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25/04/2005
By EWAN KENNEDY
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There's just something about Italian women. Excuse my political incorrectness and over generalisation, but these ladies seem to be able to keep their looks and charm well past the age when women in most countries have long since given up trying. It’s something to do with the way they instinctively have good taste in their grooming and about the way they carry themselves when parading the streets of their fabulous old cities.
 Much the same can be said about the Italian Alfa that’s the subject of this week’s road test – the big Alfa Romeo 166, the largest car in the range. It’s now well into its seventh year, which is positively ancient by new-car standards, yet with the aid of some good design work in the facelift department of the styling studios it continues to look stunning. Stunning enough to have several of our non-motoring friends comment on the appearance of what they though was a new Alfa Romeo.
The sleeker frontal look has come by courtesy of a grille that extends all the way down through the bumper in the manner of the latest Alfa models. The bumper has had some curvaceous lines added to draw attention to the new grille. The bonnet now contains complex compound curves to draw emphasis to its front area, almost giving the car the appearance of having separate side guards.
Inside, there are minor changes to the trim design and materials and there's a feeling of sporting elegance that ties in nicely with the character of the car. The use of front-wheel drive means there's decent interior space, but the back seat may prove tight for larger adults if the seats in the front aren't moved forward a few notches.
There have been some under-the-skin changes as well, particularly in the areas of noise, vibration and harshness suppression. These give the car a lovely feel on the road and it’s an excellent cruiser on motorways in the 110 to 130 km/h range, simply eating up the miles with the greatest of ease.
 Only on the twisty backroads is the big Alfa starting to feel its age. It still has plenty of grip and is certainly safe, but the steering doesn’t have the precise feeling felt in the newer Alfas and the suspension can get a little behind the action at times on some of the really rough surfaces.
As before, the 3.0-litre V6 Alfa engine has to be driven relatively hard to get the best from it. This is an Italian trait because the guys and gals over there love to punt their cars along all the time. Try to trundle along too gently and the engine doesn’t feel particularly happy, though, so it’s up to you to adapt to the engine, not the other way around.
Fuel consumption worked out at a reasonable nine to ten litres per hundred kilometres on motorway driving and seldom went over 13 litres per hundred in suburban use.
The fact that the 166 still has a four-speed automatic transmission when quite a few cars in this class have moved up to five-speed units tells against it (though only slightly) in the fuel economy stakes.
The updated Alfa Romeo 166 is on sale in Australia now at a price of $84,950. It has never been a huge seller on our market, but those who are able to get themselves out of the BMW/Merc rut will find these big Italian machines are well worth consideration. Go on, give it a go and see what it feels like to have a bit of Italian sparkle in your motoring life!
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
166 3.0-litre four-door sedan - $84,950
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Standard
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Power Windows: Standard
Driver Airbag: Standard
Passenger Airbag: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Alfa Romeo 166 3.0-litre four-door sedan)
ENGINE
Capacity: 2.959 litres
Configuration: Transverse, V6
Head Design: DOHC for each bank, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 93.0 x 72.6mm
Maximum Power: 162kW @ 6200rpm
Maximum Torque: 265Nm @ 5000rpm
DRIVELINE
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Four-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 4.223:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4720mm
Wheelbase: 2700mm
Width: 1810mm
Height: 1416mm
Turning Circle: 11.6 metres
Kerb Mass: 1550kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 69 litres
Towing Ability: 1500kg with braked trailer
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES
Front Suspension: Independent, double wishbone, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, multi-link, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 8.5 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 16.3 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION
City Cycle: 19.4 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 9.3 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km |
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