1997 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 1998 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 1999 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2000 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2001 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2002 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2003 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2004 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2005 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2006 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual 2007 Alfa Romeo 156 owners manual
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Alfa Romeo really came of age with the 156. Prior to this model, buying an Alfa middleweight had always been a gamble that could backfire spectacularly. The Giulietta, the 155 and the 75 could all be great fun on their day but never really had the talents to form a cohesive whole. The 156, initially introduced in 1998, changed all that.
The car we look at here is the post facelift version of the 156, identified by its more angular front end and its this model that probably makes one of the smartest used Alfa purchases.
Its very difficult to agree on what defines automotive beauty. To some its a flowing shape, to others its an elegant engineering solution. Fashions change and a car that was beautiful can rapidly become gawky and gauche. The Alfa Romeo 156 was a car that united opinion.
It was beautiful. So why did Alfa Romeo see fit to indulge in a little cosmetic surgery? Some manufacturers just feel the need to tinker. Sometimes the facelifts work, sometimes they go a little bit wrong. A straw poll in the office saw everybody rated this Alfa Romeo 156 as a good-looking car but there seemed something of a split as to whether it was actually any better looking than its predecessor.
Credit for the styling job went to Giugiaros Ital Design studio and its a very neat piece of work. The Hannibal Lecter-style hockey mask of a grille and the frowning jewel effect lights catch the eye of the dedicated Alfisti, but few would spot the differences if unprompted. Genuine anoraks would also spot the microscopically modified tail lights and the Sportwagon estate versions ever-so slightly cleaner rear bumper design. The styling revisions marked a distinct shift in Alfa Romeos design language.
We first saw the big grille on the 147 hatch and it was subsequently incorporated into the revised GTV and Spider models. When the 156 came in for the treatment, it was indicative of a company revelling in its stock on the rise. All 156 variants featured a revised centre console with dual-zone climate controls so that driver and front passenger could set their own temperatures. Theres an impressive Bose multi-speaker stereo system and the option of the clever CONNECT telematics set-up, offering satellite navigation, internet use and access to the emergency services.
Theres also six airbags as standard, plus the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) stability system, brake assist and Isofix child seat mountings.
With 159 sales steaming ahead, now is a pretty smart time to be looking at this temporarily overlooked car. Prices start at 6,700 for a 1.6-litre entry-level saloon or 6,900 for a Tursimo model. The 1.
8-litre engine is worth a punt and these open at 7,400, again on the 2003 03 plate. The 2.0-litre JTS is probably the pick of the petrol engined range and a Lusso saloon opens at 8,900. The hot 3.
2 GTA version somewhat curiously continued with the old styling and these retail at around 12,600 on an 03 plate. The diesels are well worth hunting down and the excellent 2.4-litre JTD model is a particular favourite. These can be found from just under 10,000 for a Lusso saloon.