February 1, 2006 Alfa Romeo is to produce a Sportwagon version of the all-new Alfa Romeo 159 sports sedan which will grace showrooms around the globe by the middle of this year. The new Sportwagon will debut at the Geneva International Motor Show later this month, providing a successor to the highly successful Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon. The Alfa 159 Sportwagon represents a very desirable all-purpose vehicle, combining Italian style with the performance and handling of a genuine sportscar, and the flexibility of use and versatility of space expected from a high class wagon – a showroom quality “shooting brake” with 195kW performance at a fraction the cost of the best-of-both-worlds functionality normally associated with such models.
Like the 159 saloon, with which it shares a total length of 4,660 millimetres), the 159 Sportwagon has been given a decidedly sporty look, without that look of 'added-on volume' which characterizes the typical station wagon. The sleek lines of the long roof give it a coupé feel, as does the roof spoiler and the edgy aerodynamic styling, while the superbly functional interior offers great load volume.
All in all Alfa 159 Sportwagon guarantees the performance and dynamic handling of a sportscar with a size of boot in line with that of a high class station wagon, while also offering a versatility which satisfies the tastes and demands a modern lifestyle.
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon is available offers three new JTS engines with double continuous variable valve timing (the 195 kW 3.2 V6 24v, the 138 kW 2.2 and the 120 kW 1.9) and three turbo diesel Multijet engines (the 150 kW 2.4 JTDM 20v, the 112 kW 1.9 JTDM 16v and the 90 kW 1.9 JTDM 8v). All of these are fitted with new manual six-speed gearboxes, and some versions also offer automatic gears and the Selespeed sequential manual gearbox, also with six speeds.
The Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon is able to blend outstanding dynamic performance with space and versatility thanks to high double wishbone suspension at the front and Multilink at the rear and state of the art 'Q4' four wheel drive will be available on the 3.2 versions. What's more – like the 159 sedan which was recently awarded five prestigious Euro NCAP stars - the Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon once more confirms the utmost attention which goes into all aspects regarding safety, as well as offering the most sophisticated electronic vehicle dynamic control devices.
