By far the most anticipated Italian highlight at the Geneva Motor Show this week was the new Alfa Romeo 159. Interest in this car has been overwhelming, and our website traffic statistics can prove that.

In fact we received so many visitors on the night that the embargo on the official photographs was lifted that our server network crashed due to overload, and spent the rest of last week struggling on the edge.

As could be expected, the actual launch in Geneva was heaving. Making sure that we were early to get a decent location, the Alfa Romeo stand was already a hive of commotion and the sense of anticipation was excruciating. All eyes were on the new Alfa models – yes, both the girls and the cars, the latter so important for the future of Alfa Romeo and Fiat Auto.

Eventually, new Alfa Romeo CEO Karl-Heinz Kalbfell walked onto the stage. His speech was excellent, underlining clearly where Alfa Romeo’s future lies. He stressed comfort, and torsional rigidity, and additional qualities that have been achieved by combining Alfa Romeo’s sporting heritage with these new directions, “very much in the sense of 2+2=5.”

Kalbfell then introduced Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car designer of the past century and designer of the Alfa 159 in conjunction with Alfa Romeo’s own Centro Stile. Together with Fiat Auto CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the scarlet cover was removed off one of the cars. Finished in ruby red metallic with a dark interior to distinguish Alfa Romeo’s sporting heritage, the newcomer received great applause. And then came the unveiling of the second Alfa 159 present, finished in silver with a light interior to underline the new direction of Alfa Romeo and to “expect the unexpected.”

And then came the storm. Hoards of journalists raced towards the cars to evaluate the finish of the latest Alfa Romeo sedan.
 

The new Alfa 159 is a much larger car than the outgoing Alfa 156. Its 2.700 mm wheelbase is incredibly generous to provide ample interior space both in the front and in the rear. The overhangs are minimal, especially at the rear where the aggressively swollen wheelarches match the quadrilateral wishbone suspension setup and the rear-biased all-wheel-drive Q4 system on certain models.

Inside, the Alfa 159 is so much more spacious than the Alfa 156, feeling more like a class above the old model in terms of legroom and width. The fittings are pleasing to the eye and to the touch. The interior style is very much related to the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione prototype with a lot of nice aluminium touches. The central console is extremely well put together, incorporating an easy-to-use navigation system on all models.

Behind the wheel, the Alfa 159 is very familiar in feel to the Alfa 156. The floorpan seems slightly higher up, and the ergonomics are improved, whilst the front seats of the two show cars have electric adjustment.

Praise comes with the boot space, which is particularly generous and a real improvement over the Alfa 156. Underneath the boot floor there is a generous moulded foam tray, full of different departments for storage of tools, first aid kits, or anything else that requires hiding.

All in all, the Alfa 159 is a stunning looking car, with a comfortable and stylish interior. The quality and attention to finish was excellent, and with entry-level prices expected to be similar to those of the outgoing Alfa 156, the Alfa 159 deserves to become an international sales success.

By Edd Ellison in Geneva