u 14 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE JUNE 27, 2005 u Suppliers to the new Alfa Romeo 159 TRW Automotive supplies the Alfa Romeo 159’s standard electronic amount of acceleration to start on a slope without rolling backwards; is an option on the 2.2-liter JTS gasoline version of the 159. The stability control system, which automatically brakes individual wheels and brake assist, which automatically increases the pressure applied to Formula One-inspired transmission made its production debut in 1999 and adjusts throttle to prevent slides and spins. TRW’s stability control the brake pedal in the event of an emergency. Alfa Romeo relied upon in the 159’s predecessor, the 156. Selespeed can now be found in system also offers two additional features: hill-hold, a function that fellow Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli for one of the transmissions in the vehicles ranging from the Aston Martin DB9 luxury coupe to the Renault automatically keeps the brakes applied until the driver gives the right new lower-premium car. The Selespeed automated manual transmission Modus small minivan. – Alex Graham OIL MODULE FOR WATER HOSES: STABILITY CONTROL SENSOR BLOWERS FOR RECEIVER DRYER FRONT WIPER INFOTELEMATIC INTERIOR SUNROOF: FRONT SEAT DOOR MODULE: FASTENERS: ALL GLAZINGS 1.9L AND 2.4L DIESEL HUTCHINSON SYSTEM WITH HILL-HOLD AUTOMATIC CLIMATE FOR HVAC SYSTEM: SYSTEM: MIRRORS: WEBASTO FRAMES: INTIER A RAYMOND FOR SEDAN: ENGINES: FUNCTION: CONTROL: SYSTEM: BOSCH MAGNETI MARELLI MAGNA FAURECIA PILKINGTON MANN + HUMMEL TRW EBMPAPST TI AUTOMOTIVE DONNELLY REAR DOOR GLASS ON WAGON: TURBOCHARGERS: AGC AUTOMOTIVE BORGWARNER EUROPE GLOW PLUG: STEEL FOR SKIN: BERU ARCELOR 100% SHARE FOR BEARING REAR CALIPER WITH PACKAGE FOR 2.4-LITER INTEGRATED HAND BRAKE: DIESEL ENGINE: TRW FEDERAL-MOGUL GASOLINE DIRECT ULTRASONIC INJECTION: PARK ASSIST: BOSCH VALEO VALVE STEM SEALS: TIRES: FREUDENBERG, SKF PIRELLI CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS: SUSPENSION SPRINGS: ELRINGKLINGER MUBEA PISTON RINGS FOR SUSPENSION SYSTEM: DIESEL ENGINES: MAGNETI MARELLI FEDERAL-MOGUL, MAHLE PISTONS: BUSHES FOR VEHICLE MAHLE SUSPENSION: PAULSTRA FRONT LIGHTS: AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM: EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET TRW FOR 3.2-LITER GAS ENGINE: FREUDENBERG EXHAUST SYSTEM EGR SYSTEM: CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER: FOR GAS ENGINES: KOLBENSCHMIDT FTE EBERSPÄCHER PIERBURG TRANSMISSION SEALS: WINDOW LIFT SKF SWITCHES: Suppliers wanted METHODE If you are a supplier and have CRASH MANAGEMENT ELECTRONICS questions or want your information SYSTEM: TOWER considered for our cutaway features, SELESPEED AUTOMATED EXTERIOR ACCELERATOR TUNNEL DOOR PANELS: contact Alex Graham at FUEL FILTER: CRANKSHAFTS: MANUAL TRANSMISSION: FRONT CALIPER: MIRRORS: DOOR CHECK: PEDAL MODULE: INSULATION: JOHNSON [email protected] UFI FILTERS THYSSENKRUPP MAGNETI MARELLI CONTINENTAL TEVES FICOSA EDSCHA HELLA CARCOUSTICS CONTROLS Reliability crucial to Alfa 159 marketing Carmaker will give Rise and fall Key facts 3 years maintenance Production of the Alfa 156 slumped badly on 3-series rival toward the end of the car’s life cycle. LUCA CIFERRI AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE Kalbfell: Alfa remains in red. MUNICH – Alfa Romeo is using reliability as a selling point for its new 159. The Italian carmaker will offer a Alfa will shrink three-year warranty plus three years of free maintenance on the car in a losses in 2005 bid to win lower-premium customers away from the top three sellers in the segment – the Audi A4, BMW 3 series MUNICH – Alfa Romeo CEO Karl- and Mercedes-Benz C class. Heinz Kalbfell said he wants to Source: ANFIA, company The three German rivals, all make the brand “financially more known for the quality and reliability Name: Alfa Romeo 159 solid.” He declined to be more of their cars, offer two-year war- Associates German Customer