Alfa Romeo 156
Compact executive car that won European Car of the Year in 1998.
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Michael1952 · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Alfa Romeo 156, known internally as the Type 932, is a compact executive car from the Italian maker Alfa Romeo. It debuted at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show, taking over from the Alfa Romeo 155. The car was well-received and earned the 1998 European Car of the Year award. Production of the saloon ended in Europe in late 2005, though the Q4 Crosswagon variant continued until the end of 2007.
Assembly took place at the Fiat Group plant in Pomigliano d’Arco, Italy, and at a General Motors facility in Rayong, Thailand, where output began in March 2002 and lasted only a couple of years, targeting Asia-Pacific markets. Between 1996 and 2007, 673,435 units of the 156 were produced. The 156 came as a saloon, Sportwagon estate, and Crosswagon crossover, with seven engine choices.
It received two facelifts, one in 2002 and another in 2003. An advertising campaign for the Sportwagon featured actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. The 156 was succeeded by the 159 in 2005.
Overview
From its launch, four-cylinder engine options included the Twin Spark units—1.6 L (120 PS), 1.8 L (144 PS), and 2.0 L (155 PS)—all 16-valve with variable valve timing, plus a 1.9-litre straight-4 8-valve diesel making 105 PS. A straight-5 2.4-litre 10-valve 136 PS JTD common-rail turbodiesel was also offered. Until January 2002, the top engine was the 2.5-litre 24-valve Busso V6, now with double overhead camshafts and four-valve heads, rated at 190 PS. Initially, buyers could choose option packs.
A sport pack included Blitz clothing, Momo leather interior, Recaro seats, 16-inch wheels, lowered suspension, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob. The Lusso pack added a Momo mahogany steering wheel and gear knob. For Nordic countries, a winter pack offered fog lights, headlight washers, and heated seats. From 1999, a five-speed Selespeed automated manual transmission was optional on the 2.0-litre Twin Spark, and a four-speed automatic Q-System was available on the 2.5-litre V6.
The Q-System allowed normal automatic operation or manual shifting with an H-pattern, plus three automatic modes: city, sport, and ice. A major addition came in 2000 with the Sportwagon estate, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Stola developed it from 1998 under project code '932 AF', with the initial name "Powerwagon" considered.
Lore & Background
The 156's design, led by Walter de'Silva at Alfa Centro Stile, featured high curved flanks, retro front door handles, recessed rear handles, and a deep grille requiring an off-centre licence plate holder. The styling visually de-emphasized the rear doors to create a coupé-like profile, influenced by the Alfa Romeo 1900, Giulietta and Giulia. The drag coefficient was 0.31. The interior originally used a scalloped upper dashboard and a centre console angled toward the driver, lacking cup holders.
Reader's Guide
The Alfa Romeo 156 is significant for its distinctive design language that revived classic Alfa Romeo styling cues while achieving a low drag coefficient. Its European Car of the Year award in 1998 underscored its impact at launch. The model expanded Alfa Romeo's reach with the Sportwagon estate, filling a gap left since the 33 SportWagon of the 1980s, and the Crosswagon crossover. The GTA variant, with its 3.2-litre 'Bussone' V6 engine, became a collector's item due to limited production—2,973 berlinas and 1,678 Sportwagons built until October 2005.
The 156's two facelifts and engine upgrades, including the introduction of direct injection (JTS) and improved diesel engines, kept it competitive. Production in Thailand from March 2002 targeted Asia-Pacific markets. The 156 was succeeded by the 159 in 2005, but its legacy endures as a design benchmark and a model that re-established Alfa Romeo's identity in the compact executive segment.
Did You Know?
- The first GTA was sold via online auction during the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, with the winning bid of €48,691.26 donated to the Telethon charity.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Alfa Romeo 156 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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