What they said when the Alfa Romeo 147 was new…. (May 31 2001)
ALFA ROMEO has a new gladiator to cheer on in the fight for elite medium hatch-backs.
The Alfa Romeo 147 arrives in British showrooms today with the European Car of the Year title on its familiar shield.
This time it’s no idle title, but a testament to the way the marque has moved forward and shows it is now capable of taking on and beating some of the best from Germany.
A successor to the 145 and 146 and closely related to the acclaimed 156, the new 147 is the most technically advanced Alfa Romeo ever made and brings new levels of safety to the hatchback sector.
Initially, there will be just three models, comprising the 1.6 Turismo, 1.6 Lusso and 2.0 Sele-speed Lusso, all sharing a three-door body.
Later this summer, they will be joined by five-door derivatives and a 2.0-litre five-speed manual.
Alfa Romeo is confident the 147 will allow the car maker to take 1pc of the UK market in the next few years, while the model itself competes in the rapidly increasing C-segment which has grown 23pc in two years and is anticipated to hit 160,000 units in 2001.
Styled in-house under the direction of Andreas Zapatinas, who previously shaped the Fiat Barchetta and rear of the 145, the 147 has an unmistakable frontal appearance dominated by the marque shield and sweeping air intakes.
Deliberately, the appearance of the car was crafted to create a retro 50s look to the front while incorporating elements of the 156 to the side and giving it a unique style from the back.
But Zapatinas is particularly proud of the interior design. Its use of materials and colours make it stand out.
Putting the styling elements of the exterior and interior together, the Alfa Romeo 147 is distinctive.
Add the mechanical features, including the sophisticated Sele-speed semi-automatic transmission and the many safety systems which are standard or can be specified, and you begin to appreciate this is arguably the best Alfa Romeo ever made for volume sales.
Not only is it good to look at both inside and out, but the body of the car has tremendous resistance to twisting, which can be a problem with a hatchback design.
By making the body stiff, the 147 imparts a great feeling of quality and it handles in a more predictable manner and without any annoying squeaks or rattles - even over the roughest roads I could find when I tested it earlier this week in Sicily.
The suspension design provided an excellent supple ride and produced a predictable and safe handling car. I liked the figure-hugging seats and room in the front.
I drove both 1.6 and 2.0 Sele-speed versions and found the steering very good with a usefully tight turning circle and very progressive powerful brakes.
The manual 1.6 had an easy clutch and slick gearchange, but I found it took some adjustment to make the smoothest changes possible in the Selespeed because you do not have the feel of a clutch pedal to assist.
This adaptation of a conventional five-speed manual box uses electro-hydraulic switches instead of a conventional foot-operated clutch.
In the Selespeed, the driver can choose between moving a transmission tunnel lever forward and backwards, or F1-style individual switches either side of the steering wheel to move up or down the range.
The 1.6-litre engine had a delightful exhaust note and packed good performance with a responsive nature and not a lot of mechanical noise. The 2.0-litre engine pulled more strongly from lower revolutions and was even smoother at higher speed.
Less pleasing were the fussy stalks, limited oddments and boot space, and the fact that the shape of the 147 held road dirt and spray very securely, particularly on the back window.
Nevertheless, this is one gladiator who deserves to get the thumbs up.
Words: Mike Torpey
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