2010MY Alfa Romeo 159 with New Turbo Engines hits UK Shores

The fairest compact executive car of them all, Alfa Romeo's gorgeous 159 Saloon and Sport Wagon have arrived in Great Britain. The 2010 model year 159 that was presented at the Geneva Show in March benefits from the introduction of two brand new Euro 5-compliant turbocharged engines, the 1750 TBi petrol and 2.0 JTDM diesel, as well as a revised range structure for the UK market.

The new 159 1750 TBi gets a 1.75-liter direct injection turbocharged engine that makes 200 horsepower along with 320 Nm of torque launching the saloon from rest to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.7 seconds before topping out at 147mph or 236km/h. The sedan returns a combined fuel consumption of 34.9 mpg UK or 8.1 lt / 100km.

Alfa's new 2.0 JTDM diesel powerplant produces an output of 170 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 360 Nm available between 1,750 rpm and 2,500 rpm. With this engine, the 159 covers the 0–62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 8.8 seconds and achieves a top speed of 136mph or 219km/h while returning a combined fuel economy of 52.3mpg UK (5.4 lt / 100km)

For the 2010MY 159, Alfa has introduced a new range structure which now features five trim levels: Turismo, Turismo Sport (new), Elegante (new), Lusso and TI.

The new Turismo Sport trim features several sporty upgrades over the base model including 17-inch alloy wheels, Blue&Me, sports seat cloth, sports leather steering wheel with remote audio controls and gear knob, and sports dials.

The new Elegante trim also adds new features to the Turismo, including rear parking sensors, visibility pack and specififc seat and door panel upholstery.

UK pricing for both the 159 1750 TBI and 2.0 JTDM Saloon start from £21,800 (see comprehensive price list in the image above).

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulia: 159's Successor Illustrated

What you see pictured above is an artist's impression of the Alfa Romeo 159 replacement that is reported to revive the Giulia nameplate as the Italians are swapping their current system of numeric names for more personal ones (e.g. the 147's successor will be named Milano). The CGI, courtesy of Motorionline, is apparently more of a wild guess on the Guilia's styling than anything else, but in any case, we'll let you decide if you like it or not.

The Giulia, which isn't expected to surface on the market before the second half of 2011, will make use of Fiat Group's new versatile C-Evo platform that will also underpins the forthcoming Milano hatchback.

And yes, unfortunately this means that the Giulia will not make the transition to rear-wheel drive. Instead, Alfa's 3-Series challenger will be offered with front-wheel drive with the option of the Italian firm's Q4 four-wheel drive system.

It's too early for any official information on the engine range, but we suspect that the Giulia will most likely be offered with Alfa's 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol as well as with a V6 petrol and numerous turbo diesels.

And how about a GTA variant? Well, that's a tough one especially since Alfa abandoned its plans for a 'hot' 159, but hopefully the Italian automaker will make it up with the presentation of the Giulia GTA.

Photo: Motorionline - Thanks Maurizio!