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Alfa Romeo 147 GTA Monza
When ItalianCar originally contacted (substitute 'pestered') Ateco Automotive to test drive the new GT to coincide with the Auto Italia show in Canberra last March we didn't realise that all our test cars would come at once - in order we have had (for a week each) the new spec 147GTA 'Monza', the 2.0L Selespeed GT, the new 166 and - to cap it all - the Fiat Ducato maxi van. As we were heading down to Auto Italia anyway our test car for the trip - the 147 GTA Monza - got a good run. We originally tested the 147 GTA back in 2003 (see our test report) and jumping back in the car for the first time since then refreshed the memory of the sheer pleasure of driving this car. What we concluded from a week driving the 147 GTA (or a new buyer's guide to the first week) Being a web magazine focused on Italian cars - given that Fiat, Lancia and other affordable Italian marques are not present - we are prone to some bias in Alfa's favour… having said that it is difficult to talk about the minor quirks of the car without mentioning again how bloody fast it is. Your average Aussie Joe (let's call him 'Uncle Winnie') just does not expect to find a European hatchback with a dirty great big 3.2L V6 engine in it, and is similarly surprised by the enormous acceleration the GTA has thanks to that engine. The other interesting thing you notice driving the GTA is the number of men who just stare at the car. It's easy to fall into 'difference of the sexes' stereotypes here but Mrs ItalianCar, normally unfazed by Italian supercars (or cars full stop), was the one that noticed all the stares and that they were directed at the car(!). The GTA does have different bodywork to the standard 147 and the differences all make the car look a lot meaner, so even though you can't quite put your finger on what they are, the GTA stands out.
So - from a practical point of view - what is there to say? One thing we noticed pretty quickly is how careful you have to be when opening and closing the doors. They are large and heavy compared to other hatchbacks and the mechanism will dent your car or someone else's if you are not careful. Also - as you would expect from a 3.2 V6 - fuel consumption is high. And the temptation to drive it hard doesn't help. We recorded a fuel consumption figure of 16.48L/100kms (or 17.14 mpg in the old language) over 154 kms. Put this against a Hyundai Excel's figure of 7.4 (or 38 mpg) and factor in the premium unleaded that the GTA drinks and you have high-ish running costs. Talking of petrol we have to admit to the embarrassment of running out of it in the GTA (we just didn't think it was that thirsty…). The 'range' reading on the trip computer showed '--:--' which we thought was just an error but no - the car had run completely dry and then told us there was an electrical problem. Luckily we were about 100m from a petrol station and putting a couple of litres of petrol into the tank was enough to get the car started again - $75 later we were on a full tank and away.
If you are looking for a family conveyance the GTA may not be your first choice, but it wouldn't be a bad one either. The large doors give decent access to the back + although not spacious there is plenty of room and fitting a baby seat was no problem. It is easy to fold down the rear seats to make a very respectable space in the back for whatever you need to carry around. The Monza spec does not get you any extra horsepower - it does however get you a higher trim level - Momo leather and Xenon headlights (which are worth the money) and a Monza badge (not present on the car we tested) as well as a high performance driving course.
How much?
In summary
Car driven: Alfa 147 GTA Monza 6-speed manual For full specification details on the 147 GTA check our FACTfile and for info on the Monza version see this article
© 2005 italiancar 30/04/05
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