Details of Cars

Alfa Romeo 159 (Type 939): the Giugiaro compact executive car of 2005–2011

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2007 Alfa Romeo 159 JTS Q4 sedan seen from the front three-quarter
2007 Alfa Romeo 159 JTS Q4 sedan. Photo by OSX, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

The Alfa Romeo 159 (Type 939) is a large family car built by Alfa Romeo between 2004 and 2011, a compact executive saloon with a five-door estate (Sportwagon). Introduced at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show as the replacement for the 156, it was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro with the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, and 247,661 cars were manufactured.

Alfa Romeo 159 at a glance

Alfa Romeo 159 key specifications
Production 2004–2011; production ended in November 2011
Units built 247,661
Bodies four-door saloon and five-door estate (Sportwagon)
Platform GM/Fiat Premium, shared with the Brera and Spider, and the Kamal and Visconti concepts
Design Giorgetto Giugiaro with the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo
Replaced Alfa Romeo 156
Award third in the 2006 European Car of the Year
Market never sold in the United States

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 159

The 159 was introduced at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show to replace the 156. Its nose, with the traditional V-shaped grille and cylindrical headlight clusters, was influenced by the 2002 Brera Concept, also drawn by Giugiaro, because Fiat asked him to transfer that design to its future saloon. Several exterior cues were meant to make the car look larger, supposedly to appeal to American buyers, although the 159 was never marketed in the United States.

Alfa Romeo 159 saloon with a JTDm diesel engine
Alfa Romeo 159 with a JTDm engine. Photo by Pava, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The car placed third in the 2006 European Car of the Year awards. Its late move to what was fundamentally an E-segment platform gave the 159 excessive weight, a problem shared with the Brera coupé and Spider. Production ended in November 2011 with 247,661 cars built.

Design and features

  • Interior: recalls earlier cars such as the 156, with deeply recessed instruments angled toward the driver, and higher-quality materials to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
  • Platform: the GM/Fiat Premium platform.
  • Weak point: excessive weight.

Alfa Romeo 159 versions

  • 159 saloon: the four-door car.
  • 159 Sportwagon: the five-door estate.
  • 159 Q4: the four-wheel-drive version.

More Alfa Romeo cars are in our Alfa Romeo collection, for example the Alfa Romeo 156, the Brera and Spider and the Kamal concept. Our older pages for the 159 engines (1.9 JTDm, 2.4 diesel) are covered here.

Alfa Romeo 159 questions and answers

When was the Alfa Romeo 159 built?

From 2004 to 2011, with the production ending in November 2011.

How many 159 were built?

247,661.

What did the 159 replace?

The Alfa Romeo 156.

Who designed the 159?

Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo.

Was the 159 sold in the USA?

No, it was never marketed there.

Sources

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