Alfa Romeo 156 2.4 JTD 20v
As many ageing Hollywood stars will tell you, going under the plastic surgeon's knife can be risky - get it wrong and the consequences can be disastrous. Car companies, too, can suffer badly from the effects of a careless facelift.
Messing with a car as beautiful as the 156 is a brave move, and the jury is still out on the end result. But the interior revisions and improved ride should make the Alfa a desirable proposition for executive car buyers - as will the new 2.4 Multijet diesel engine.
As many ageing Hollywood stars will tell you, going under the plastic surgeon's knife can be risky - get it wrong and the consequences can be disastrous. Car companies, too, can suffer badly from the effects of a careless facelift.
Hyundai learned the hard way with its MkII Coup�. Tales of dealers weeping as the car was unveiled are true, and sales of the technically impressive machine took a dramatic dive.
All of which makes Alfa Romeo's decision to mess with the design of the beautiful 156 - the car that heralded the Italian marque's return to grace in the late Nineties - even more fraught with danger. Realising this, the firm has handed the task of improving the original to Giorgetto Giugiaro and Italdesign - the company that built last year's breathtaking Brera concept.
The contours of the new look are in keeping with the car's body, while the more angular headlamps and prominent grille lend an air of aggression. But the chrome bar and black plastic that fill the space between the lights and grille create a fussy appearance. The revamp at the rear is more successful, though, with a flush bumper emphasising the 156's natural grace.
What's more, the facelift gave Alfa an opportunity to update the interior layout. A user-friendly climate control system and multifunction display now take pride of place in the dashboard, and the quality of the materials used has also been upgraded.
Since the 1.9-litre JTD powerplant was introduced to the 156 line-up two months ago, sales of diesel models have more than tripled - a trend that the firm is ideally placed to capitalise on, thanks to the arrival of the second-generation 1.9 and 2.4-litre Multijet units. Flagship models will use the engine tested here, a 2.4-litre 20v five-cylinder pumping out 175bhp and a GTA-bashing 385Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.
A few seconds behind the wheel is enough to confirm that the 2.4 Multijet is a great large-capacity diesel unit - punchier than Volvo's D5 and nearly the equal of BMW's 3.0d in terms of refinement. It's also incredibly smooth at low revs, muscular in the mid-range and sounds every bit as enticing as a Fiat Coup� Turbo at full throttle.
Revisions to the suspension have addressed the 156's major weakness - its unyielding ride. Softer damping takes the sting out of bumps and potholes, and although the chassis still thumps over expansion joints, the front and rear suspension finally feel as if they're working towards the same goal.
The trade-off for this is slightly more body roll through corners, but the front-wheel-drive chassis' neutral cornering behaviour and direct steering make the Alfa a more enticing prospect for keen drivers than Audi's A4, for example.
