Metropolis - Cars & Bikes - Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon

INSIDE

Home

Podcast

Feature

Photo of the Week

The Small Print

Faces & Places

The Goods

Body & Soul

Tech Know

Travel

Cars & Bikes

Global Village

Horoscope

Mailbox

The Last Word

The Negi

Summer Fun

Fireworks & Festivals

+ Best of Tokyo

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Agenda

Art

Books

CDs

Clubbing

Dance

Japan Beat

Music

Sports

Stage

LISTINGS

Concerts

Jazz/World

Classical

Stage & Dance

Clubbing

Exhibitions

Sports

Others

Metropolis League

MOVIES

Reviews

Times

Theater Maps

DINING OUT

Restaurant&Bar Search

Restaurant Review

Bar Review

International Dining

Local Flavors

Table Talk

Tastemaker

Sake

Wine

Beer

About Us

Distribution Points

Classifieds

Jobfinder

Glitterball 2006 Photos

Select screen settings

1024 x 768

800 x 600

Increase Text Size

Decrease Text Size

Metropolis.co.jp Friends

Past Issues

748: Nissan GT-R
It’s fast, sexy and a bargain. So what’s the catch?
744: Jaguar XF
The new sedan from Britain’s storied automaker proves that appearances are, in fact, deceiving
736: Suzuki Swift Sport
Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages
732: Dualis & X-Trail
Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough
728: Toyota Vanguard
Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need
724: Subaru Impreza S-GT
Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners
720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008
Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe
716: Dodge These!
Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan
712: Licensed to Drive
We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle
708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance
Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi
704: Car Knows Best
Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many
700: Range Rover & Land Rover
We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces
696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby”
692: BMW R1200GS Adventure
The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece
688: Lexus LS460
The new sedan is big, fast, safe, classy—and unremarkable
684: Alfa Romeo Spider
We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip
680: Ford Mustang
The American classic goes back to its roots
676: Citroën C6
The French automaker's latest eccentricity pushes its own boundaries
672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti
Japan-friendly K-cars pack a big punch
668: Jaguar XK
Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export
664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster
Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy!
656: Alfa Romeo Brera
This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy
652: Premium wheels
Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year
648: Citroen C3 Pluriel
The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century
644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee
Off road and on, these 4×4s do their military heritage proud
640: BMW Z4 M Roadster
Beemer’s monster convertible provides the most fun you can have sitting down
636: Name dropping
What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments
632: BMW Mini Cooper S
All hail the mighty Mini!
628: Mazda Roadster
Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts
624: Hyundai Sonata
A rev-happy South Korean import tries to find its niche in Japan
621: Lexus IS350
Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally
616: Volvo XC90 V8
A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety
612: Chrysler 300C
This black beauty recalls the golden age of motoring
608: The Big Ideas
Tokyo Motor Show 2005 was a concept car bonanza
604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005
The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow
597: Three brothers
We put a trio of Nissan sedans through their paces
593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada
The boys from Bologna deliver an Italian masterpiece for your garage
589: Mazda Demio Sport
A worthy cousin to the Atenza and RX8, this roomy sedan is happy around town and in the country
585: BMW K1200S
The boys from bavaria clothe an iron fist in a velvet glove
581: Chrysler’s Cruisers
The American auto manufacturer concentrates on the body beautiful
577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX
If you thought scooters were just for kids, think again
573: Cadillac STS 4x4
America’s flagship automaker recaptures its former glory
569: Tour de Force
Yamaha’s FJR1300A offers an unbeatable blend of poise, power and price
565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA
With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream
560: Driving the Future
The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles
556: Deja vu
Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom
552: Sports sensation
Nissan's new SUV breaks out of its class
548: Lean machine
Lighter, faster, stronger and sexier—a diet works wonders for BMW’s R1200GS
544: Kings for a day
The Honda Elysion is master of all it surveys
539: Rules of the road
New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns.
537: Open roadster
William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible.
535: Extreme makeover
Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees.
533: Sporting chance
Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin.
531: Street smarts
Automakers are taking car safety to new levels with sophisticated warning systems that almost do the driving for you, reports Chris Betros.
529: Speed zone
Just down the road from Ueno Zoo, a virtual hog heaven has everything for the motorcycling enthusiast. Steve Trautlein cruises on over.
527: Italian Stallion
The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away.
525: Hot wheels
A cross between a snowboard and a scooter, the Wheelman is a quirky Australian invention that's grabbing attention worldwide. Tim Colquhoun takes one for a ride.
523: Mean Machine
William Bonds gets behind the wheel of the Nissan Skyline 350GT.
521: Show stealers
Toyota stunned attendees at the recent Geneva and Melbourne auto shows with two concept cars that represent a powerful vision for the future of motoring. Tim Colquhoun reports.
519: Mighty mouse
Subaru goes boldly against the tide with its new R2 minicar. Justin Gardiner admires this latest feat of audacity and engineering.
517: Trail blazer
Nissan's top-selling 4x4 features cool touches for winter sports fans. Justin Gardiner drove the latest X-Trail to the slopes
515: Up to speed
The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments.
513: Good save
Hybrid cars are the rage this year with Toyota, Honda and Subaru touting their gas-electric vehicles. Chris Betros looks at what they're offering.
512: The road ahead
Despite the lack of a full-fledged Tokyo Motor Show in 2004, domestic manufacturers have a bevy of weird and wonderful offerings in store for this year. Justin Gardiner previews the lineup.
509/10: Top of the class
Justin Gardiner finds his favorites from this year's Metropolis test drives.
507: Mom-mobiles
Japanese mothers are trading in their once ubiquitous mama-chari bicycles for a new breed of K-car. Justin Gardiner tries a couple of the most popular mini-cars.
505: Cubic's rube
Nissan has lengthened its highly successful Cube a few centimeters and added an extra row of seats. But, as Justin Gardiner finds out, the result is a bit puzzling.
503: Globe trotters
Kerstin Gackle and Volker Aldinger left their native Germany on April 1 and pointed their Yamahas toward Australia. Eight months later Justin Gardiner caught up with the couple in Tokyo.
501: Back to the future
Cutting-edge technology and futuristic vehicles highlight the 37th Tokyo Motor Show at Makuhari Messe through November 5. Justin Gardiner offers a guide.

