Review: Alfa Romeo 147
Give the Italians a car, a shotgun or a motorcycle to design and they generally get it to look sexy. Where others often seem to rely on committees to draw up a good, sensible profile, the Italians seem to trust a single stylist with a vision to get the job done. A very tasty Eyetie morsel that passed through our hands recently was one of the three latest arrivals in the Alfa Romeo 147 range — the 2,0 litre Twin Spark five-door manual.
Where most of the opposition looks just pretty good, the little Alfa comes across as stunning, with all the angles and curves flowing into a single sexy hatch.
At a glance the five-door version — also available with a 1,6 litre engine — looks just like the three-door that has been around for a year or two, because the back door handles are cunningly concealed in the black rear-window frame surrounds. And, if you’ve taken a good look at the three-door Alfa Romeo 147 that’s a very desirable attribute, like marrying the sexiest woman on earth and then finding out she can cook as well.
The test car came, not with Alfa’s very advanced Selespeed electrically selectable manual gearbox, but with the conventional five-speed unit that Alfa Romeo says many enthusiasts have demanded. This is mated to a four-cylinder transversely mounted two-litre twin-cam 16-valve engine that produces 110kW and 181Nm.
Driven like other cars the Alfa doesn’t feel much different to the common herd, but when taken by the scruff of its neck and shaken, its personality shines through. The engine chimes in with a beautiful Italian accent as the revs climb — Alfa lovers will know what I mean — and the car begins to feel like a sports car.
It is not particularly quick by today’s standards — 100kph comes up around 9,5 seconds after you pop the clutch, and top speed is reputed to be in the region of 208kph — but the Alfa’s balance makes it a pleasure to drive hard.
The underpinnings on the 147 are derived from the Alfa Romeo 156, with a few tweaks to allow for the design differences, and the car’s handling is superb. The steering feels a little quick until you get used to it, but this is a thoroughbred, remember?
The interior of the Alfa is well thought out and tidily put together, with no signs of cost-cutting.
Specification levels are high — ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, six airbags, VDC (vehicle dynamic control), leather upholstery, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, BOSE sound system, heated external mirrors and an automatic dual zone climate control system. The Alfa Romeo 147 as given to us costs R211 000, which is a lot of money for any small hatch. But then, there are a host of similarly specced cars in its class that cost around the same, and most don’t have the soul or the cherished badge that tells the world you appreciate thoroughbreds. Highly recommended.