Alfa Romeo 166
From Wikicars
| |
| Alfa Romeo 166 | |
|---|---|
| Alfa Romeo | |
| aka | Type aka here, not up there |
| Production | 1998 - present |
| Class | Executive Car |
| Body Style | 4-door, 5-seat sedan |
| Length | 4720 mm |
| Width | 1810 mm |
| Height | 1416 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2720 mm |
| Weight | 1420-1510 kg |
| Transmission | 6 speed Automatic, FWD |
| Engine | 2.0 litre Twin Spark 2.5 litre V6 3.0 litre V6 3.2 litre V6 2.4 litre JTD diesel (LHD only) |
| Power | N/A hp @ N/A rpm N/A lb-ft of torque @ N/A rpm |
| Similar | Audi A6 Peugeot 607 Volvo S80 Saab 9-5 |
| Designer | Centro Stile Alfa Romeo |
The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo since 1998.
The 166 was the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 164, and though the 164 had had styling that was far from orthodox, the odd-looking 166 with its drooping headlamps and pointed nose still raised many eyebrows. The styling was very much in keeping with Alfa's corporate style of the time, which had begun with the smaller 156 model.
The car was initially available with a 2.0-litre Twin Spark engine (155 bhp), a 2.5 V6 (190 bhp), a 3.0 V6 (226 bhp) unit or a V6 2.0 Turbo (205 bhp). Diesel engines were a L5 2.4 10v common rail turbodiesel version with 136, 140 and 150 bhp output, praised for its refinement. The TS model used a 5-speed manual gearbox, whilst the 2.5 and 3.0 had the option of a Sportronic automatic. The 3.0 V6, L5 2.4 and V6 Turbo were otherwise supplied with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The top models were named Super and included Momo leather interior, 17" alloy wheels, rain sensitive wipers, cruise control, climate control and ICS (Integrated Control System) with colour screen. Options included Xenon headlamps, GSM connectivity and Satellite Navigation. Suspensions were very sophisticated with double wishbone front suspension and multilink setup for the rear. Excellent tuning made by the engineers made it one of the best handling cars in its class.
Though the car's handling characteristics, engine range and elegant exterior design received praise from many, including Jeremy Clarkson, it did not become a strong seller to rival the dominant German brands in the European executive car sector.
The 166 underwent a substantial revamp in 2003. As well as upgrades to the chassis, interior, and the engine range, the styling was substantially altered. The new front end resembled the also recently revamped 156, and lost its famous drooping headlights. The 2.0 V6 Turbo model was dropped because of emission problems, the V6 2.5 was re-rated at 188 bhp and a 3.2 litre V6 (240 bhp) was introduced. Both the new 3.2 litre and the 2.0 Twin Spark models now featured the siz-speed manual gearbox, whilst the 3.0 model was retained but made available only in Sportronic form. In the diesel sector, the L5 2.4 was re-engineered with Multi-Jet technology which allows up to 5 injections per cycle, second stage Commonrail with maximum injection pressure of 1400bar and 4 valves per cylinder to ouput class leading 175BHP.
The Alfa Romeo 166 was withdrawn from sale in right-hand drive markets in October 2005. Sales of the 166 never grew as Alfa had hoped following the 2003 facelift, and the additional lack of a diesel engine in the UK, Australian, and Irish markets limited its reach into company car sectors. It was also reported that the engine emissions were also unlikely to meet forthcoming regulations, and a revised engine would not have been justified on the low-selling 166.
See Wikicars' comprehensive <MODEL> Review.
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Criticisms
- "Q-system auto-dimming proceedings; ageing engine; soggy handling; crashy ride; torque steer." Wheels Magazine
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Design quirks and oddities
- Clarkson's Top 100 Cars (2001)
- I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson (2004)
- Top Gear Ep. 4.02 (2004)
In 2004, the Alfa Romeo 166 has been named the Most Beautiful Car in the World under Large Sedan.
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See Also