ISSUES 499-
ISSUES 449-
ISSUES 399-
ISSUES 349-
ISSUES 299-

Cars & Bikes

Text and photos William Bonds

Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon
A reborn classic earns a (near) perfect 10

How do you make a perfect car better? First you have to find the perfect car. The Alfa Romeo 156 was pretty close in many people’s eyes, in part because it was so heart-stoppingly beautiful. Well, bits of it at least. The 156 started an amazing run for the automaker a decade ago when it replaced the clunky 155. The styling that Alfa had been searching for finally fell into place, and suddenly the company was shifting big numbers in markets where it had only been a bit player before. People were captivated by the 156’s outright coolness.

It was impressive, but it wasn’t the perfect car. The rear end was hopelessly dull, and the finish did not always live up to expectations. It was also front-wheel drive, which was OK for the smaller motors but a nightmare when Alfa shoved a 3.2-liter, 250 horsepower tire-squealing engine under the hood of its GTA version. All that power to the front wheels made it a real handful to drive.

The 156 and the GTA may be gone, but their legacy lives on in the bigger and better form of the 159, which still offers the 3.2-liter engine but in a body designed by legendary auto stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro and, if you choose wisely, coupled to four-wheel drive. If you are very, very sensible, you’ll go one step further and choose the 159 Sportwagon, the lines of which are very, very close to perfection.

Some of those lines—and the car’s platform—are shared by Giugiaro’s Alfa masterpiece, the Brera, and it seems that they suit the higher back of a hatchback or station wagon. Where the sedans taper off to an inconclusive wedge, the 159’s sloping waistline rises all the way to the back where it meets the slow curve of the roofline. It looks like it was designed with a single stroke of the pen. The light clusters at the front and back are narrow. Again, the rear setup looks better on the Sportwagon, while the headlights are alive and purposeful—not unlike the eyes of Antonio Banderas. The key to the front of all Alfa’s current cars is the triangular radiator grille and the two dominant ridges that slide down the hood to meet it at the front. The whole image is macho without overdoing the swagger. Like Antonio, it’s a seducer.

