Sportwagon and Spider

Newswheel staff :: 31 January 2006 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Estate/Wagon, Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo 159, Alfa Romeo Spider, Europe & UK

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The bumpf on Alfa’s new models

The first official pics and deets of Alfa’s new 159 Sportwagon and Spider models have hit the deck. Both cars will make their real-deal debut in Geneva at the end of the month.

The Sportwagon weighs in with an identical overall length, compared with the saloon, of 4.66 metres. We’ve no details as yet on the storage capacity of the rear compartment, but suffice to say the Sportwagon majors on style, not load-lugging. As for engines, transmissions and the like, no surprises. It’s a carry-over job from the saloon: a 3.2-litre V6 with 260bhp and 2.2-litre 185bhp 1.9-litre 160bhp four bangers are the petrol powerplants. Ditto the diesel lumps. The 2.4-litre five pot with 200bhp and 150bhp 1.9-litre four cylinder offering are as per the saloon. Six-speed manual box standard on all models. Alfa has bolted its “Q4” four-wheel drive onto the V6 model but the remainder of the range is bad old front-wheel drive.

The Brera-based Alfa Spider also gets the same engines as its hard-top sibling. So, that’s the 185bhp 2.2-litre four or the 3.2-litre 260bhp six (again, transmitted to all four wheels). Though not shown in these images, the Spider is a conventional fabric-roof soft top.

UK prices and on-sale dates when we get them.