Affordable Alfa Has Attitude, Ability
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday October 5, 2001
Alfa's `Sudstitute' still begs to be driven hard and is right on the money. Bill McKinnon reports.
I used to live in Leichhardt when Norton Street's cafes were the domain of elderly Italian gentlemen who sat at the tables all day and talked over the meanest short blacks this side of Milano. At weekends, their grandsons would race around the streets, pumping testosterone and looking for action in their Alfa Romeos.
These were usually very second-hand Alfa Suds: the little hatch that magnificently lived up to Alfa's reputation for fragility, unreliability and rust. They used to hit redline in second as they flew past our house. Once in a while, an almighty bang and a thick cloud of blue smoke Agip oil, of course indicated that another Sud had copped its last hiding.
Alfa's new 147 the Sud's spiritual successor still begs to be driven hard, a practice preached as a key brand value by the company. However, some of Alfa's recent offerings (the 166 in particular) had the attitude, not the ability.
The 147 delivers both. Priced at $38,500 for three- and five-door body styles, it is considerably less expensive than a brace of other recently arrived Euro hatches, including the new BMW Compact and the Benz C-Class coupe.
The front-drive 147 is powered by the 2.0-litre Twin Spark (two plugs per cylinder) engine, which has been around since the Leichhardt days and is also used in the 156, Spider and GTV.
Alfa Romeo has tweaked the engine in recent years, progressively improving flexibility and performance in the bottom half of its rev range.
The version in the 147, engineered to meet the latest European emission standards, has smaller diameter valves and ports, plus a more compact combustion chamber design, which (by happy coincidence) also enhance its pulling power at moderate revs. An electronic accelerator has been adopted to give the 2.0's fuel injection the efficiency required to meet the Euro standards.
Peak power and torque 110kW and 181Nm are fractionally down on the 156 engine, but the 147 produces 90per cent of its torque at 2,000rpm. Previous Twin Sparks have been limp below 3,000; this one is fine by 2.0 four-cylinder standards.
The manual 147 zips from rest to 100km/h in 9.7 seconds, a quickish result assisted by a lower differential ratio than the 156. It still enjoys being worked at the top end. Past 4,000rpm, it makes wonderful noises and is exceptionally responsive and smooth.
The gearbox is lighter and more precise in action than that of the 156, with improvements to the cabling, synchro, lubrication and gear machining. The Selespeed clutchless manual, with steering wheel-mounted shift buttons, is a $3,000 option.
The 147's basic structure and most of its running gear is from the 156. It is a relatively heavy car for its size and feels extremely solid. Doors close with a Teutonic thunk.
Like the other current Alfas, the 147 is an excellent handler on smooth roads, with tactile, responsive steering, high cornering limits and a level of driver involvement usually absent in front-drivers.
It features several high-tech rescue devices, including anti-lock brakes with electronic distribution, plus traction and stability control.
The test car was shod with 205/55 Goodyear Eagle tyres on 16-inch alloy wheels. The three-door wears 215/45 rubber on 17-inch alloys.
The Goodyears do not complement the 147. They hang on well, but detract from steering precision and give the car's dynamics a slightly doughy quality. Apparently Alfa buys its tyres in job lots from several suppliers; a 147 fitted with Michelins or Pirellis would probably have a sharper, more taut character, regardless of the door count.
On rough roads, the relatively lightly damped 147's handling deteriorates and the ride becomes quite harsh. The front end can bounce and crash on choppy bitumen, which induces some wheel shake as well; on the same surface the back end can give the occasional nervous kick, and bottoms-out under a couple of rear passengers.
The test car's stability control system intervened far too early on the front wheels when braking into corners, especially when prompted by a bump or two. The brakes are adequate for normal use, but exhibited fade when worked hard on a winding, hilly road.
Quality and reliability are still Alfa issues. The test car covered more than 1,500km without problems but had a persistent rattle in the offside rear door, thin paint inside the tailgate and a brake lever button which occasionally became stuck inside the lever.
Inside the 147, the driver faces a compact but complex dash layout, heavily textured in dark plastic with deep-set instruments. Lots of tiny buttons look cute but are difficult to quickly locate and use. The wands are also complicated in operation, often requiring you to take your hands off the wheel.
Alfa has loaded the 147 with gear to give it a walk-up start against its rivals. Standard gear includes six airbags, split system air-conditioning, CD player/eight-speaker audio (with Bose amplifier/speakers in the Selespeed version), power everything, trip computer, cruise control and remote central locking with rolling code immobiliser.
The firm, comfortable driver's seat is bolstered from knee to shoulder, with plenty of travel. It is height-adjustable, as is the wheel, which also has basic audio controls.
Rear vision is restricted, especially with three head restraints in place.
A tall driver up front limits rear access and legroom, but the back seat is deep, supportive and properly contoured for two. Three lap-sash belts are provided.
Boot space is also on the tight side. The 60-40 split rear seat can be double-folded for extra capacity. Three child restraint anchors are on the back of the seat; a load cover, net and securing lugs are fitted. A steel space-saver spare is under the floor.
The Alfa 147 is great value at $38,500. This money from most other European makers buys precious little genuine performance or driving enjoyment.
Stick to relatively smooth bitumen which, admittedly, is difficult in NSW and the 147 will deliver the qualities that made Alfa a legend in Leichhardt.
STARS
* * * 1/2
GOOD
Value for money. Punchy, smooth 2.0-litre goes hard, sounds great. Slick gearbox. Taut, responsive, tactile handling on smooth roads. Solid body. Loaded with gear.
BAD
Suspension struggles on rough bitumen. Goodyear tyres detract from handling precision. Oversensitive stability control system. Brake fade. A few fit and finish dramas.
VERDICT
Much to enjoy, a bit to forgive.
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald