Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:07 am by AlfaDave
Ten years ago, no one would have believed that best selling Alfas would fuel from the black pump - but that's the case today. Alfa's sales focus now is one their latest 170bhp 2.0 JTDm engine with its impressive pulling power but for the time being at least, it also sells alongside the older 1.9-litre Multijet unit which soldiers on in 120 or 150bhp guises. At the top of the diesel range, the 210bhp 2.4 JTDm continues on unchanged. This is an absolute stormer, capable of zipping to 60mph in a tad under 8 seconds. All the engines have something to be said for them, but the 2.4-litre unit is particularly impressive. This is one of the most advanced diesel engines you can buy anywhere and comes complete with a counterbalancing shaft to all but do away with almost every one of those traditional diesel rumbles. Common-rail technology we're well familiar with by now, but what exactly do Alfa mean by Multijet? Here, injection pressure is independent of engine speed and can therefore be varied throughout the rev range, irrespective of the amount of diesel being delivered. This improves combustion, which has significant benefits for both performance and economy. Performance first. The rest to sixty sprint takes just over 8 seconds on the way to 140mph - but that only tells a small part of the story. The pulling power of this engine is just astonishing. This is thanks to a 284Ibft peak torque figure that's greater even than the classic 3.2-litre V6 24v engine can muster. Mind you, it's necessary to adopt a distinctly un-Alfa-like driving style to get the most out of the JTD. Instead of searing the engine up to the red line as you would in a JTS petrol model, you have to get used to changing up a lot earlier. The surge of power begins at 1,500rpm and is all over by 4,500rpm. In-between is enough acceleration to take you comfortably into licence-confiscation territory. Of course, you don't get that lovely JTS zing while you're doing it - though the five-cylinder engine's note is much more appealing then that of a conventional diesel. But you don't buy a car like this for aural pleasure. Alfa reckon that, thanks to their Multijet technology, this 159 is on average 15% more frugal than its immediate rivals - and the figures bear this out. With an average fuel economy of around 52mpg from the 170bhp unit, this is a car that doesn't penalise you for having fun.