The Alfa Romeo 156 (Type 932) is a compact executive car introduced at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the 155. It won the 1998 European Car of the Year award and was built as a saloon, a Sportwagon estate and a Crosswagon crossover; 673,435 units were produced between 1996 and 2007.
Alfa Romeo 156 at a glance
| Production | 1996–2007 (saloon discontinued in Europe late 2005; Q4 Crosswagon until end of 2007) |
|---|---|
| Units built | 673,435 |
| Bodies | saloon, Sportwagon (estate), Crosswagon (crossover) |
| Plants | Pomigliano d’Arco, Italy; General Motors in Rayong, Thailand (from March 2002) |
| Petrol engines | Twin Spark 1.6 L 120 PS, 1.8 L 144 PS, 2.0 L 155 PS; 1.9 L 8-valve 105 PS |
| Diesel | 2.4 L five-cylinder JTD 136 PS |
| Facelifts | 2002 and 2003 |
| Replaced by | Alfa Romeo 159 (2005) |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the figures could not be cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Alfa Romeo 156
The 156 was introduced at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155. It received a positive reception and won the 1998 European Car of the Year award. The cars were assembled in Italy and, from March 2002 for only a couple of years, at a General Motors plant in Thailand for the Asia-Pacific markets.
The range included saloon, Sportwagon and Crosswagon bodies with seven engine configurations and went through two facelifts, in 2002 and 2003. The Sportwagon advertising campaign featured the actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. The saloon was discontinued in Europe at the end of 2005, when the 159 replaced it, while the Q4 Crosswagon continued until the end of 2007.
Design and features
- Engines: Alfa Romeo Twin Spark 16-valve petrol engines with variable valve timing, and common-rail JTD turbodiesels.
- Packs: the range had option packs such as a sport pack with Momo leather interior and Recaro seats.
Alfa Romeo 156 versions
- 156 saloon (1997): the four-door car.
- 156 Sportwagon: the estate.
- 156 Crosswagon Q4: the crossover with four-wheel drive.
- 156 GTA: the high-performance version; our older “800” page for a tuned Kompressor 156 is covered here.
More Alfa Romeo cars are in our Alfa Romeo collection, for example the Alfa Romeo 155 and the Alfa Romeo 159.
Alfa Romeo 156 questions and answers
When was the Alfa Romeo 156 introduced?
At the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show.
What award did it win?
The 1998 European Car of the Year.
How many were built?
673,435 between 1996 and 2007.
What replaced the 156?
The Alfa Romeo 159 in 2005.
Where was it built?
At Pomigliano d’Arco in Italy and, for a short time from 2002, in Thailand.
Sources
- Alfa Romeo 156, English Wikipedia: introduction, production, engines
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