CAN cars change, even when they are outwardly identical to their predecessors? The 159 Ti is a compelling example of small but meaningful improvements to a model that has disappointed us time and again since its 2006 launch in Australia. And while the raucous 2.4 JTDM turbo-diesel auto sedan under scrutiny here is certainly not without its problems and annoyances, the Italians have finally brought us a capable and likeable alternative to the many and varied $65,000 premium and luxury contenders out there.
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Alfa Romeo 156 JTS Ti
Released: (2004
Ended: 2006)
Family Tree: 159BUILT off the Fiat Tipo front-wheel drive platform that dated back to the late 1980s, the ‘Type 932’ 156 was Alfa Romeo’s saviour in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s, thanks to its beautiful return-to-form styling, accommodating (if tight) interior and promise of newfound reliability. The latter didn’t always prove to be true, but the 156 thrust Alfa right into BMW 3 Series/Audi A4 territory with a vengeance, although its pedestrian underpinnings ultimately held the 156 back. The Ti (for Turismo Internazionale) arrived after the 156 Series II was released in Australia, and brought with it minor suspension and body kit additions, but no power increase for the 121kW/206Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Gearbox choices were the fine five-speed manual or the troublesome five-speed Selespeed clutchless sequential manual.
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