Fresh from its rollout across Europe, the Alfa Romeo 159 has made its Australian debut in Melbourne, in anticipation of a mid-year market launch. Following on from the preview of the Brera at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last year, the Alfa 159 promises to reverse a decline in Alfa’s Australian sales, brought about in part by newer and fresher rivals for the Alfa 156.

The car in Melbourne – which only arrived the evening before the its presentation – is finished in a traditional colour combination of black with beige leather, enhanced with the addition of ray pattern, diamond-effect 17” wheels. It is fitted with the 2.2 JTS engine, one of three to be available when the car hits the Australian market. In addition to the 2.2 four-cylinder, customers will also be able to choose from a 3.2 V6 JTS, or a variant expected to prove increasingly popular, the 200bhp 2.4 Multijet. The Alfa 159 Multijet is simply the latest in an increasing number of diesels to arrive on the Australian marketplace, as customers wake up to the great strides in economy, performance, cleanliness and refinement made possible by recent technology. With a staggering three-quarters of Alfa Romeo’s current production volume being diesel, the Alfa 159 Multijet is expected to prove a highly popular choice thanks to its combination of power, flexibility and economy.

The arrival of the diesel Alfa 159 follows the recent introduction of the first diesel Alfa Romeo to Australia, the Alfa 147 M-Jet 16V. It should also be noted that although a diesel 156 was never sold here, a batch of six 2.4 JTD-engined evaluation cars arrived here around 12 months ago to test the five-cylinder diesel’s suitability for Australian conditions.
 

According to David Stone, General Manager of Alfa Romeo Australia, the arrival of the Alfa 159 represents a true renaissance for the brand in Australia. As with another new Italian arrival to Australia, the Grande Punto, the Alfa 159 will be released onto the market in June, shortly followed by the Sportwagon variant (due to be unveiled at Geneva in just under a month’s time). With the Alfa 147 Multijet now in showrooms, and the Brera and Spider also on the cards by the end of the year, there is certainly credence behind this claim. 

The Alfa 159’s increased size over the Alfa 156, and consequent improvement in both cabin and boot space, should prove to be a particular selling point in this market. In this respect it has much stronger credentials to appeal to a wider number of Australian customers than did its predecessor, which was regarded by many potential customers as just a shade too small. Its much-improved touring ability compared with the Alfa 156 will also be a sales asset, given the lengthy nature of the journeys many Australians need to complete on a regular basis. With prices expected to kick off between US$55-60,000 for the entry-level 2.2, rising to around US$68-70,000 for the 3.2 V6 Q4, the Alfa 159’s pricing is also competitive with rivals, and should go a long way towards strengthening Alfa Romeo’s position in the marketplace.