The interior also talks dirty, as the front seats grab your butt and pull you into the launch position. Push a round disc that could have “Pump me, Big Boy” written on it (but actually only says “Start/Stop”), and the 3.2 potboiler blows its trumpet, so to speak. You’re sitting in a snug leather seat with a manly black-and-aluminum fascia looking back at you and an engine that growls to the rhythm of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star.” You put your foot down and women swoon. Antonio’s coming out to play.

The 159 is longer, wider and heavier than the 156, all of which are plusses. Weight is not always an asset for a car, but the 159 has the gravitas that the 156 was lacking. As soon as you set off, you know this is a solid vehicle. There’s nothing lightweight about the steering—although, apart from the characteristically poor turning radius, it’s not hard to maneuver. Sitting on four fat tires, the 159 feels welded to the road.

But more than anything, when you smack the accelerator to the floor, this baby is leaping on all four feet—there’s no front-wheel torque steer here. In fact, even though there is a little more torque and slightly more power (at slightly lower revs), the 159 struggles to break 7 seconds in a sprint to 100km/h (the 156 GTA could do it in 6.3). But it applies that power a lot better; it’s a very smooth animal. The ride is also much better than you would get in the GTA—nicely controlled, no dramas.

Comfort in the rear requires a driver with short legs, but you can still fit five people and a decent amount of luggage in the back. Although the entry to the trunk is not perfect, four golfers and their clubs should have no trouble getting to the links.

And they’ll be doing it in style. There are very few vehicles on the road with Alfa’s cool factor—they’re so good-looking, you could almost buy them as art and place them on your front lawn. And now that Alfa has ironed out a few kinks (although it still offers the dreadful Selespeed transmission; stick with manual), the 159 should be on target for world domination.

The 159 Sportwagon will set you back around ¥5.5 million, although you could have a 159 2.2-liter sedan for as little as ¥4 million. Not so much to get so close to perfection.

Autofile

Bike-riding moms have flexed their collective muscle and triumphed over the law. The National Police Agency said in a statement this month that it has reversed an earlier decision and will allow riding with two children on a bicycle, provided that the bike meets new safety standards. At the request of the agency, 11 bicycle makers will jointly develop a prototype by next March. Required features include fail-safe brakes, a double-sided kickstand, a battery-powered pedaling system and a stopper to prevent unintended swaying of the handlebars. No explanation was given for why it would take so many people nearly 240 days to design just such a two-wheeler.

Toyota’s Hi-Ace minivan was the most stolen vehicle in 2007, reports weekly magazine Nikkan Gendai. The minivan from Japan’s largest automaker accounted for a whopping 134 out of the 825 thefts for which insurance claims were paid. (The number of reported thefts was more than double that, at 1,790.) Other hot cars were Toyota’s Harrier and Suzuki’s Wagon-R. The prefecture with the greatest number of thefts was Osaka, with 199, followed by Chiba (128), Kanagawa (117) and Aichi (79). CB

Got something to say about this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.

Listen to the Metropolis Podcast, the coolest guide to what goes on this week in Tokyo.

Looking for international friends? Check Japan, Inc. Friends now - it's 100% free!

Sakura House monthly rooms
Over 1400 Tokyo apartments and guesthouses

DIET - Weight Loss - HERBALIFE
Lose Weight and Burn Fat.

Short stay in Tokyo?
Spacious apartments from 7,600yen/day

BORDERLESS SHARE HOUSE
37,000yen~CLEAN & INTERNATIONAL in TOKYO

Legal & Business Support
Immigration, Corporate Documents, Contract

Boute Japan Monthly Mansion
Yokohama, Toyoko Line. 2mins to Hiyoshi Sta.

DIESEL XXX FESTIVAL @MAKUHARI MESSE
The biggest party on 11th October

TOHTO GUEST HOUSE
Accommodation in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba

Now Renting a Comfortable Apartment!
Leoplace21 Makes Your Life Easy.

BRASTEL TELECOM
Calls at economical 24 hour flat rates

AKAI MEDICAL CLINIC
Skin care, Anti-ageing, Cosmetic Surgery

Metropolis.co.jp Friends