Autoblog

Click above to view the updated Alfa Romeo 159 in hi-res

We had plenty of reason to frequent the Alfa Romeo pavilion at this year's Geneva show. After the unveiling of the production 8C Spider along with the updated Brera and Spider came the revisions to the 159 sedan and Sportwagon.

Like its two-door counterparts, the changes to the 159 consist of a few small updates that don't interfere with the model's stunning lines. Better ergonomics and new electronics update the interior, while weight reduction where the car meets the road should help the car's driving dynamics slightly. Most importantly, however, the tweaks which Alfa Romeo announced for the 159 range gave us and our cameras another reason, as if we needed one, to get reacquainted with one of our favorite European sports sedans and wagons. To see the product of our emotional reunion, click on the thumbnails below and jump to our high-resolution image gallery.

Click to view in our high-resolution image gallery

If you haven't seen an Alfa Romeo 159 rolling down the boulevard at night, you haven't seen how good a four-door sport sedan (or five-door sportwagon) can look. Fortunately, Alfa wants to keep its volume model on the sales track to success, and is launching a slightly revised version at next week's show in Geneva.

The updates largely mirror those of its equally gorgeous stablemates, the Brera and Spider, details of which we brought you earlier. That means an interior with revised ergonomics featuring more supportive seats, and a new sat-nav screen and climate control. By fitting lighter wheels, brake calipers and suspension components made from aluminum, Alfa has also cut about 100 unsprung pounds off the curb weight, which should improve driving dynamics. But in case it hasn't enough, Alfa is also offering its Q2 advanced traction/stability control system, in addition to the available Q4 all-wheel-drive system, mated to a range of smooth-running gasoline and diesel engines producing 140-260 and 120-210 horsepower, respectively. With the new improvements, a 159 would make a perfect daily driver to accompany an 8C Spider for the weekends. Check out the images in the gallery below, and all the details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Alfa Romeo]

It looks like Chrysler isn't the only car company trying to partner with China's Chery Auto. The latest reports suggest Fiat is also considering a new deal with Chery that would involve a joint-venture to start building Fiat badged cars in China.

Back in May, Fiat confirmed that it would start building its midsized Alfa Romeo 159 sedan at a plant in Wuhu, just outside of Shanghai, but there was no mention if any other brands were China bound. If this new deal gets the go ahead, Chery will most likely build Fiat's Linea sedan (shown above) in China and supply up to 100,000 engines annually to Fiat's China operations.

Some of the major hurdles Fiat is facing are a lack of suitable suppliers. It's more lucrative for a supplier, both in and outside of China to sell parts to European countries that already manufacture the specific Alfa Romeo and Fiat models. Then there are the issues with reliability and quality levels of Chinese built cars, and until these are addressed we won't be seeing any Fiat models built in China.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Many precincts in the U.S. are ecstatic over their new Dodge Charger police cruisers, but Italian police are just as pleased to replace their fleet of Fiat Mareas with the new Alfa 159. Police cruisers in Italy are called Panteras, which means "Panther" in English, and the crime-fighting Pantera patrols the boot with a bulletproof windshield and windows, separated passenger compartment and remote-controlled, roof-mounted search lights. You may remember the Baby Blue and White paint scheme from the last Italian police car we told you about – a Lamborgini Gallardo. Man, Italy knows how to serve and protect in style.

[Source: Italiaspeed, autoblog.it]