Review of the new Alfa Romeo GT Range

A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD FORMULA

ALFA ROMEO GT RANGE

(6.8 out of 10)

REVIEW DATE: 20 Jun 2007

Alfa Romeo may have a long and illustrious history of small coupes but the pickings have been rather thin in recent years. The Alfa GT has been setting record straight. Andy Enright reports

ALFA ROMEO GT RANGE NEW CAR ROAD TEST

The usual coupe formula of paying more and getting less at first seems a perfect fit for the Alfa Romeo GT, based as it is on more familiar 147 and 156 parts. Delve a little deeper and you'll discover that it offers a good deal more of a number of attributes. More in the way of feel good factor, more exclusivity, superior driving dynamics and, would you believe, more in the way of luggage space. Here's a coupe that offers an intoxicating slug of style but with few of the compromises.

The Alfa Romeo GT really has no business looking as good as it does, as closer inspection will reveal that it's something of a mix and match between the old 156 saloon and the 147 hatch. The tape measure shows that the car rides on the 2596mm long 156 wheelbase but underneath the pretty styling, the firewall, the pedal box, the steering column and the entire climate control system are pure 147. The front wings are shared with the 147 GTA although the bonnet has been slightly modified.

The styling house Bertone were responsible for most of the design and the GT was originally pencilled in to be assembled at their Turin plant where spare capacity had been freed up by the demise of the Fiat Punto Cabriolet. After many beans were counted, however, Alfa Romeo thanked Bertone very much for their penmanship and decided to build the GT alongside the 147 at their Pomigliano d'Arco plant just outside Naples. Given the solid feel of latest generation 147s, that's perhaps no bad thing and the first impression one gets dropping into the driver's seat of the GT is of rugged build quality.

"Many will be sold on the GT long before their slacks hit the seats"

The cowled instruments and sporting logos that can look a little overblown on a base 147 hatch suddenly make all sorts of sense in a 'proper' coupe. The script on the dials has been revised for the GT, the centre console has been redesigned and the material used for the dashboard is of a different texture to standard 147. Many will be sold on the GT long before their slacks hit the seats. Much of that will be due to the swoopy styling. Much of it is contemporary Alfa Romeo, particularly around the front end where few will be able to distinguish GT form 147 as it arrives in their rear view mirror.

As the GT slides by, however, a high-waisted scalloped flank is evident with a stub tail that's almost reminiscent of an early eighties Giulietta. Unlike the Giulietta, however, that 'boot' is in fact a bit of automotive trompe l'oeil, opening to reveal a gaping hatchback. There's 320 litres of room back there, which is a good deal more than a 147 hatch can muster with its rear seats in place and almost as much as the 156 saloon.

With the sad demise of the 3.2-litre petrol V6, four engines now make the cut for the UK. There are 140bhp 1.8TS and a 165bhp 2.0-litre JTS units for petrol customers. Or a 1.9-litre M-Jet 16v diesel with either 150 or 175bhp. Prices start from around £21,000 and most customers will go for one of the Cloverleaf models which come with exclusive 18" double spoke alloy wheels, red brake callipers, satin-effect front grille and door mirrors. The asking figures don't appear too steep for a car that makes plenty of more expensive rivals look decidedly frumpy.

The big 18-inch wheels your car will probably come with won't utterly destroy the ride either as the suspension on the GT feels a good deal more compliant than anyone with experience behind the wheel of 147 and 156 models might expect. That said, there's also less roll, although an extended test on the sort of British B-roads that rather exposed the 147 GTA would be recommended. The body is 15 per cent stiffer than a 147 hatch and this gives the suspension engineers a much better baseline to work from.

There's still some dive under braking in the diesel versions but otherwise it's a very creditable showing. The steering lacks feel but the rack is very sharp and you'll be able to jink the GT around corners with virtually zero hesitation. The VDC stability control system is probably the second best in the whole car industry after Porsche's PSM in the way that it allows a little bit of fun before gently and reassuringly reverting things to a keel more even. If B-road blasting is your thing, it's worth checking out the Q2 versions which have a special limited slip diff for better traction out of corners.

Performance from the 2.0-litre JTS engine is punchy, the engine accelerating the GT to 60mph in 8.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 135mph but the 1.9-litre M-Jet 16v diesel is the star of the show here. On-paper performance figures in the 150bhp version that most choose are only slightly down on the 2.0-litre petrol car at 9.6 seconds and 130mph respectively but the 225lb/ft of torque means that it feels almost comically powerful in the mid range for such a modestly sized engine. The big payoff comes in terms of fuel economy, averaging over 42mpg. The emissions of 178g/km are a fair return for such a fun vehicle.

Define the Alfa Romeo GT in terms of raw figures and you've somewhat missed the point. The sleek styling, the voluptuously lavish interior and the distinguished heritage give this car a distinct head start in a market full of lookalikes. Paying more and getting less is looking better by the day.