IT may be common to describe cars as sexy and when you get up close to the two-door Alfa Romeo GT coupe and four-door 156 sedan, their graceful curves and sculptural bodies radiate an almost sensual energy.
Motoring writers will tell you that if a car looks good, it will usually drive good, too. The GT and the 156 prove this point.
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| Alfa Romeo 156. |
Most Italian cars are crafted for style and performance, so anything that wears the Alfa Romeo badge should be a sensational looker and performer.
The GT and 156 bear the new face of current and future Alfa Romeos, a look inspired by the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe concept car designed by Giorgetto Guigiaro of Italdesign.
For instance, the Brera and 156 share the distinctive sloping “shark-like” headlight clusters that feature overlapping, chrome-plated elements on a black background.
Other new design changes include the enlarged shield that completely bisects the front bumper. The shield also has five horizontal chrome bars that enhance the new Alfa Romeo look.
The new face-lifted 156 comes with a long, rakish bonnet and sleek roofline which combines class with sportiness.
This appearance is enhanced by muscular haunches and slightly flared wheel arches.
The GT, meanwhile, has clean-cut, smooth lines that end with a slightly tapered tail, giving the alluring looks of a thoroughbred coupe. This model easily personifies Alfa Romeo's cuore sportivo (sporting heart).
Engine and performance
The GT comes with the new generation 2.0-litre JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric) engine that injects fuel under high pressure directly into the combustion chamber for faster response and more efficient fuel consumption.
The JTS engine comes with four valves per cylinder, twin overhead camshafts, electro hydraulic variable valve timing and air supply system with modular inlet manifold.
This result is better driveability, as the GT is able to surge forward even in almost any gear with the accelerator floored.
While the 156 uses the proven 2.0-litre Twin Spark engine with counter balancer shafts, this sports sedan is no laggard when it comes to belting out an exhilarating drive.
Its twin spark engine uses two spark plugs per cylinder to improve fuel burn and increase power while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions.
Alfa Romeo claims both cars have the oomph to take you from 0-100kph in just over eight seconds with top speed at around 210kph.
The GT feels a lot quicker compared with the 156 because its lower seating position increases the perception of speed with trees and lampposts whizzing past your windows.
Floor the throttle and engine noise enters the passenger compartments, but no Alfa Romeo enthusiasts is going to complain.
The 156's engine still returns the familiar Alfa growl although the GT's appears to have taken on a more refined pitch.
Rev both cars up to 6,000rpm for fast overtaking on third gear and their engines fill the interior with a throaty symphony that can easily persuade Alfa Romeo aficionados to turn off their in-car-entertainment system to savour it.
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| Alfa Romeo GT. |
Even when revving near the red line, the engines do not feel strained and can continue humming merrily away.
The new generation five-speed Selespeed transmission with steering wheel mounted gearshift controls promises to be more robust and problem free compared with earlier versions.
It is a lot smoother than that found in the previous generation 156 although first-time users can find the system to be a bit jerky when driving in traffic jams or parking.
Ride and handling
We took both cars, courtesy of Sime Darby Auto Italia Sdn Bhd, to our favourite winding and rather deserted road in Shah Alam's Glenmarie industrial area for a road test and were not disappointed.
Each has its own suspension tuning despite sharing the same chassis.
The electronic stability programme comes as standard equipment and cannot be switched off.
Other safety equipment include anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution and acceleration skid regulator.
The GT's handling was superb and body roll was almost unfelt even when we were charging into bends at high speed, thanks to its lower centre of gravity and stiffer suspension setting.
The 156 exhibits slight but controlled body roll since it is taller and has softer suspension.
Both the GT and 156 can stick on high-speed turns like leeches without spinning out of control.
Interior
The interior of both cars give an impression of elegance and sportiness, with their wraparound dashboard and instrumentation dials at logical positions.
The dashboards look luxurious and feel solidly built, an important consideration especially as these premium cars are expected to be pushed hard. Cheap and poorly put together dashboards are bound to rattle after a few years.
For the GT, its speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges with a digital LED multi-information display are positioned in front of the driver for easy reading.
Although the 156's fuel and temperature gauges are positioned together with an analogue clock on the centre console, we do not mind this arrangement as it gives a retro look.
The use of dials instead of square buttons for the cars’ climate control system console brings a classic feel in these high-tech machines.
The three-spoke steering wheels of the GT and 156 are wrapped in leather and are nice to touch besides providing good grip.
Being adjustable for reach and rake, even short drivers can set the steering wheel for the best position.
While the dark-coloured interior will result in warmer cars under our tropical sun, the GT and 156's climate control system are efficient and can bring down temperatures fast. Rear passengers also get their own air vents.
The GT's seats are much more body hugging compared to the 156's, a useful feature especially when taking fast corners.
Nevertheless, GT has a comfortable driving position with good seating adjustability and forward visibility. the low seating position coupled with slimmer windows in the GT mean rearward vision is a bit restricted.
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| Tyre repair kit. |
One niggle we had with the interior was that that the front central armrest, when swung down, made it difficult to engage the handbrake in both cars.
Many other cars have either adjustable armrests or a cut out in the armrest to allow easier access to the handbrake.
The 156's interior space is ample for all passengers with plenty of head and legroom. The GT, with a lower roofline, has less headroom.
Boot space of both cars is sufficient for several pieces of large luggage for outstation trips despite the rear suspension intruding into the boot area.
As the GT and 156 do not have spare tyres, Alfa Romeo has provided the cars with emergency puncture sealant kits with inflator pumps.
Conclusion
The GT has on-the-road with insurance price of RM269,072 and the 156 at RM216,746. The prices buy you cars with timeless beauty and standard items such as six airbags, front seatbelt with pre-tensioners, cruise control and Xenon headlights.
Both cars offer thrilling rides and can easily shame any boy racer in his souped-up Wira.
The GT has more wow and head-turning capability and will likely appeal to niche buyers.
But the classy and less flashy 156 has generous rear seats and good boot space and very importantly - the convenience of four doors. Also, you may want to park at hypermarkets and drive your mum around without attracting too much attention.