cars and bikes

IF BMW IS sporty and Mercedes all about class, then Alfa Romeo is pure sex appeal and driving pleasure. And the good news is that you will be able to buy one in India soon.
Autocar India has learnt from a top-ranking Fiat official that the Italian carmaker will introduce its high-brow sport-luxury brand in the Indian market in the first half of next year. The official announcement will be made at the Auto Expo in January 2008.

Fiat has ruled out assembling Alfas in India and will import them directly from Italy; hence the lead time for introduction will be cut down considerably. Fiat is planning a range of Alfa models but it’s the drop-dead gorgeous Alfa Romeo 159 that will be the mainstay of the brand in the Indian market.

A car that competes head-on with the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class and the Audi A4, Alfas are sporty and brilliant to drive. Their positioning is in fact very close to that of BMW, but with a clear accent on designer styling as well. The 159 has been Alfa’s most successful compact saloon in recent times and, as we found out earlier this year, there is very good reason for that (see Alfa v Alfa story in our April 2007 issue).

The 2.2 JTS is likely to be the petrol car selected for the Indian market, with the 3.2 V6 also imported as a brand-topper. The 2.2 produces 185bhp and will be pegged head-on against the base 3-series and C-class. Alfa hopes to price it competitively but against the locally-assembled Mercs and BMWs, the Italian sportscar will be at a cost disadvantage. However, according to company sources, the 159 should be launched with an entry price of Rs 28 lakh.

It’s the 260bhp V6 motor and four-wheel-drive system that are likely to get the attention of car enthusiasts. Alfa Romeo is one of the carmakers responsible for getting the trend for compact, high-revving V6 motors going, with the Alfa 75 being the trendsetter in the 1980s. At the time, all comparable motors were straight six engines, and it’s only recently that the world at large has acknowledged the inherent strengths of this type of motor. Alfa also pioneered the trend for twin spark plugs in the 1960s with the Giulia, and no it wasn’t Bajaj or TVS who did it first.

Alfa, via Fiat, also pioneered the use of a technology we are today all very familiar with today. The Alfa 156, launched in 1997, was the world’s first car to be powered by a common-rail diesel motor. And one of Alfa’s new-generation diesels, either a 150bhp 1.9 or a 200bhp 2.4,will be part of the range. The 2.4 especially is capable of massive bursts of speed and power and is particularly popular in Europe.

The cars will be sold through a group of exclusive dealerships to be set up in the coming months. Dealerships will be given to the best Fiat dealers in India, who will now get access to the famous brand.

Alfa already has very successful distributorships in other South-East Asian countries like Thailand, and with the brand recognition enjoyed here, the carmaker has a good shot at success if it prices its cars competitively. But it is how well these cars withstand Indian road conditions and the service back-up the company provides that will eventually determine success in India.