Code-name: 939 specific, but admitted that Alfa ranties. None of the Germans cur- Satisfaction Index Study. Launch: September 23 in France, Italy, Germany and Spain; October 7 in rest of con- will not break even this year. rently offers free maintenance. Alfa hopes its maintenance incen- tinental Europe; December UK and Ireland Kalbfell made the comments Alfa estimates the three years of tive will not only win it private Platform: Premium platform that was developed with Saab, which later withdrew during the press launch of the Alfa maintenance is worth E1,400 to the customers but also fleet buyers by Romeo 159 here. from the program. Alfa will use it also on the Brera coupe, debuting in November; on customer. European sales of the car reducing their ownership costs. Analyst Philippe Houchois of start in September. About 40 percent of lower-premium the 159 Sportwagon, coming in January 2006; and on the new Spider, planned for J.P. Morgan in London forecasts The maintenance incentive plus sales go to fleet buyers. next spring. Alfa could also use it for the Kamal SUV and the 166 replacement. that Alfa will shrink its operating the decision by Alfa to do its 159 Maserati could base an entry-level spider and the Kubang crossover on the loss to E100 million this year from press launch here, in BMW’s home Keep it fresh premium platform. E180 million in 2004. town and just 80km south of Audi The 159’s predecessor, the 156, Segment: lower premium The company last broke even in headquarters, were clear signals was successful in its first three full Main competitors: Audi A4 and BMW 3 series 2002. from Alfa that it wants to be a more years of production, but volume During the press event Kalbfell serious competitor in a segment tumbled to less than 50,000 units Price: E28,000-E40,000 (preliminary) reconfirmed Alfa’s goal to pro- dominated by the Germans. last year (See graphic). Investment: E900 million duce 300,000 units a year before The person behind the bold initia- The 156 slipped because Alfa was Plant: Pomigliano d’Arco, Naples, Italy the end of the decade. Last year, tives is Alfa Romeo CEO Karl-Heinz slow to replace the car, which was Production: 30,000 by the end of the year, over 110,000 in a full year Alfa made 162,166 cars, down Kalbfell, who joined the company in on the market eight years compared CO2: From 159g/km (1.9-liter diesel) to 270g/km (3.2-liter gasoline) 11.3 percent from 182,773 the pre- January after serving at BMW for with six years for the German Euro NCAP: not tested vious year. almost 30 years. brands. – Luca Ciferri He said he wants Alfa to be the Alfa also didn’t keep customers Italian alternative to the German interested in the 156 by continually brands in the lower-premium seg- introducing new options – something automatic transmission, supplied by gasoline engines. The technology, blocks come from General Motors’ ment. that the German brands do well. Aisin of Japan, and a Formula One- called JTS for Jet Thrust Stoichio- Australian subsidiary Holden. They Winning customers with quality “We want to keep the 159 volume inspired Selespeed automated man- metric, does more to improve the feature Alfa-specific alloy cylinder assurances might be difficult, stable at over 110,000 units a year as ual transmission early next year. car’s power and torque than to heads, including double hydraulic especially in Europe’s largest mar- long as possible by using an aggres- The sportier GTA version of the car reduce fuel consumption. variable camshafts. ket for new-car sales. sive product life cycle manage- arrives later. The 1.9-liter engine delivers Another way Alfa aims to vary its Alfa scored 25th out of 28 brands ment,” Kalbfell said. Alfa is the first carmaker to offer 190hp, the 2.2-liter 185hp and the 3.2- lineup is by offering four-wheel-drive in the 2004 J.D. Power and To do so Alfa will add a six-speed direct injection only on all of its liter V-6 260hp. These three engine versions of models like the 159. ANE.