Beauty and the Best

Put simply, the Alfa Romeo 156 is a great car, a classic. It looks stunning – in V6 form shifts with earthquaking power – handles nimbly and attracts a multitude of admirers. No wonder the order books are still bulging and the waiting list is long.

The 156 is a car with everything. I may have gloried in the power of the mighty V6 this time around, but I have also revelled in the 1.8 and 2.0 litre versions, adoring every minute behind the wheel of both. In one word the whole range is a masterpiece.

From its swoopy, deep V-grille to its elegant tail lights, the car is a dazzler. And I just love that sporty two-door ‘coupe look’, achieved by hiding the rear door handle in the window frame, even though it is an elegant four-door saloon.

The elegant exterior carries through to the beautiful cabin, which features the dash sculpted around the driver and housing large white speedo and rev counter dials set deep in a hooded cowling. The attractive mahogany effect centre console still hampers kneeroom slightly, but other than that there is little else to fault in a spacious car that offers a wealth of creature delights.

Seating all round is, naturally, comfortable, legroom front and rear good while round the back the boot is square and deep.

Standard features on and inside the 2.5 V6 include velour trim, climate control, leather covered height and reach adjustable steering wheel, heated electric door mirrors, electric windows, central locking, sunroof, immobiliser, alloy wheels and twin airbags. The passenger seat airbag can be disengaged if a child seat is in use.

The braking system features an active-sensor ABS, where each wheel has its own active sensor rather than a system which merely passes information to a central control unit. The result is faster reaction to changing conditions and an ability to ‘read’ wheel speeds as low a one kilometer per hour.

POWER: This six-cylinder range topper is powered by a newly-developed 190bhp 2.5 litre V6 through a novel six-speed manual gearbox where top gear is a ‘power’ speed for use when travelling at high speed. Well chosen gear ratios provide an enjoyable driving experience.

This smoothy is so fast and so quiet that it could mean trouble if a watchful eye is not kept on the speedo. Open the throttle and that distinctive Alfa growl, if a little deeper in this guise, brings its usual magic to the ears. It covers the ground swiftly – 0 to 60mph in a touch over seven seconds; top speed 142mph – pulverising road irregularities with finesse thanks to its brilliant suspensions.

The double wishbone front suspension maximises tyre contact to the road surface independently of either bodyshell or suspension movement giving optimum grip during cornering, braking and acceleration. The rear suspension has an updated version of the McPherson strut layout with a wheel mechanism which adapts perfectly to the front suspension behaviour at high speeds.

Fuel wise I averaged 24mpg.