24.09.2004 Alfa Romeo's star in Paris, the new bigger, bolder, but still just as charismatic Alfa 147, the cute car that has now grown up

Alfa Romeo offered up the new 147 hatchback in Paris yesterday, two 3-door versions taking centre stage on a large, carefully laid out stand.

Two years ago at this French motor show the 147GTA received its World Premiere, and this week a new, bigger, bolder, but still charismatic Alfa 147 appeared.

The original, cute 147 was very popular on its launch, a car that embodied Alfa Romeo's traditional values: fun and excitement, along with punchy engines and a dynamic chassis. Following the gorgeous 156, introduced a few years earlier, it signified that the marque was really stepping in the right direction.

Alfa Romeo's engineers had to revise this car without negating any of these characteristics, while at the same time the 147 had to grow up and face new challenges and new demands.

Now we have seen it in the flesh. At the front it now has eye-catching big new headlights, much more prominent bumpers, improved detailing as well as the numerous under skin revisions.

The large headlights, which feature attention-grabbing triple lamp units, taper toward the grille and compliment the 147's traditional bonnet swages.

The new front bumper, with its prominent honeycombed spoiler cut-outs, help to make the car appear larger than it is, while two tiny but high-powered fog lights nestle in their own sharply-cut gashes. All in all it follows the family look seen on the 156 and 166 while retaining its individual character. This is now a car punching well above its own weight.

At the rear of the car, very careful attention has been paid to improving the appearance without losing any of its widely-acclaimed character.

Like the recent Giugiaro 156-facelift, the rear lights have increased in size, and the inner edges, chop with a vertical edge, that gives the car a sharper finish that the curvy original lenses. The triangular effect is very much in keeping with marque characteristics.

The swages are now more harmonised, while the location of the Alfa Romeo badge in the centre of the tailgate is more pronounced.

Unexpectedly, a new chrome finishing strip now runs across the lower edge of tailgate. This is an all-new cosmetic direction from Alfa Romeo.

A revised roofline edge, together with a more sweeping edge to the screen finishing as it chases over the rear wiper, complete the hatch makeover.

A bigger bumper rounds out the rear end changes. The rubbing strips of the earlier model are discarded in favour of an all colour-coded finish, while the lower edge is recessed before curving back out for form a slim black lip. This bulging new the bumper, which almost GTA-like in its thrusting prominence, helps continue the class-busting theme.

Inside the car, minor revisions complement the existing arrangements. Most notably the new two-tone fascia colours which blend carefully with each other, while the revised instruments are without doubt an improvement.

Under the skin, revisions to its suspension, double wishbone at the front, MacPherson struts at the rear, have been made. Alfa Romeo's have engineers alluded to improvements being made to the comfort of the ride. The suspension, however, has been taped-up in Paris on the show cars leaving it impossible to get a better visual idea.

Three petrol and three diesel units are now offered, from the famous TwinSpark engines to the ground-breaking common-rail 150bhp 1.9 M-Jet. A new second-generation Selespeed gearbox is also on offer. This transmission, which boasts a more user-friendly interface, is fitted to one of the two cars in Paris.

Overall the effect of the new car is pleasing, this successful car now moving onwards and upwards, all without alienating the buyers who have been so enchanted by its values. Instead it will take them with it.

by Edd Ellison in Paris