FACTfile - Alfa Romeo 156 - Page2

The Alfa Romeo JTS engine:
Delivering the lean burn promise

It has long been known that lean burn technology and direct fuel injection held out the promise of better fuel economy, lower emissions and more power and torque for a given engine capacity. However, until now, the drawbacks of poor high engine speed performance, the requirement for low-sulphur fuel and the requirement for extensive emission equipment to cut the nitrogen oxide emissions (and which lead to nitric acid rain) have proven substantial barriers to putting this technology in production.

But for Alfa Romeo, renown for its highly efficient engines - the 2.0 litre Twin Spark engine, with 114 kW was, until the arrival of the JTS, one of the most efficient and highest specific output engines in the world - direct injection and lean burn technology offers a significant step up in efficiently, emissions and performance.

That Alfa Romeo has met its targets is clearly illustrated by the figures. The JTS engine has exactly the same capacity as the Twin Spark engine it replaced, yet power is up from 114 kW to 121 kW; torque rises from 187 Nm to a remarkable 206 Nm. The engine meets the new ultra tough Euro 4 emissions standards and yet, despite the performance gains, fuel consumption stays virtually the same.

On the road this translates into providing the Alfa 156 with more tractable performance in all the gears, a smoother torque and power curve delivers more refined performance and, in raw figures, top speed rises from 216 to 220 kmh and the zero to 100 kmh time is cut from 8.6 to 8.2 seconds.

So how has Alfa Romeo managed to achieve what other car makers have been trying to do for decades? Alfa Romeo's answer is a simple as it is sophisticated. At low engine speeds, which the engine operates for the major it of the time, it operates as a lean burn engine, while at higher engine speeds it progressive switches to a normal fuel air mixture to provide the top end performance so beloved of Alfa Romeo drivers. The later is both enhanced and enabled by the use of direct fuel injection, with the fuel pumped directly into the cylinder head around the sparkplug, boosting volumetric efficiency and performance.

With regard to emissions, the combination of the direct injection and lean burn only at lower engine speeds means that Nox emissions are similar to normal engines and the large Nox catalyst converters are that are typically needed and which reduce performance with high back pressures are not required. The absence of these catalysts also means that JTS owners do not have to worry about high sulphur fuel.

In all, the Alfa Romeo JTS engine is a technical tour de force and is worthy successor to the array of advanced, high performance engines on which Alfa Romeo has built its reputation.

Value for money moves hand in hand with performance and style
If there is another facet to Alfa Romeo's believe that style must not subjugate substance it is in the area of value for money and safety. Take safety first. As it always should be. In addition to an agile, responsive drivetrain and chassis helps avoid accidents, a host of electronic aids further lift the 156's active safety game. ABS brakes of course, but they sixth generation with EBD and EBA. The chassis is enhanced with VDC, while the engine uses ASR and MSR to enhance grip and traction in treacherous conditions.

Air bags - and smart ones at that - abound, with a total of six inside, front, side and curtain bags are all standard. There is also an anti-fire system that cuts off the fuel in the event of an accident, along with impact absorbing body sections surrounding the rigid safety cage.

For standard equipment, the Alfa Romeo 156 lacks nothing. The windows, mirrors, locks and steering are all power operated. The wipers are rain sensing and the cruise control is standard. A high power Blaupunkt audio system is integrated into the dashboard, as are the controls the split micro climate control ventilation system that enables each side of the interior to have its own temperature. Allow wheels are standard, as is hand crafted Momo leather, which is a classic combination of leather comfort and Italian style. The steering wheel in all versions has controls for the audio system mounted on it and in the JTS manual is in classic Alfa wood, while the other versions are leather trimmed and hand stitched.

The new Alfa Romeo 156 range opens with the Alfa Romeo 156 JTS and this model is available with a choice of a five speed manual gearbox at $49,950 or with Alfa Romeo direct-from-Formula One Selespeed sequential manual gearbox at $52,950. Fitted with a revised version of Alfa Romeo legendary V6 engine, the Alfa Romeo 156 V6 24V is now priced at $57,500 with the six speed manual gearbox and $59,950 with the unique Q-System automatic gearbox with its "H-Gate" operation.

"The original Alfa Romeo 156 was acclaimed as the perfect sports sedan when its was launched," says Kevin Wall, General Manager for Alfa Romeo in Australia. "Remarkably Giorgetto Giugiaro and Alfa Romeo have managed to improve on perfection, both in looks and under the skin, while retaining a level of value for money which its rivals simply cannot match. In Australia, as around the world, the Alfa Romeo 156 has enabled Alfa Romeo to enter the 21st Century with renewed strength and vitality. The new Alfa Romeo 156 can only continue and grow Alfa Romeo unique reputation for performance, style and luxury."

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