championship and in the Tricolour with the 147 Cup.
And last but not least, in 2006 a new collaboration agreement is taking shape between two big names in the field of Italian engineering: Alfa Romeo and Ducati have announced that they will be working together at the circuits that host the events in the MotoGP and Superbike World Championships. The Ducato Racing team will be equipped with a fleet of brand-new Alfa 159s to transport the riders and team personnel to the different circuits all over the world.
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon has its world preview
Italian styling, the performance and handling of a thoroughbred sports car, and the flexible, versatile use of space of a prestigious station wagon. These are, very briefly, the salient features of the Alfa 159 Sportwagon, the new car that will be on the market in Italy in March, followed by the other European markets.
It would be limiting to talk about the ‘station wagon version’ of the Alfa 159 because the car has a personality of its own and strong features that are summed up successfully in the definition ‘Sportwagon’. The new model combines the flowing line of a long roof that recalls the styling of certain coupes, like the spoiler on the roof and the very aerodynamic lines. But at the same time, the car’s interior space guarantees a generous, practical loading volume. In other words, the Alfa 159 Sportwagon provides the performance and dynamic behaviour you would expect from a sports car, and a luggage compartment with the dimensions of a prestigious station wagon, but also the versatility necessary for today’s lifestyle.
Styling
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with the Alfa Romeo Style Centre, the 159 Sportwagon is as compact as the saloon – the total length is exactly the same (4,660 millimetres) – with a fluid line that runs without hesitation from nose to tail, focusing on a ‘groove’ which makes the entire car light and sleek, with a refined play of light and shade (it is 1,828 mm wide and 1,425 high, with a wheelbase of 2,700 millimetres).
The result is a sporty car on which the eye does not notice the ‘extra volume’ typical of a station wagon: this is the real strong point of the new model, which becomes all the more captivating where most station wagons reveal their main limitations. The Alfa 159 Sportwagon combines this winning feature with a luggage compartment that is a ‘designed space’ which meets a variety of requirements, whether it is used for leisure time or for business. And it never compromises where sportiness and performance are concerned. An example? The version equipped with the powerful 3.2 V6 Q4 24 valve engine, which delivers a maximum power output of 260 bhp (191 kW) at 6200 rpm and torque of 322 Nm (32.8 kgm) at 4500 rpm. The resulting performance is amazing: the 159 Sportwagon 3.2 V6 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 237 km/h.
The luggage compartment is more accessible than you would expect on a station wagon (both from the passenger compartment and from the back, thanks to the forward hinged tailgate) and the loading volume is excellent (445 litres), the result of a series of changes to the bodywork and a rational use of space.
The rear end speaks the same language as the rest of the car, blending styling details typical of Alfa and characteristic features of the saloon, with elements peculiar to the Sportwagon. A number of appropriate stylistic solutions such as the compact passenger compartment ensure that the new model maintains Alfa Romeo’s classical sportiness. The front is unchanged, dominated by the same distinctive features as the saloon, with the harmonious balance that produces the elegance and assertiveness you expect from an Alfa Romeo.
Comfort
Quiet running, a comfortable climate and dynamic well-being: these are the features of the new model, achieved by sophisticated technologies, which create an ideal environment no matter how far you travel or how long you spend in the car. For example, the excellent articulation index which is on a par with the best competition. On the Alfa 159 Sportwagon you can converse normally, or listen undisturbed to music reproduced by the high fidelity BOSE® Hi-Fi Sound System with a central speaker on the facia for sharper acoustics. That is not all. Well-being on board is also enhanced by the automatic climate system with dual or tri-zone air distribution and temperature control, Cruise Control, rain, dusk, and front and rear parking sensors, a satellite navigator with maps (also with a ‘Birdview’ display), voice controls and a built-in GSM hands-free telephone, a split rear seat, windscreen heating in the wiper area, and elegant darker glazing for the rear side windows and rear window. And finally, the ‘Home Link’ device can be installed on the sun visor, and can be programmed to remotely open up to 3 electric gates.
