Alfa Romeo's flagship 169 sedan is anticipations on the Alfa Romeo 169 scheduled to replace the ageing 166 in 2009, but conflicting speculation has suggested that the luxury sedan could be based on either a stretched 159 chassis or on the upcoming Maserati Quattroporte successor. The latest reports coming out of Italy suggest it'll be sharing with the larger trident rather than the smaller Alfa.
The Fiat Group that dominates the Italian automotive industry has traditionally kept their brands separate, refusing to share most components, let alone platforms, in a bid to keep the marques distinct from each other and steer well clear of the increasingly popular trend of badge engineering. But in recent years, that trend has been reversing even in Turin. Maseratis started sharing components with Ferrari and now with Alfa Romeo, Fiat has been partnering with PSA and Suzuki on new models, and an upcoming Alfa hatchback will be based on the Fiat Punto. So with Maserati still lagging in profitability and Alfa trying to regain its prestige, it's no wonder they've decided to go this route for the upcoming 169 and Quattroporte sedans.
Together with the thrilling 8C Competizione sports car, the 169 marks Alfa Romeo's return to rear-drive after 15 years of horses pulling from the front.
The always excellent ItaliaSpeed has published some anticipations on the Alfa Romeo 169. The new Alfa flagship, codename Progetto 941, should be positioned in a higher segment than the current Alfa 166, with the objective of stealing sales from cars such as the Mercedes CLS. The 169 should be one of the centerpieces for Alfa Romeo's returno to the US.
The Alfa 169 should arrive in 2009, and will not use the Premium platform: it will share the next Maserati Quattroporte platform. Alfa Romeo aficionados are rejoicing for the return of a car with rear wheel drive and transaxle transmission. High torsional rigidity, a balanced weight distribution and RWD should make the marketing playing field a bit more level for Alfa in its assault on big german saloons.
The 169 will have dimension similar to those of the CLS: 4,95 meters long, 1,4 meters hight. New gearboxes from Getrag are expected (including a 7 speed dual clutch). Under the hood it's strictly a V6-V8 party: gasoline engines start from the 2.8 V6 (250 hp) and go on to a 3.2 V6 (285 hp) and a 4.3 V8 (400 hp and 500 Nm). The 3.0 V6 turbodiesel should have 275 hp and 620 Nm.
Prices should start a bit under 50.000 € for the 2.8, grow to about 50.000 € for the 3.0 diesel e go up to 75.000 € for the 4.3 V8. The hypothetic GTA 5.0 V8 (more than 500 hp) should cost about 100.000 €.
Vital statistics: Project: Alfa Romeo 941; Platform: Next Generation Quattoporte E/F; Wheelbase: 2.950 mm; External Dimensions (L x W x H): 4.950 mm x 1.900 mm x 1.400 mm
Debut range (Prices are indications only): 2.8 V6 (250 bhp) €47,500, or 3.2 V6 (285 bhp) €50,000; 3.6 V6 (320 bhp) €55,000 (May be cancelled); 4.3 V8 (400 bhp @ 6300 rpm, 500 Nm) €75,000; 3.0 V6 Diesel (275 bhp / 620 Nm) €50,000
Additional engine range: 4.0 V8 Diesel (380 bhp, 800 Nm) €75,000 (May be cancelled); GTA 5.0 V8 (515-530 bhp @ 7000 rpm, 600 Nm) €100,000
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Wat ik er nu aan af kan zien wordt hij mooier dan de 5/7 serie ooit zal worden. (Ik heb ook altijd een zwak voor de 166 en 164 gehad.)
