The new Alfa Romeo 1750 TBi engine may resurrect a name from the Italian car maker’s illustrious history, but there is nothing old school about its performance.
The new turbo charged engine clips more than a second off the Alfa Romeo 159’s zero to 100 kmh time, saving more than a litre of fuel over 100 kms on the combined fuel test and as well as meeting the tough, new EuroV emission standards, it reduces CO2 emissions by near 30 grams every kilometer.
Replacing the 2.2 litre JTS power unit, the new 1750 TBi engine is not just lighter, smaller and more compact. With 147 kW, compared to 136 kW for the 2.2 engine, it is considerably more powerful and with 320 Nm of torque at just 1400 rpm, the new engine delivers the sort of straight line performance – 0-100 kmh in 7.7 seconds – and in-gear urgency expected from a 3.0 litre engine. At the same time this remarkable new engine sips the fuel, with a combined fuel figure of just 8.1 litres per 100 km and with a C02 figure of 189 g/km has a considerably smaller impact on the environment than the car it replaces.
This substantial gain in engine efficiency has been achieved with an advanced ignition control solutions including direct fuel injection, two continuously variable valve timing units, a turbocharger and a revolutionary scavenging control system.
The new Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi is available in two versions, the comprehensively equipped standard package for the Alfa Romeo 159 and the 159 Ti 1750 TBi with its distinctive sporting edge bringing the 159’s abilities into even sharper focus.
The standard 159 equipment package includes a handcrafted Italian leather interior, which includes the steering wheel and gear knob. Safety technology includes seven airbags, Cruise Control, fog lights, ABS with EBA and HBA, VDC with hill holder and sensors for the automatic wipers and lights. Convenience features include electrically heated and operated mirrors, remote central locking, electric windows and rear parking sensors. Comfort is ensured with Dual zone climate control air conditioning, while the standard Blue&me telematics system and its voice activated Bluetooth system combines safety and convenience.
With such performance on hand and the use of a classic Alfa Romeo engine name, derived from the 1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina, it is highly appropriate that for the Australian market the Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi carries another historic badge, Ti, and the comprehensive performance orientated equipment packed it provides.
For more than 50 years the most sort-after Alfa Romeo models have been those that have worn the ‘Ti’ badge which indicates an Alfa Romeo with an even more sharply defined sporting edge. First seen in 1950, the Ti badge, which stands for Tourismo International, has been used to denote an Alfa Romeo version that has been equipped to meet the needs and desires of driving enthusiasts to produce a car that offers more driving excitement and a more sports-orientated image, but also at a value for money price.
The most significant under the skin change is the fitment of sports suspension that lowers the 159 by 20 mm and which provides the 159 with a sharper turn-in response from the steering and less body roll, but without the harsh ride that afflicts some sports suspension systems. This more able chassis is further enhanced by the standard fitment of 19 inch alloy wheels with 235/40 x 19 low profile tyres to provide additional roadholding performance. So that 159 Ti stops as well as it goes, Brembo brakes are standard and they are painted in Alfa Romeo red to highlight their presence and performance.
To further enhance the hunkered down stance of the 159 Ti provided by the sports suspension, the new model is fitted with subtle yet effective body kit, with burnished aluminium finish door mirrors completing the exterior transformation into a 159 Ti.
The inside of the 159 is transformed by the Ti package into a driver focused cockpit of black leather and dark finish materials highlighted by red stitching for the leather and red highlights for the instruments. The sports seats, which are electrically operated and heated, are upholstered in hand-crafted soft Italian leather with the legendary Alfa Romeo logo stitched in red on both the front and rear seats. The same leather and red stitching is used on the steering wheel and the six speed manual gearbox’s gear lever.
The dashboard is trimmed in a unique burnished aluminum that has been darkened so as to show off the red-ringed instruments that are unique to the Alfa Romeo 159 Ti. Aluminium is further used for the drilled sports pedals – an essential icon of Italian sports cars – and the unique Alfa Romeo 159 Ti door sill trim strips which, like the exterior, carry the classic Ti insignia.
The Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi is in showrooms across Australia in time for Christmas with a recommended retail price of $49,990 for the standard 159 1750 TBi, while the 159 Ti 1750 TBi is priced at $54,480 not including statutory charges, delivery and dealer costs.
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