Difference between revisions of "Alfa Romeo 147"

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{| border=1 align="right" cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 width=250  style="margin-left:3em; margin-bottom: 2em;"
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|colspan=2|[[Image:Alfa Romeo 147 black vl.jpg|250px|Alfa Romeo 147]]
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!colspan=2 style="color: white; background: darkred;"|Alfa Romeo 147
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|width="40%"|Manufacturer:||[[Alfa Romeo]]
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|Production:||[[2000]]–present
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|Body Styles:||[[FF layout|FF]] [[compact car|compact]] 3-door & 5-door [[hatchback]]
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|-
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|Predecessors:||[[Alfa Romeo 145|Alfa Romeo 145/156]]
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|Successors:||Still in production<br>[[Alfa Romeo 149]]
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|Competitors:||[[Audi A3]]<br>[[BMW 1-Series]]
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The '''Alfa Romeo 147''' is a [[compact car|compact]] automobile produced by the [[Italy|Italian]] manufacturer [[Alfa Romeo]] since [[2000]].
  
The '''Alfa Romeo 147''' was launched at the [[2000]] Turin Motorshow as a replacement for the aging 145 three-door and 146 five-door hatchbacks. It is a [[subcompact]], 3- or 5-door [[hatchback]] (the hatch counts as a door). It is about as large as a [[Honda Civic]] or the old [[Chevrolet Vega]]. It was based on the running gear of the larger 156 saloon and Sportwagon estate. It is available with 1.6- and 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engines and a 1.9-liter diesel engine. Competitors of the 147 include the [[BMW 1 Series]], the [[Audi A3]], and the [[Mercedes-Benz A-Class]]. All of those are German cars and none except one (the Audi A3 as of 2005) is sold in the US. The 147 is hampered by light (sensitive) steering, something that can magnify directional changes to dangerous levels at high speeds and can also make hitting apexes of inside corners during high-speed maneuvers difficult. Light steering does help during parking because there are less turns ''lock-to-lock'' (degrees of turning the steering wheel until it cannot be turned any longer), though. Another shortcoming would be the fact that it’s harder to move the gear selector lever in the 147 than in its rivals. Of course, German cars are known for being very quiet and that is where the Alfa holds a distinctive advantage because certain consumers prefer to hear an exhaust note at least under hard acceleration. Alfa Romeos are also known for having mellifluous-sounding exhausts and this car is no exception. Its seats, however, aren’t very supportive, although this is more of a problem noted by automotive journalists than European drivers on short stints. An aspect that is noticeable in the 147, however, and in Alfa Romeos in general is the un-intuitive arrangement of controls in front of the driver. In addition, the interior offers less space than its German rivals. The 147 was voted [[Car of the Year|European Car of the Year]] for 2001.
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Thr 147 was launched at the [[2000]] Turin Motorshow as a replacement for the aging [[Alfa Romeo 145|145 & 146]] hatchbacks, and is based on the running gear of the larger 156 saloon. It is available with 1.6- and 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engines and a 1.9-liter diesel engine. The 147 received considerable praise for its styling on launch, and is still considered to be one of the best-looking cars in its class. Its handling was also praised, in spite of criticism regarding the light (sensitive) steering, which makes some drivers feel less involved. However, light steering does help during parking manuevers. Other criticisms of the 147 included a cumbersome gearshift, unsupportive seats and the lack of interior space compared to its rivals. The car became well-known for its engine note, which is unusually mellifluous for a car of its class. <sup>[http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/roadtest/43974/alfa_romeo_147.html] [http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/roadtest/43974/2/verdict/alfa_romeo_147.html][http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/carreviews/review.aspx?model_id=1]</sup>  The 147 was also voted [[Car of the Year|European Car of the Year]] for 2001.
  
All 147s undercut their competitors in Europe and its possible competitors in the US on price, but they also have less prestige than them. This hurts the car’s resale value. Besides the driving characteristics mentioned above, there are other reasons for this, including the bad reputation Italian cars have for reliability and durability. The 147 is relatively free of such problems, though, because it is a base ''nameplate'' (model line), and because few people in Europe opt for the V-6-powered GTA. However, even though break downs are not a big problem for the 147, bugs are (e.g., warning lights unnecessarily coming on and engine oil being burned even in brand-new engines).
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The 147 suffers from poor resale value. One of the main reasons for this is the bad reputation Alfa Romeo and Italian marques in general have for reliability and durability, though the 147 has so far proven itself to be considerably more reliable than previous generations of Italian cars.  However, this is mostly because customers usually opt for manual transmissions and avoid the V-6 powered GTA. Nevertheless, even though major breakdowns are not a serious problem for the 147, smaller, mostly electronic faults are (e.g., warning lights unnecessarily coming on and engine oil being burned even in brand-new engines).<sup>[http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/usedcars_roadtest/50543/2/verdict/alfa_romeo_145146.html]</sup>
  
