Alfa Romeo's stylishly good looking 159 will benefit from the addition of the Fiat Group's all-new 1.8 Di Turbo Jet petrol unit this year. According to Auto Cars 2011 sources, the first turbocharged (petrol) mid-size Alfa since the demise of the Tempra 155 Q4 back in the late 1990s, will make its world premiere at the Geneva Show this March. The new 1.8-liter gasoline unit that was first announced on the Lancia Delta combines direct injection and turbocharging for a total output of 200HP.
A more powerful version of the same engine delivering around 240HP will be used on the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA sport hatch, rumored -but not confirmed- to make its debut at the Geneva Show.
In the front-wheel drive Alfa 159 Sedan and Sportwagon, the 1.8 Di Turbo Jet will be hooked up to a 6-speed manual gearbox or to an optional 6-speed, sequential, automatic transmission from Aisin. Alfa's BMW 3-Series rival is currently offered with four petrol engines: 1.8-liter with 140HP (some European markets), 1.9-liter with 160HP, 2.2-liter with 185HP and the range-topping 3.2-liter V6 that delivers 265HP.
