Alfa Romeo 166

Alfa Romeo 166
Overview
Manufacturer	Alfa Romeo
Production	1998–2007
Assembly	Rivalta, Turin, Italy (1998–2002) Mirafiori, Turin, Italy
Designer	Walter de'Silva at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo
Body and chassis
Class	Executive car
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Related	Lancia Kappa Trumpchi Sedan Trumpchi GS5
Powertrain
Engine	2.0 L I4 petrol (Twin Spark) 2.0 L V6 t/c petrol 2.5 L V6 petrol 3.0 L V6 petrol 3.2 L V6 petrol 2.4 L I5 t/c diesel (JTD; LHD only)
Transmission	5-speed manual 6-speed manual 4-speed automatic (ZF 4HP20) 5-speed automatic (AW 50-5ECT-i)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,700 mm (106.3 in)
Length	4,720 mm (185.8 in)
Width	1,815 mm (71.5 in) 1,800 mm (70.9 in) (from 2003)
Height	1,416 mm (55.7 in)
Curb weight	1,420–1,550 kg (3,130–3,420 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Alfa Romeo 164

The Alfa Romeo 166 (Type 936) is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007. The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de Silva and was facelifted in 2003.

History

The 166 was the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 164, and although the 164 had styling which was far from orthodox, the 166 with its drooping headlamps and pointed nose still raised many eyebrows. The styling was very much in keeping with Alfa's corporate style of the time, which had begun with the smaller 156 model. Production began in late 1996 and model was available from 1998.

The car was initially available with a 2.0-litre Twin Spark (155 PS), a 2.5 V6 (190 PS), a 3.0 V6 (226 PS) or a V6 2.0 Turbo (205 PS) petrol engine.Diesel engines were an L5 2.4 10v common rail turbodiesel version with 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp), 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp) and 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) output, praised for its refinement. The TS model used a 5-speed manual gearbox, whilst the 2.5 and 3.0 had the option of a Sportronic automatic gearbox. The 3.0 V6, L5 2.4 and V6 Turbo were otherwise supplied with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Alfa Romeo 166 (1998)

The top models were named "Super" and included MOMO leather interior, 17" alloy wheels, rain sensitive wipers, cruise control, climate control and ICS (Integrated Control System) with colour screen. Options included xenon headlamps, GSM connectivity and satellite navigation. Suspension systems comprised double wishbones at the front and a multi-link setup for the rear.

The 166 underwent a substantial revamp in 2003. As well as upgrades to the chassis, interior, and the engine range, the styling was substantially altered. The new front end resembled the also recently revamped 156, and lost its famous drooping headlights. The 2.0 V6 Turbo model was dropped because of marketing problems, the V6 2.5 was re-rated at 188 PS (138 kW; 185 hp) and a 3.2 litre V6 (240 PS) was introduced. Both the new 3.2 litre and the 2.0 Twin Spark models now featured the six-speed manual gearbox, whilst the 3.0 model was retained but made available only in Sportronic form. In the diesel sector, the L5 2.4 was re-engineered with Multi-Jet technology which allows up to 5 injections per cycle, second stage common rail with maximum injection pressure of 1400 bar and 4 valves per cylinder to output a class leading 175 PS (129 kW; 173 hp).

Though the car's handling characteristics, engine range and elegant exterior design received praise from many, including Jeremy Clarkson, it did not become a strong seller to rival the dominant German brands in the European executive car sector.

The Alfa Romeo 166 was withdrawn from sale in RHD markets in October 2005. Sales of the 166 never grew as Alfa had hoped following the 2003 facelift, and the additional lack of a diesel engine in the UK, Australian, and Irish markets limited its reach into company car sectors, as the 2.4 JTD diesel engine was only optional on LHD market cars.

Production of the 166 stopped in 2007, and the platform was sold to the China-based automaker GAC Group. In total less than 100,000 units were made.

Engines

Model	Engine	Displacement	Power	Torque	Note
First generation of engines, pre-facelift
2.0 TS	I4	1,970 cc	114 kW (155 PS) at 6400 rpm	187 Nm (138 lbft) at 2800 rpm	Euro2
2.0 TB	V6	1,996 cc	150 kW (205 PS) at 6000 rpm	285 Nm (210 lbft) at 2500 rpm	Italian tax model
2.5 V6	V6	2,492 cc	140 kW (190 PS) at 6200 rpm	222 Nm (164 lbft) at 5000 rpm	Euro2
3.0 V6	V6	2,959 cc	166 kW (226 PS) at 6200 rpm	275 Nm (203 lbft) at 5000 rpm	Euro2
2.4 JTD	I5	2,387 cc	100 kW (136 PS) at 4000 rpm	304 Nm (224 lbft) at 2000 rpm
Second generation of engines, pre-facelift
2.0 TS	I4	1,970 cc	110 kW (150 PS) at 6300 rpm	181 Nm (133 lbft) at 3800 rpm	Euro3
2.5 V6	V6	2,492 cc	138 kW (188 PS) at 6300 rpm	221 Nm (163 lbft) at 5000 rpm	Euro3
3.0 V6	V6	2,959 cc	162 kW (220 PS) at 6300 rpm	265 Nm (195 lbft) at 5000 rpm	Euro3
2.4 JTD	I5	2,387 cc	103/110 kW (140/150 PS) at 4000 rpm	305 Nm (225 lbft) at 1800 rpm
Third generation of engines, post-facelift
2.0 TS	I4	1,970 cc	110 kW (150 PS) at 6400 rpm	181 Nm (133 lbft) at 3800 rpm
2.5 V6	V6	2,492 cc	138 kW (188 PS) at 6300 rpm	221 Nm (163 lbft) at 5000 rpm
3.0 V6	V6	2,959 cc	162 kW (220 PS) at 6300 rpm	265 Nm (195 lbft) at 5000 rpm
3.2 V6	V6	3,179 cc	177 kW (240 PS) at 6200 rpm	289 Nm (213 lbft) at 4800 rpm	Euro 4
2.4 JTD	I5	2,387 cc	103/110 kW (140/150 PS) at 4000 rpm	305 Nm (225 lbft) at 1800 rpm	(depend on model year)
2.4 JTDm	I5	2,387 cc	129/136 kW (175/185 PS) at 4000 rpm	385 Nm (284 lbft) at 2000 rpm	(depend on model year)

Alfa Romeo 169 still possible

The Alfa Romeo 169 (internal name "Progetto 941") is the purported name of the executive car/full-size car that is expected to be the replacement for the long running 166, which was discontinued in 2007. Originally planned to be launched in 2008, it has been continually pushed back due to a variety of problems.

At the launch of the Alfa Romeo MiTo on June 19, 2008, Alfa's CEO Luca De Meo revealed that while the Alfa Romeo 169 was definitely going to be made, development had to be pushed back a year while a suitable FR platform was sourced. This has failed to happen. The 169 was not present in Fiat Group Automobiles product plan for 2010–2014, despite the claims of Fiat and Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne, of Fiat S.p.A.'s aim to make Alfa Romeo a true full-line car maker. The 169 was again present in product plan for 2010-2014 presented by Fiat S.p.A. in 14 September 2011, now the start date as late 2014.

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Last updated on 5 April 2014 at 12:59.