Bad Start To 2010: Alfa Romeo 159 Becomes More Expensive

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion, the official distributor of Alfa Romeo, has just upped the price for the 159 to RM 195,888, from the previous RM 188,888. Prices exclude road tax and insurance. Still, it should be noted that 159's compact luxury sedan rivals such as BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class all cost above the RM 200,000 level.

Mated to a six-speed Selespeed semi-automatic gearbox, the 2.2-litre JTS engine under the bonnet generates 182 bhp at 6500 rpm and 230 Nm at 4500 rpm—performance strong enough to arrive at 100 km/h from standstill in 8.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 222 km/h.

The equipment list is still as generous as it gets for the money in the class. You get bi-xenon headlamps with automatic driving light control, eight-speaker audio system, three-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, electric sunroof, 18" alloy wheels, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and nine airbags, among others.

AboutSeow Yaohan

Seow Yao Han strives to bring you the latest and the most comprehensive information on cars available in Malaysia. But it's never easy for him to talk and write cars in this part of the world because what you lust after is often not what you drive home. When the euphoria of test-driving that branded, super-expensive sports car dies down, he just goes home in his less-than-glamorous ride.