The world has had its first glimpse of the Australian-made V6 engine that will be found in future Alfa Romeo models with the launch of the all-new Alfa Romeo 159 at the Geneva International Motor Show on 1st March, 2005.

The new 3.2 litre V6 engine is produced in an Alfa Romeo/General Motors joint venture programme in Melbourne, but the version used by Alfa Romeo is unique to the legendary Italian marque. It has been designed by Alfa Romeo engineers to ensure that it provides everything in terms of performance, sound and vitality that is expected of an Alfa Romeo engine.

To this end it uses the second-generation lean burn, direct fuel injection JTS system pioneered on the 2.0 litre JTS engine used in the Alfa Romeo 156. This enables the new engine to be 40 per cent more economical and produce 22 Nm more torque than the engine it replaces, along with a jump in power to 191 kW. Even compared to the out-going V6 engine, which is celebrated for its mid-range punch, the new engine, with 88 per cent of its torque available from 2,000 rpm, promises to set a new performance standard.

The Alfa Romeo/GM joint venture will provide Alfa Romeo with complete built up engines for installation in the Alfa Romeo range in Italy. The Alfa Romeo 159 will slot into the Alfa range above the 156 with a larger, new body and a range of engines that are bigger than the existing 156 engine range. The engine will also feature in the new Alfa Romeo Brera launched at the Geneva Show along with future, as yet unlaunched, Alfa Romeo models.

Full details of the new 3.2 litre JTS engine, along with Australian specifications and prices for the Alfa 159, will be available when the new model is launched in mid-2006.

2006 Alfa Romeo 159
debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show on 1st March 2005