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The high-performance 147 GTA model was launched in [[2002]]. The GTA used a 3.2 V6 engine, produced 250bhp and could exceed 150mph; the use of the V6 engine being quite unique in a car of its size. Its competitors in Europe include the Audi A3 3.2 and the [[Renault Clio|Renault Sport Clio V-6]] (a car that pioneered the concept of the powerful [[V6]] hot hatch in [[2001]]). The GTA is lighter than both of these rivals, despite producing around the same level of power.
  
=== GTA ===
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The entire 147 range was revamped in [[2004]], with the exterior styling changed considerably to be more reminiscent of the new [[Alfa Romeo 159|159]] and [[Alfa Romeo Brera|Brera]] models.
  
http://www.langzeittest.de/alfa-romeo-147/intern/grafik/js-gta-cup-2.jpg
 
  
[[Alfa Romeo]] decided that 147 drivers should have a sportier alternative to the standard range, so in [[2002]] launched the 147 GTA ''trim level'' (option package). The GTA used a 3.2 V6 engine, produced 250bhp and could exceed 150mph. It is somewhat unique in that it has a medium-sized V-6 engine in such a small car. Its competitors in Europe include the Audi A3 3.2 and the [[Renault Clio|Renault Sport Clio V-6]]—a French car that pioneered the concept of a V-6 hot hatch with so much power in 2001. Ford used to offer the [[Ford Focus|Focus RS]] as a competitor, but only sold it from 2002 to 2003. However, if Alfa ever decides to re-enter the US market, the 147 GTA would have to contend with the [[Volkswagen Golf|Volkswagen Golf R32]] and the [[Acura RSX|Acura RSX Type-S]]. However, this actually highlights an opportunity for the 147, because the R32 is heavier and the RSX has less power. The GTA is also lighter than both the Audi A3 3.2 and the Renault in Europe. It is officially the fastest-ever 'hot hatch'.
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{{Alfa Romeo}}
 
 
[[Category:Alfa Romeo vehicles|147]]
 
 
 
==External links==
 
[http://everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=1681282 The Alfa Romeo 147, by an owner]
 

Revision as of 17:32, 22 February 2007

Alfa Romeo 147
Alfa Romeo 147
Manufacturer: Alfa Romeo
Production: 2000–present
Body Styles: FF compact 3-door & 5-door hatchback
Predecessors: Alfa Romeo 145/156
Successors: Still in production
Alfa Romeo 149
Competitors: Audi A3
BMW 1-Series

The Alfa Romeo 147 is a compact automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo since 2000.

Thr 147 was launched at the 2000 Turin Motorshow as a replacement for the aging 145 & 146 hatchbacks, and is based on the running gear of the larger 156 saloon. It is available with 1.6- and 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engines and a 1.9-liter diesel engine. The 147 received considerable praise for its styling on launch, and is still considered to be one of the best-looking cars in its class. Its handling was also praised, in spite of criticism regarding the light (sensitive) steering, which makes some drivers feel less involved. However, light steering does help during parking manuevers. Other criticisms of the 147 included a cumbersome gearshift, unsupportive seats and the lack of interior space compared to its rivals. The car became well-known for its engine note, which is unusually mellifluous for a car of its class. [1] [2][3] The 147 was also voted European Car of the Year for 2001.

The 147 suffers from poor resale value. One of the main reasons for this is the bad reputation Alfa Romeo and Italian marques in general have for reliability and durability, though the 147 has so far proven itself to be considerably more reliable than previous generations of Italian cars. However, this is mostly because customers usually opt for manual transmissions and avoid the V-6 powered GTA. Nevertheless, even though major breakdowns are not a serious problem for the 147, smaller, mostly electronic faults are (e.g., warning lights unnecessarily coming on and engine oil being burned even in brand-new engines).[4]

The high-performance 147 GTA model was launched in 2002. The GTA used a 3.2 V6 engine, produced 250bhp and could exceed 150mph; the use of the V6 engine being quite unique in a car of its size. Its competitors in Europe include the Audi A3 3.2 and the Renault Sport Clio V-6 (a car that pioneered the concept of the powerful V6 hot hatch in 2001). The GTA is lighter than both of these rivals, despite producing around the same level of power.

The entire 147 range was revamped in 2004, with the exterior styling changed considerably to be more reminiscent of the new 159 and Brera models.


Alfa Romeo S.P.A.
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