Quality and roadholding
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon was designed for uncompromising quality, and was subjected to endless tests and controls throughout its development. The result is a car that offers not only Italian styling and the highest safety levels, but also superb roadholding. In fact, the most striking feature of all Alfa Romeos is the sensation of a car that is glued to the road and responds with unusual promptness to the steering wheel, so that the driver always knows exactly what the front axle is doing, what the grip limit is and what he has to do to put the front wheels where he wants them. The merit goes to the pinpoint steering and new suspension already adopted on the saloon: high double wishbones at the front for excellent lateral roadholding, great efficiency and precise response to the steering, and outstanding traction, and Multilink at the rear, which makes the car extremely stable in high speed manoeuvres and very agile on ‘mixed narrow’ roads, the sign of a true sports car. Like the saloon, the Alfa 159 Sportwagon with the powerful 3.2 V6 Q4 engine also proposes Q4 permanent four-wheel drive, with three differentials (the Torsen C self-locking central differential manages the drive torque, splitting it 57% to the rear wheel and 43% to the front wheels).
Safety
Like the saloon which was recently awarded the prestigious 5-star EuroNCAP rating, the new Alfa 159 Sportwagon confirms the extraordinary amount of attention its designers have focused on every aspect related to safety. Starting with preventive safety, which is guaranteed by the various technical solutions that help the driver to keep his mind on his driving: comfort, quiet running, climate control, an ergonomic driving position, the layout of the controls and legible instruments. Then there is active safety, in other words roadholding, braking capacity and complete control over the car’s dynamic behaviour, thanks to ABS complete with EBD, the sophisticated Vehicle Dynamic Control system (VDC), Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), Hydraulic Brake Assistance (HBA) which intervenes during emergency braking, and a Hill Holder to simplify hill starts.
But it is in passive safety that the Alfa 159 Sportwagon really comes into its own. The new car fits innovative restraint systems (pretensioners on the clasps and decreasing load limiters on the seat-belts), as many as eight airbags (including special bags to protect the knees and sidebags, that extend all along the window area), and innovative front seats with an ‘anti-whiplash’ device that brings the head-restraint nearer to the occupant’s neck in the event of a rear impact. The torsional rigidity of the Alfa 159 Sportwagon’s bodyshell is unrivalled, and the merit goes to both the new ‘premium’ floorpan, the same used on the saloon, which is built with high performance materials, multiply sheet metal and laser welding, and to the numerous changes the Alfa Romeo engineers introduced to the bodyshell architecture. Thanks to this equipment and the other safety measures, the Alfa 159 Sportwagon easily meets the strictest standards for occupant protection. This has been demonstrated in numerous crash tests, slide tests and computer simulations.
Engines and gearboxes
The heart and soul of every Alfa Romeo model is its engine. The exciting styling and strong personality of every model hide a range of excellent engines with state-of-the-art technology and generous performance. The Alfa 159 Sportwagon is no exception. Like the saloon, it is powered by the three new JTS engines with continuous dual variable valve timing - the 3.2 V6 Q4 24v (260 bhp), the 2.2 (185 bhp) and the 1.9 (160 bhp) - and three Multijet engines: the 2.4 JTDM 20v (200 bhp), the 1.9 JTDM 16v (150 bhp) and the 1.9 JTDM 8v (120 bhp). A 1.8 litre petrol engine delivering 140 bhp will also be available at a later date. All the engines meet Euro 4 requirements. The diesel versions all incorporate a particulate trap (DPF), and they all deliver superb performance, combined with new mechanical gearboxes, all with six speeds, short strokes, precise engagement and limited loads. Automatic transmissions and a robotised Selespeed gearbox, also with six speeds, will be available on certain versions.
Range and services
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon range is proposed with 7 engines, 2 or 3 outfits (depending on the market), 12 body-colours and 5 interiors in 5 different shades (black, grey tone-on-tone, black and beige, beige tone-on-tone, black and grey) in a choice of flocked fabric, Alfatex®, leather and fine-grain ‘pieno fiore’ leather by Frau®. The range also offers all customers, even the most demanding, a choice between different features and devices, as well as a range of unique financial and rental formulae.
Contribution of other Fiat companies
To develop this prestigious car, the company deployed its best resources and ensured that maximum quality and reliability standards were applied throughout the product development and construction process. It forged a fruitful cooperative relationship with outside suppliers and other Fiat companies, including Fiat Powertrain Technologies, Magneti Marelli, Centro Ricerche Fiat and Elasis. And this collaboration was responsible for the many innovative solutions that make the Alfa 159 Sportwagon the new benchmark in its category.
