ALFA ROMEO 156 2003-2005 Photos, engines & full specs

Even if it was hard to re-design a beautiful car, Alfa Romeo had to refresh the 156 lineup, and it did it in two steps.

Usually, when a carmaker refreshes a vehicle, it works on several areas, and then it left them changed until the production ends or a new facelift occurs. The Italian carmaker chose a different path. It upgraded the interior in 2002, with minimal tweaks on the outside, and then it changed the exterior. That's why the 2003 model might be considered the real facelifted version of the 156 range.

The front part of a car was the one that defined it the most, and the Italian designers knew that. That's why they completely changed the headlights, making them narrower and broader under the slightly extended hood. Giorgetto Giugiaro was the one responsible for that change, and it did a great job, as always. The big Alfa Romeo shield was taller, intruding into the bumper to the lower area. In the back, Giugiaro re-designed the taillights and changed their shapes.

Inside, the car carried over the 2002 upgraded interior with the same aluminum center stack adorned by three gauges on its top side. The binocular-styled instrument cluster featured two white dials for the speedometer and tachometer, with the red needles pointing at 6-o-clock when in resting position. The front seats featured high-bolstering areas that hugged their occupants, while the rear-seat room was just adequate, but not large, for two passengers.

Under the hood, Alfa Romeo brought a range of four gasoline and three turbo-diesel engines paired as standard to five or six-speed manual transmission, depending on the version. An automated (named Selespeed) gearbox was on the options list. For the suspension, Alfa Romeo kept the same double-wishbone system at the front, with McPherson struts in the rear.