Alfa Romeo 156 Saloon (97-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
The 156 is the alternative to the rather dull executive saloons and will always stand out from the crowd. Its coupé-style bodywork is beautifully designed with a healthy dose of typical Italian flair. But the Alfa is more than just style, it delivers great driving pleasure too and although not as sharp as some of its German rivals, it simply oozes charm and character. What's not so welcome is the patchy build quality, cramped interior and so-so reliability. But if you want something different, the 156 makes a great choice.
4 out of 5

Equipment

The 2.0 TS, 2.4 JTD and V6 models have alloy wheels, stainless steel tailpipes and headlight washers while the Lusso features velour trim, a wooden steering wheel and climate control. Option packs available until early 2000 included Lusso (on 1.8 only) and Sport (three levels, including wood or carbon fibre-look dash, sports suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, plus Recaro sports seats or leather Momo seats). In June 2000, Lusso and Veloce were launched as models in their own right, replacing previous Lusso and Sport packs while the base model became Turismo. GTA 3.2 V6 models (June '02) have body styling, 17” alloys, along with heated leather and electric front seats. Revisions in June 2002 included 2.0 JTS direct injection petrol engine, uprated 2.4 JTD engine, VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) safety system, curtain airbags, new interior, improved equipment including alloy wheels, Bose audio from 2.0 JTS upwards, and new Veloce dual trim level with Momo leather trim.

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Trim

Equipment

Key:

Standard item

Optional item

  • 3x3 point rear seat belts
  • ABS
  • Air conditioning
  • Alarm
  • Alloy wheels
  • Audio remote
  • Body coloured bumpers
  • CD
  • CD Multichanger
  • Central locking
  • Climate control
  • Cloth seat trim
  • Cruise control
  • Driver`s airbag
  • Electric mirrors
  • Electric sunroof
  • Folding rear seats
  • Front electric windows
  • Front fog lights
  • Headlight washers
  • Heated mirrors
  • Height adjustable drivers seat
  • Isofix child seat anchor points
  • Leather seat trim
  • Lumbar support
  • Metallic Paint
  • PAS
  • Passenger`s airbag
  • Rear electric windows
  • Remote locking
  • Service indicator
  • Side airbags
  • Space saver spare wheel
  • Sports seats
  • Steel wheels
  • Steering wheel rake adjustment
  • Steering wheel reach adjustment
  • Traction control
Standard Trim C/C Veloce 1 S1+C/C S1 S2 Turismo Veloce [LT] Veloce Sport Lusso S3 TI Veloce 2
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