The Alfa Spider has its world preview
The Spider or convertible has an important place in Alfa Romeo tradition (starting with the Giulietta Spider in the 1960s and going on to the Duetto and the Spider launched in the 1990s), because it has always embodied the ‘free emotive’ expression of the car. And the new model reiterates the same theme, a natural evolution of the convertibles created by Alfa Romeo in its long history, cars that have always produced strong emotions, guaranteeing extremely entertaining driving and combining superb styling with the performance of powerful, elastic engines. And the new Alfa Spider is no exception: it has the same ‘essential simple’ character of a true sports car, combined with the technological superiority of the ‘new Alfa breed’.
Derived from the fascinating Alfa Brera coupй, the new Spider is an elegant 2-seater with generous dimensions – 1,830 mm wide, 4,396 mm long and 1,367 mm high – and a modern, captivating front, like that of the coupй it derives from. The Alfa shield is in pride of place, set at the centre, the starting point of the lines that run along the bonnet and frame the headlights, ‘suspended’ on an air inlet: a stylistic and functional device that Alfa Romeo reserves for its ‘absolute sports cars’, which makes the front look even wider and more imposing, because the shoulder of the wing and the front pillar are stronger and thicker.
From the side, the combination of a short wheelbase, long bonnet and compact, rear-mounted cabin enhances the car’s sporty, dynamic looks. This impression of great temperament is underlined by the elongated rear lights and four exhaust terminals. But the styling of the new Spider also includes some ‘romantic’ elements, in the best Alfa Romeo tradition, such as the fold-away, light hood, and the design of the rear shoulder muscle that is borrowed directly from the famous Giulietta Spider.
Inside, the passenger compartment of the Alfa Spider is welcoming and highly sophisticated, thanks to the use of luxury materials and other outstanding features (which are standard depending on the version): from dual-zone automatic climate control to steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, VDC and Cruise control.
The car is offered in a choice of two outfits, and the customer can also choose between two JTS petrol engines (2.2 delivering 185 bhp and 3.2 delivering 260 bhp), combined with two gearboxes (mechanical 6-speed units on both engines, and automatic for the 260 bhp 3.2 which will be available after the launch). The new car guarantees the temperament of an Alfa and excellent dynamic performance thanks to high double wishbone suspension at the front and a Multilink system at the rear. The Alfa Spider combines superb comfort with a sporty trim and an evolved ‘Alfa Q4’ four-wheel drive system (on the 260 bhp 3.2 version). And in the safety field, the new Alfa Romeo Spider is fitted with the most sophisticated electronic devices to control the car’s dynamic behaviour, from braking to traction.
The 200 bhp Alfa Brera 2.4 JTDM 20v has its world preview
A new version of the Alfa Brera makes its debut in Geneva, equipped with the powerful 200 bhp 2.4 JTDM 20v engine which is capable of a top speed of over 228 km/h, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.3 seconds.
The new engine is derived from the well-known 2.4 JTD 20-valve ‘Common Rail’ engine; it has 5 cylinders in line and is the most powerful of the multivalve JTD engines with Multijet technology, with a specific power output of 84 bhp/litre. The new engine offers several advantages. First of all, quieter warm-up which varies with the engine speed and ambient temperature. Plus plenty of power (147 kW - 200 bhp at 4,000 rpm) and generous torque (400 Nm – 40.8 kgm at 2000 rpm).
There are four valves per cylinder, activated via hydraulic tappets and rocker arms by the twin overhead camshaft. Several changes were made to the new turbodiesel engine to boost performance and engine torque at low speeds, and to eliminate noise and vibration. For example, the ‘Common Rail’ system adopted on the 2.4 JTDM 20-valve engine envisages two new automatic control strategies for the setting and balance of the injected diesel fuel, to reduce noise and vibration.
The engine includes a number of new components, such as the cylinder head with small stem inlet valves to increase the quantity of inlet air, con rods of fractured steel and a new shape that increases mechanical resistance to the strong stress created by the increased power, an inlet manifold fitted with a throttle valve on one of the two inlet ports of the cylinders to control the turbulence of the air entering, a throttle valve to prevent shaking when the engine is turned off, and an intercooler that is highly efficient thanks to its shape and position in the car, to guarantee the optimal temperature and density of the inlet air.
