Alfa Romeo Giulietta (2010)

The Alfa Romeo 149 is the replacement for the model Alfa Romeo 147. The expected date of release for the 149 is end-2009/beginning-2010 according to mailings to dealerships. On February 17, Chrysler (Fiat's new partner) announced that the 149 would be named Milano and introduced in mid-2010.

The length of the 149 is supposed to be around 4.3 metres, which is similar to the old Alfa 156. Only the five-door derivative, whose platform is based on the Fiat Bravo’s, will be available for sale. The range of engines will include the new 1.4 T-Jet and M-jet family, producing 120BHP/89kW and 265BHP/198kW for the GTA version. A six-speed manual and automatic will be choice gearboxes for customers.

Since a considerable number of Alfa Romeo customers are those aged 27-40, the absence of a three-door derivative tends to be a reasonable choice. This is because this age bracket tends to be more family-oriented, not only looking for sporty inclination in their cars, but also for space. Since the 149 will only be available in a 5-door version, the new Alfa MiTo will fill the vacancy of a small three-door car for the make. The 149 is supposed to help Alfa Romeo regain its footing in the leading US market where the brand has just returned. For this particular market the automatic gearbox may be the standard option. European pricing will be around €20 000 for the base model.

The 149 is being designed with a target of a 6-star EuroNCAP safety rating.

Engines

It is expected that Alfa Romeo 149 may use a new engine which utilizes a system known as Multiair, The system controls the amount of air going into the engine by controlling when air is allowed into the engine and how much the inlet valve opens. The system works by inserting a "tappet" between the cam shaft and the valve and the engine management system can control the amount of oil that is allowed into the "tappet" thus changing the effective opening profile of the inlet valve. The system can also change the overlap of the inlet and exhaust valves as well as changing the amount of lift and this allows the engine to maintain a steady pressure in the inlet manifold which is used to increase the amount of torque the engine produces while maintaining the efficiency of the engine. The system is said to increase torque by 20% while reducing emissions by a similar amount. All this technology is supposed to increase the fun factor giving better and more positive throttle response.

References

• Italiaspeed/Morgan Stanley Conference in a presentation by brand CEO Antonio Baravalle
• Alfa Romeo 149 Engines
• Alfa Romeo 149 Artist Impression
• Preview of the Alfa Romeo 149