Car test
R0160
November 2001
Alfa Romeo 147
Featured model: 2.0 Twin Spark Lusso 5-door
THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING special about an Alfa, and the rounded, retro-look 147 is no
exception.
Cloaking a brace of three-door (plus recently added five-door) hatchbacks beneath its highly individual, cute coupé looks, it’s Fiat Group’s contender in the prestige hatchback sector, epitomised by the likes of the Audi A3 and BMW’s 3-Series Compact.
With the distinctive “inverted-T” intakes on its nose, evocative of Alfas from a bygone era, the 147 draws its power from a pair of 16-valve, Twin Spark power units (so named for having twice the usual tally of spark plugs for each cylinder) – a 120bhp 1.6-litre unit or this 150bhp two-litre, complete with “drive-by-wire” throttle, variable valve timing and induction geometry, plus a pair of counter-spinning balancer shafts.
And what a beauty it is, too. Blessed with an ample herd of horses under the bonnet, it lifts the 147’s game well above mere Focus and Astra territory. It does like to be revved, and is a shade less sweet than its 1.6 stablemate at the other end of the scale. However, this is anything but a hardship, thanks to its immediate (yet progressive) throttle action, great gearshift and, not least of all, the lovely noises it makes – even when spun to the dizzy 6750rpm required for peak acceleration. Bellissimo!
It’s a fine driving position, too, with not a vestige of the ape-like (long arm/short leg) driving positions we suffered in Alfas of old.
There’s a ratcheting seat-height setting lever and “pitch-and-plunge” wheel adjustment to fine-tune your favourite spot at the wheel.
Befitting its pedigree, the 147 rides in a sportingly solid, yet impressively compliant and largely fidget-free manner, aided by Alfa’s now-traditional superquick (but not over-sensitive) steering. For some reason, though, this seems a shade less rewarding than we recall of the 156’s similar set-up.
Despite its stylish, coupé-like looks, even the three-door is a “proper” fourto five-seater (albeit a little “cosier” in the back than up front), but the five-door’s wide-opening, cunningly concealed rear doors make getting there significantly easier.
Load space isn’t over-generous, with a lofty sill to lug weighty items over, but the boot area is nicely trimmed (with neat touches such as a practical, wipe-down surface on the flip-side of the floor/spare-wheel cover), while the 60/40-split rear backrests and cushions fold to yield a flat, extended load deck when required.
VERDICT
Sporty and seductive (like so many from this stable) the distinctive 147 appeals to the heart as much as the head. Even in two-litre form, it’s not especially swift, thrifty or spacious, and the crash-safety shortfall is disappointing. It improves on the enhanced build quality begun with the 156, yet remains every inch an Alfa. And you either know what that means or you don’t care!
AT A GLANCE
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SPECIFICATION
engine 1970cc, 4-cylinder, petrol; 150bhp at 6300rpm, 134 lb ft at 3800rpm; beltdriven twin overhead camshafts, 16 valves, variable valve timing transmission 5-speed manual, frontwheel drive; 20.2mph/1000rpm in 5th, 16.0 in 4th (same on 2.0 Selespeed) suspension front: independent double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar. Rear: independent, integral coil spring/ damper struts, lateral/longitudinal links, anti-roll bar
steering hydraulic power assistance; 2.3 turns lock-to-lock; 11.3m diameter turning circle between kerbs (12.6m for one turn of the wheel)
brakes ventilated discs front, solid discs rear with standard anti-lock and brake force distribution controls
wheels/tyres 6½in alloy with 205/55ZR16 tyres (Goodyear Eagle F1 on test car); space-saver spare
LIKES ...
alloy (front) + where are they? (rear) external door handles
prestigious fit-and-feel throughout dual-zone heating/diffuse face-level air
and GRIPES
smallish boot/high sill to load over key/remote-only opening of tailgate cabin a bit sombre in dark colours third headrest/3-pt seatbelt costs extra
THE 147 RANGE
size and type lower-medium (premiumpriced) threeand five-door hatchback trim levels Turismo, Lusso
engines petrol: 4 cylinder/1.6 litre/120bhp, 4/2.0/150; diesel: none
drive front-wheel drive, 5-speed manual; (5-speed sequential manual shift with auto mode and wheel-mounted shift buttons on 2.0 Selespeed)
more facts and figures
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