New Performance Diesel For Alfa 147
Published: 19th July 2003
The Alfa 147's remarkable new 1.9 litre twin overhead camshaft, four-valves-per-cylinder, multijet engine combines a robust power delivery of 140 bhp at 4000 rpm and an outstanding torque figure of 224 lb.ft at just 2000 rpm, with a reduction in noise levels of between 3 and 6 decibels according to rpm and running temperature, minimal fuel consumption, and low exhaust emissions.
Mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, the Alfa 147 1.9 JTD 16V will accelerate from 0-62 mph in 9.1 seconds and achieve a top speed of 129 mph, whilst returning an impressive 47.9 mpg over a combined cycle, and CO2 emissions of just 157 g/km.
Wholesale advances in turbocharging, noise reduction and refinement, allied to recent changes in company car tax assessment linking the amount paid to CO2 emissions, have caused a re-evaluation of diesel power among both business users and private buyers in the UK.
Whilst European sales of petrol engined cars in the lower-medium and medium sectors actually fell last year, diesel sales have grown rapidly from around 15% to nearly 25% in the past three years, with a projected rise to 28% for 2003. In Europe, one in three cars sold in 2002 was a diesel, a figure expected to rise to 50% of this market by 2007.
