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PRICE: 28,450

THE FIRST time you see the Alfa Romeo 159 you can't help but stare. Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro has been responsible for some fabulous-looking Alfas over the years but this is one of his best.

It looks stunning from any angle, but the front, with its cat's eye' triple projector headlamps that narrow towards a large, classic, chromed Alfa grille, is just amazing.

It's been a long time since people stopped me in the street to ask about my choice of wheels but they did with this one.

Where the 159's predecessor, the much admired 156, was merely pretty, the new one is something of a super model on the premium saloon car cat-walk. If this doesn't take the fight to the BMW 3-Series nothing will.

After all, what would you rather open the garage doors to on a sunny morning, the exquisite Alfa or a boring, play-it-safe Beemer?

And if you opt for the range-topping 3.2-litre JTS, your Alfa will have the pace to match its grace.

You'll have the handling, too. The sleek body is sitting on an evolution of the one used in the final Lancia Delta Integrale, the winner of countless world rally stages and the only car to give a Subaru Impreza a serious fright.

Alfa reckons the Q4 system is a better bet than the four-wheel-drive systems used by some of its rivals because it has been set up to give the feel of a rear-drive car (like, coincidentally, the BMW) with the sure-footedness of a four-wheel drive.

In normal running there is a pronounced rear-wheel bias, but should you go into a corner too quickly or stumble upon a particularly slippery piece of road then the drive can be shunted to the wheels with the most grip in an instant.

A self-locking Torsen differential sends 57 per cent of the engine's twist action to the back wheels for greater response on dry roads, but it can vary the split by anything up to 78 per cent front or rear.

Alfa got first call on this new midsized saloon platform, which it will eventually share with Lancia.

Every body part is new and practically nothing beyond a few nuts 'n bolts has been carried over from the 156. I must say it rides very well over the North-East's pock-marked roads.

The suspension is more sophisticated than the old 156 arrangement and it shows. The primitive rear struts have been dumped to make way for a multi-link arrangement that has more travel and better damping. The ride is firm but not too bumpy to interrupt your relaxation.

Paired to a typical Alfa steering rack (just 2.3 turns lock-to-lock) the 159 is exhilarating to drive when you escape the confines of built-up areas. Unlike the 156, that quick steering rack doesn't lumber this Alfa with the turning circle of the QE 2.

Surprisingly, the 3.2 litre engine felt rather sluggish until it was thoroughly warmed up. Then it performed the way I'd have expected, with deep reserves of power and excellent performance. This six-cylinder replaces the old V-6.

It started life as a Vauxhall V6 (yes, really), but Alfa's engineers have finessed more power out of it by bolting on their own cylinder heads and unique direct petrol-injection technology. Compared with the old Alfa six it's both more powerful and cheaper to run, but still has the same growling exhaust note that sounds so good.

Marry this powerplant to the quick steering and the surefooted handling and you have a car that's great fun when you're cracking on.

The cabin is almost as dramatic as the exterior. Open the doors using the chrome blade door handles and you drop into a cockpit fashioned from alloy, leather and high-quality plastics.

Who knows if Alfa kept the script on the petrol (benzina), water (acqua) and oil (olio) guages to save money or because they add a tiny dash of Italian flair? It doesn't really matter. They all add to the feeling that you are driving something a little bit special.

Only the cheap and fussy stalks let the interior down a bit, and there isn't as much legroom in the back as you'd expect. A third passenger has to straddle the driveshaft that runs through the car to the rear wheels.

The tail is higher than the 156 to the benefit of luggage-carrying capacity in the boot. This deliberate move also enhances the car's dramatic profile by creating a distinct wedge effect.

Incredibly, this platform started life as a joint project with Saab, then the Swedes pulled out and Alfa was left with everything to itself. That has to count as the result of the decade. The powers that be at General Motors - Saab's sickly parent - must be kicking themselves.

It's been quite some time since I test drove an Alfa and I must say considerable progress has been made. The 156 was good enough to win the Car of the Year award in 1998. Its replacement wipes the floor with it in every category.

The Alfa brand still has plenty of cachet but, in the fairly recent past, some of its saloons have been, frankly, unworthy of the name. Thankfully for lovers of Italian cars the 159 is a model capable of living up to the legend.

With its sonorous engine, effortless performance, exciting handling and decent build quality, I reckon you'll love the 159 for its driving qualities every bit as much as you'll enjoy the attention those beautiful looks fetch.

A classic in the making, then, and one that's likely to exceed Alfa's modest 3,500 sales target many times over.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 3.2-litre V6
Max power: 256bhp
Max speed: 147mph
0-60mph: 7.2 seconds
CO2: 275 g/km (band G)
Insurance group: 16
Standard equipment: electric windows, power-assisted steering, premium audio system, twin trip computer, climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and ultra low-profile tyres, leather upholstery, parking sensors, stability control, front, side and curtain airbags.
What the papers said: "A stunning bit of visual design from Alfa" - Fifth Gear
"Highly capable, subtly cultured piece of kit" - Autocar

4:45pm Tuesday 3rd July 2007

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