Poor sales mean Alfa 159 replacement coming soon with U.S. in sight
Click to view the Alfa 159 in hi-res from Geneva '08
The Alfa Romeo 159 may be one of the most beautiful sedans on the market, but that hasn't been enough to make the model a sales success. As we learned after driving the new MiTo, Alfa isn't satisfied any longer to glide by on its name and looks alone, and so has started work on the replacement for the 159 even though the current model was only introduced in 2005.
The main reason attributed to the 159's poor market performance has been its dynamic performance, inhibited by an overweight chassis designed by Saab during Fiat's partnership with GM. Its successor is tipped to be based on the same platform as the upcoming 149, however, which still means front-wheel-drive. With the numeric designation running out of room to grow, the 159 replacement is widely reported to revive the classic Giulia nameplate, with styling cues borrowed from the curvaceous 8C instead of the angular Brera. Sources suggest that the new sedan, anticipated for debut in 2010, is being developed specifically with the American market in mind.
Photos Copyright ©2008 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DKB_SATX 5:05PM (8/12/2008)
If they keep up the general character of design they've used in the last few cycles, produce a car that's dynamically superior to the current 159 and sell and/or build them in the US, I may be taking a step down the primrose path of Italian car ownership. The 159 Sportwagon is a gorgeous car, and Alfa understands the appeal of a good manual transmission.
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Swede 5:06PM (8/12/2008)
Could be the fact that it's too expensive and nichéd too...
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Shiftright 12:41AM (8/13/2008)
Alfas have never been inexpensive cars, but they typically undercut their German competitors in price with much more equipment standard. You're lucky to get air in the tires standard with many German brands.
MemphisNET 5:14PM (8/12/2008)
Hopefully they can pull of this transformation, because damn - looks alone will pull me in, but the test drive will determine the purchase.
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Brent 6:03PM (8/12/2008)
We both know that our Neon's will be superior. :)
drunkenpublicness 5:17PM (8/12/2008)
I went to the Frankfurt autoshow last year and saw one of these in the metal. To my eye it was one of the prettiest cars there, bar none. Pictures just don't do it justice. Driving dynamics be damned!
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tanooki2003 5:25PM (8/12/2008)
I do truly hope that they bring/build this beauty here in the USA. I am still waiting for my replacement of the Alpha Romeo 146 that I used to own, loved, and still miss like crazy.
I have yet to find any other brand car sold here in the USA that offers the same feel of excitement, charm, and character as the 146 once had.
Also when Alfa does decide to build/sell cars here I do not want any parts designed, screwed up, or tampered by GM. I just want it to be pure Italian all the way, or at least the powertrain, electronics, interior and exterior.
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erolb 5:35PM (8/12/2008)
What holds the sales back in the UK is the p1ss poor residuals and reputation for kack reliability (although this may or not be true in reality). I know a number of people who were this close to parting with the cash for one of these or the 156 then lost their nerve at the last minute and plumped for a VW.
A quick look on the classifieds at Pistonheads shows a 2002 , decent spec with 50k on the clock for £3500 - Prolly cost £25k five years ago.
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Rob 5:36PM (8/12/2008)
"angular Brera"
The Brera is one of the best looking cars on the road in the UK. Angular is not an adjective I'd use to describe the Brera.
Rob
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Paul 5:48PM (8/12/2008)
I drove one as a rental in Germany and this thing is SWEET! It was a JTDM model, 1.9 diesel turbo and boy I miss that car. If Alfa promises me one, within a year, I'll pay them MSRP NOW!
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Hike15 5:54PM (8/12/2008)
please dont screw up the looks and character....
please dont screw up the looks and character....
please dont screw up the looks and character....
please dont screw up the looks and character....
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akatsuki 6:03PM (8/12/2008)
Designed for the US market? Unless they just mean crash standards, I am pessimistic.
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GJC 7:21PM (8/12/2008)
Dear Acura -
Please immediately revise all 2009+ designs to continue with the Italiante degin theme. The TSX should be an Acura-fied version of the Alfa...
Thanks,
Joe Consumer, Acura Enthusiast (2008 and prior designs)
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Hike15 8:52PM (8/12/2008)
well if alfa stop making the 159 look like it does acura should put its tl in that exterior
txdesign 7:22PM (8/12/2008)
I agree, don't dumb it down for the US market. The US Maserati Coupe lost its horseshoe shaped tail lamps a few years back because our market is considered more "conservative".
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Tsunami Racer 8:12PM (8/12/2008)
i always worry when they say "designed with the US market in mind". this usually means 12 cupholders, soft suspension and flat seats for our cheeseburger arses.
the Saturn LS was essentially an Opel Vectra "designed with the US market in mind". that turned out.... uh... well.....
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Noidor 9:46PM (8/12/2008)
Case was, and still remains that you buy an Alfa with your heart and something else (in that respective class) with your brain. It's got to be more high-tech, has to have more features, must be faster, etc etc.
I've always said that in order be a success, a car must do everything as well as the competition, and be a lot better in 2-3 areas.
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Shiftright 10:17PM (8/12/2008)
I just don't understand the automotive press. When the 159 debuted, it was highly regarded, with Car UK giving it a solid 4 of 5 stars, tying with the A4 and ahead of the previous gen C Class, beaten only by the 3 series. Auto Motor und Sport of Germany named it the best handling car in its segment, and Autojournal of France rated it number one against the A4, X type and Accord (TSX in the US). Yes, with a V6 and AWD it weighs close to 3,700 lbs, which is not at all light but hardly a porker compared to other cars of its size. The new Maxima weighs over 3,700 lbs and does not have AWD and BMW 330 Xi is not far behind. Hell, a Golf R32 is over 3,500 lbs. Modern cars are heavy. The quality and reliability issues were comprehensively dealt with a few years back, but I repeatedly read of its heaviness and less than stellar handling. What gives? I 've driven a turbodiesel in europe and was highly impressed. I feel that perception is a few steps behind reality in this case, and journalists forget their own writings. So many people have been brainwashed into believing that anything from Germany is automatically superior, that it's going to take a while unfortunately for them to wake up and realize there are genuine alternatives.
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Ken Stamper 12:00AM (8/13/2008)
In a sense I agree, the press for the Alfa was all positive at the time, but that's often the case for a car that is just so damn good looking the press can't be objective or rational. But people expect certain driving characteristics from an Alfa that they might not expect from a BMW or whatever- light weight and ultra-quick turn in being key ones. The fact is that by most other accounts the 159 doesn't drive as well as an Accord (TSX), let alone a BMW, and that has to change. Preferably with a move back to RWD!
Shiftright 12:51AM (8/13/2008)
I hear many people complain about the 159 being primarily front drive, and yes, I wish they would go rear drive too, but it is available with AWD, just like, hmm, Audi, and I never hear any one bemoan the lack of rear drive in them. Most Audis, with the exception of the R8, are all FWD based platforms. I have to disagree with you on the TSX/159 comparison. The two 159s I've driven (petrol and diesel) were sharp handlers, composed and very stable at high speeds. Maybe not quite as agile as a lighter TSX, but highly capable nonetheless. I really feel the market has been slow to catch up with the reality of modern Alfas since they had a rep for being a headache for so long. And let's face it, people accept something as a truth and it's hard to sway the herd. BMW/Mercedes are on the flipside of this. Occasionally they do make a crap car (Z3, last gen C-Class), but no one notices it...