2005 Alfa Romeo 159 Photos, engines & full specs

After nine years of production, Alfa Romeo replaced the beautiful 156 with an even more attractive model, the 159, making its fans happier.

The Italian automaker had a long history of beautiful cars. Some were penned in-house, while others wore the signatures of famous design studios such as Giugiaro or Pininfarina. This one had graduated from Italdesign Giugiaro and won prestigious awards, including in Germany and France. The interior was made in-house by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, led by the influential designer Walter de Silva. The engineering department worked hard to create a vehicle that could enchant its customers and please everyone on board. The Italian automaker built the 159 on the GM/Fiat Premium platform developed together with the American car manufacturer.

Surprisingly, when all the other automakers tried to incorporate all the lights from the front of a car under the same lens, the Italian automaker decided differently. As a result, the 159 sported three headlamps on each side in individual clusters. In the middle, Alfa Romeo installed a heart-shaped crest crossed by horizontal slats that went all the way down to the apron, where two horizontal air intakes flanked it. The narrow front of the car and the angry look of the round main lamps created an aggressive yet seductive look for the car.

From its profile, the low nose and the tall and short rear deck made the vehicle look sporty because that’s what Alfa Romeo tried to create: a compact sports sedan fighting in the executive segment. In addition, the slim white turn signal from the front fenders, the chromed door handles, and the shiny windows surrounding it created an upscale look for the vehicle. Furthermore, the greenhouse looked like it was pushed rearward and sported wide C-pillars. Finally, at the back, the slim and high-mounted horizontal taillights extended from the quarter panels onto the trunk lid further increased the car’s sporty look, and the lamps inside them echoed the headlights’ layout.

Inside, Alfa Romeo didn’t spare anything to create a luxurious cabin. Its center stack sported real aluminum trims, not silver plastics. In addition, customers could get a touchscreen infotainment system fitted with navigation as an option. Fronting the driver was a binocular-styled instrument cluster where the speedometer and the tachometer flanked a red LCD that showed additional information from the onboard computer. Depending on the options, the 159 featured velour or leather upholstery for the high-bolstered seats. At the same time, the rear seats didn’t provide too much legroom, and the middle-seated passenger had limited legroom due to the tall center tunnel.

Under the hood, the Italian car maker installed a range of gasoline and turbo diesel engines paired with five- or six-speed manuals or a six-speed automatic. Unlike most of the Alfa Romeo range, the 159 was also available with an all-wheel drive system.