The electronic EGR exhaust gas cooling system has also been modified; the lubricating circuit has a new oil pump and an external air/oil heat exchanger to cool the oil, while the water pump on the cooling circuit is also new. In other words, a long list of improvements and changes that have produced a reliable, powerful engine which is sparing on fuel. Excellent results, achieved thanks to different engine control settings, an increase in the direct injection pressure to 1600 bar, and new turboblower settings.
The turboboost is provided by a turboblower with a variable geometry turbo that helps to improve power delivery, but also generates very high torque even at low engine speeds. In fact, 90% of peak torque is available between 1750 and 3500 rpm, figures that translate into extremely enjoyable driving and brilliant performance.
All the strong points of the Alfa Brera
Sportiness and elegance combined in unique, exclusive styling. Harmonious forms and volumes which produce a beautiful, powerful, solid car, when they are supported by Alfa Romeo mechanical and engineering excellence. This is very briefly the spirit of the Alfa Brera, the prestigious new coupй which will arouse extreme emotions and guarantee superbly enjoyable driving. The engineers and stylists only had one goal: to combine the elegant sporty styling of an exceptional car with the quality and comfort of a luxury saloon.
To achieve this result, they started from the excellent premises of the fascinating Brera prototype, designed by Giugiaro, which had excited the press and the general public, winning numerous prestigious international awards. The model that emerged was an immediate success for its unmistakable ‘Italian elegance’, and absolutely unique, unrepeatable styling which anticipates the enjoyable sporty drive that is typical of the brand, a fact borne out by numerous Alfa Romeo models that have been milestones in motoring history in this very category: from the 1900 SS to the Giulietta Sprint, the Alfetta and the Giulia Sprint GT.
This original styling is set off by generous dimensions: it is 183 cm wide, 441 cm long and 137 cm high, with a wheelbase of 252 cm, although the heightened taper of the front and rear make it look very compact. This does not in any way diminish the comfort or functionality, as so often happens on this type of car. What is more, the interior ambience of the Alfa Brera is welcoming, well-lit and very sophisticated, thanks to the quality materials used and the introduction of innovative features, such as the large fixed sunroof which increases the luminosity in the car and the passengers’ sense of space, making the line sleeker and more flowing. The stylish built-in radio and the controls for the dual-zone automatic climate control are at the centre of the facia. The radio includes a CD player (with the option of an MP3 player), and excellent acoustics by Bose®, calibrated specifically for the car, with six speakers and an output of 570 Watt.
From the lavish equipment to the exclusive range of engines. The engine is the real strength of every Alfa model. Behind a fascinating line and strong personality, the Alfa Brera conceals superb engines with advanced technology and generous performance: the 2.2 delivering 185 bhp and the 3.2 V6 delivering 260 bhp (both JTS direct injection petrol engines), and the new 2.4 JTDM 20v that delivers 200 bhp. In addition to the ‘Alfa Romeo temperament’ of its engines, the new car guarantees excellent dynamic performance thanks to the high double wishbone suspension at the front and a Multilink system at the rear. The Alfa Brera combines superb comfort and a sporty trim plus, standard on the 3.2 JTS, an advanced version of the ‘Alfa Q4’ four-wheel drive system. And finally, where safety is concerned, the Brera boasts the most advanced electronic devices to control the car’s dynamic behaviour (from braking to traction) implemented to raise the dynamic limits even higher, so that they are not intrusive for the driver, but enhance safety. The effect of these devices was studied in simulations and painstaking tests on the track, undertaken with the goal of guaranteeing the most enjoyable drive possible.
And finally, depending on the market, the Alfa Brera family is available in different configurations, by combining: two JTS engines (the 185 bhp 2.2 and the 260 bhp 3.2 V6) and a turbodiesel Multijet (2.4 JTDM 20v delivering 200 bhp); two outfits; ten colours for the bodywork; 4 types of interior upholstery in flocked fabric, Alfatex®, leather and ‘pieno fiore’ fine-grain leather by Frau®. And the new model also proposes numerous sophisticated devices and systems that make it a benchmark in its segment. For example: VDC, Xenon headlights, and seven airbags as standard equipment (where safety is concerned); an info-telematic system with radio and telephone controls on the steering wheel, Bose® Hi-Fi system and CD changer (where entertainment and info-mobility are concerned); Cruise Control (for stress-free driving); 16”, 17” or 18” alloys (for customised styling).
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