Alfa Romeo 169 to use Chrysler 300C platform

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By Brett Davis | December 15th, 2010

According to the latest reports, Alfa Romeo is working on a 166 replacement to be called the Alfa Romeo 169. This will be the largest Alfa Romeo on offer and could use the upcoming 2012 Chrysler 300C platform.

Fiat and Chrysler ties are getting stronger and stronger as both companies try to build their brands. A new large luxury car might be just the thing for the Italian marque.

No official details have been released yet, but speculators say it will offer design elements also seen on the Alfa Romeo Mito and the Guilietta, as well as the stunning 8C Competizione. All that on a 300C platform is certainly something we’d like to see.

German publication auto moto und sport also says the new model will get a brand-new 3.0-litre V8 engine outputting as much as 300kW of power. Using just 3.0-litres to generate that much power means the engine is likely to be a screamer, or it might introduce a first for the Italian brand and offer turbocharging on a large petrol engine.

General proportions and size of the new 169 are said to be around the same as the 2012 300C counterpart, which means it could be the largest Alfa Romeo ever offered. The 169 would also be rear-wheel drive unlike most modern-day Alfas – except the 8C supercar.

These are all just rumours at this stage though, so we’ll be sure to bring you more concrete details on the new 169 as soon as they become available.

Car Fanatic

As unreliable as Alfa’s are, they are always nice looking cars. But that Alfa in the picture is bloody ugly. Nice if they can get 300kw from a 3.0 though.

mlosuno

That Alfa might not be the prettiest one, but that is because it’s old and dated now compared to Alfa’s new offerings. They don’t make the 166 anymore, which is why they are replacing it.
peter

12 years alfa ownership. not one breakdown.

case closed!

Chuck

14 years of Alfa ownership. 2 engine replacements, one gearbox replacement, constant problems with oil levels, steering rack issue and the interior is falling apart, more breakdowns than I can even care to remember (problems across two vehicles, both the 159)

That said, I love Alfa to death and no matter how many more issues there are to come I will still, always, buy Alfa.

JR

Chuck your crazy !
JGP

Chuck your post implies that you have experienced all these problems on 2 159s over 14 years. The 159 has only been around since 2005 and is generally known to be rock solid. Do you mean the old Alfetta type 159?

Francis

Fourteen years with only two engine replacements on a pair of tipo 159 Alfettas suggests an average driving distance of approximately 143km per year. Remember the t159 was a _racing_ car.

But I’ve been around Alfas all my life and my observation is that the ones that suffer problems are victims of poor maintenance and/or reckless driving (mostly not letting to engine warm up before fanging it, or worse, never letting the car’s hair down at all).

Igomi Watabi

Ugly nose aside, the 166 is about as beautiful sedan as you will see (see Clarkson’s writing on it), so hopefully the rumoured 169 won’t have the ungainly proportions of the unlovely 300C

Marcoz

+1…Great show, love it but i always take what they say with a grain of salt…….

Igomi Watabi

Sorry?

Shak

It seems like a very optimistic rumour. A large RWD Sedan pumping out 300kw from 3.0 liter seems like a wishlist rather than concrete plans.
Car Fanatic

Well it won’t be naturally aspirated to obtain those figures.

Eric

Why???

Mazda’s 1.3 is a 170Kw

Audi is get 240kw from there 3.0

Nick

Mazda’s 1.3 is a Wankel rotary engine. No one else has anything to do with them anymore. Like Car Fanatic said, it will have to be turbocharged / supercharged / both to achieve 300kw. Even BMW can only get about 250kw from their 3.0 six.
Shak

BTW, the Audi 3.0 you mention is Supercharged in all its applications.

Elitist

The only ppl who harp on about Alfa Romeo realiablility are the same ones who never owned one.

Sharing parts from the 300C I would say were unforgivable but then we must remember its chassis was designed by Daimler.
Car Fanatic

Yes Elitist, I have never owned one, but four of my friends have and they all had nothing but trouble. Probably why I never bought one.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Jim Goose senior

I’ll take the 159 any day. The 166,especially at the front,looks pitiful. Alfa should never do luxury or big-it just isn’t their forte. Sporty,compact and stylish is what always sold their cars and that should be their main focus.
bangel

Alfa have talked about a RWD configuration for years , to take them back to the glory days 50/60′s .

I dont see how crappy yanky platforms are going to achieve this , the motor sounds like a beauty though .
DDH

the 166 was a great car back in 2000, it always had the 3.0 never getting the 3.2 but jeez it sounded good! 80k asking price now they’re worth about 10 grand! But Clarkson was right about this one – and it will undoubtedly be true of the 169 it is kind of weird to buy one over the competition as it probably wont be as good a car. Might not be as cramped as the 166 if it shares the new 300c platform – and it will still be cooler than the competition.
Alfisti

Given we have the Mito compact, the new Giulietta replaced the 147 and the Giullia will replace the 159 next year, it seems extremely unlikely that the big Alfa will have any kind of a number as a name! Come on, who just makes up these things?
Johnno

I douam certain this car will never come to fruition. The CEO of fiat Sergio MArchonne, outlined his 5 year plan for ALFA back in April and there was no talk of a 166 replacement whatsoever. There were 2 SUV’s (one mide size and one large for the American market), a new spider and a 159 replacement. There was however confirmation of bringing Maserati “down” into M3 territory. This may be where the 3 litre V8 300KW rumours are coming from.
Car Fanatic

Lucky you Peter, but the proof is in the pudding, at least in the UK where warranty direct release annual reliability indices.

Of thirty two car manufacturers, Warranty Direct reported Land Rover as the most claimed manufacturer, second was Alfa Romeo. Making these two brands the least reliable based on warrantable fact.

The five most reliable in this order were, Honda Subaru, Mitsubishi, Lexus/Toyota, Mazda.

Nissan was next. All Japanese cars. The highest ranked European brand was SKODA.

Warranty Direct did note this though.

While undeniably more dependable, Japanese cars are not without their issues – Hondas suffer the highest percentage of air conditioning issues, with over 10% of cars affected, as well as the highest number of transmission woes at 15%.

Subarus suffer the highest failure rate for axle and suspension issues, with 50% of cars suffering, and generate more brake problems than any other make, with just under 17% of cars reporting a problem.