Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 Selespeed

Always a head-turner, the 147 now gets a more aggressive look and revised suspension for a better ride

What's New
A re-shaped face and more flowing creases in profile have given the 147 more sex appeal and attempted to keep the car up to date with the imminent arrival of the new Brera and 159 which will replace the long-serving 156.

The facelifted 147 joins this stable by adopting the new "family look". Going by this hatchback's suave new look, it seems this calculated gamble shouldn't alienate existing Alfa Romeo customers while reaching out to newer audience at the same time.

Purists may argue that any Italian sports car should be coated in deep red gloss (also available here) but even in the more locally accepted silver sheen of our test car, the 147's new external muscles are still allowed to flex.

More elongated headlight units, replete with three spot lenses have been amplified along with re-designed, broader wings, a more distinct front grille and new bumpers - which themselves have broader air-intake grilles than before. The taillights have also been re-shaped.

Thanks to the cleverly disguised rear door handles, which look like part of the rear sloping C-pillar, the five-door 147 still looks like a sporty three-door hatch in profile, but with all the practicality of a four-door car.

While the previous running gear is retained, a revised suspension has been designed to offer a smoother run over rough road surfaces. The interior is also improved thanks a suede-like material called Alfatex lining the door inserts that looks and feels like a class above its predecessor.

How it Performs
The four-cylinder twin-spark engine doesn't see any changes over the previous 147 which is no bad thing. While the latest JTS engines fitted to other Alfa Romeos produce more power, what they do not emit is the same throaty growl as the 147's unit, which is classic Alfa. There's nothing headache inducing about it either - it's the kind of perfectly tuned acoustics that make a drive in a 147 so involving.

While the 150bhp 2.0-litre unit won't have you cleaning up the hot hatch market, it has enough grunt to turn your smile up to full beam. While more horsepower would be no handicap, the 147's sharp handling and truly interactive driving feedback easily compensate.

Power steering hasn't hampered the feedback. While a slightly firmer feel would be appreciated for higher speed sweeping turns, it still feels meaty enough for quick road work.

Fat, 205/55 WR16 tyres imbue the car with confidence-inspiring grip, even when they become audible as 150bhp on tap is not enough to upset this nimble front-wheel-drive chassis.

Suspension remains pretty firm but now does a great job of handling road ruts without 'crashing' over them. The weakest link for the 2.0-litre 147 is the semi-automatic, clutchless, Selespeed gearbox.

Changing through the five speed box through either the floor mounted shift or via a couple of F1-style paddles behind the steering wheel is reasonably smooth - but you won't be doing it very quickly as there's a pronounced 'dip' in transmission take-up before electro-hydraulic actuators engage the next gear ratio. This could be frustrating to die-hard sports fans used to faster manual changes on cars.

How it Stacks Up
IThe 147 remains a desirable but idiosyncratic driver's car for those who appreciate Italian design aesthetics and the interior build quality feels and looks more Germanic than before. The engine note is addictive, but the Selespeed gearbox could be improved on to better suit that brilliant engine.

The less exotic and slightly less involving - though similarly priced Opel Astra Turbo - offers a six-speed manual box and 50bhp more performance for your money. That won't deter those hooked on Italian.

Technical Specifications

MODEL Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 Selespeed ENGINE Engine: 1,970cc 16v V6 Max Power: 150bhp @ 6,300rpm Max Torque: 181Nm @ 3,800rpm TRANSMISSION 5-speed semi-automatic TOP SPEED 208 kmh 0-100km/h 9.3s