Road Test: Alfa Romeo GT: We pulled in at a Co Monaghan filling station in the alluring-looking Alfa GT coupé. A young lad of about 18 summers presented himself to do the honours but we knew his real interest was the car.
"Must be a real magnet for the babes," he remarked as he opened the filler cap. His non-pc remarks took us a bit aback and, in our spluttering indignation, we almost didn't notice that he was about to dispense petrol into the tank. Just in time, we screeched "diesel". His face took on a look of incredulity.
The GT does come with two petrol options, a 2.0 litre with 165bhp and a 240bhp 3.2V6. But we chose as the test steed Alfa Romeo's newly-developed 1.9 litre M-jet version developing 150bhp.
Significantly there's no D in the name: M is the letter, indicating Multijet and an increased or multiple number of injections. This is a second-generation common-rail diesel and, according to Alfa Romeo, it should deliver a top speed of 130mph and a 0-62mph (100kph) time of 9.6 seconds. Getting up to speed from zero is about a second slower than the 2.0 litre.
First though, some thought about the looks. The GT is low slung, sleek and pleasing from most angles. The new chrome grille is contemporary Alfa, although the deep flanks and shallow glass area don't quite give it the grace of many of the innovative coupé groundbreakers which litter Alfa history.
In profile and from behind, the shape is distinctive, the three-box outline suggesting a conventional boot opening. Instead the GT features a hatchback door which reveals a decent-sized 320-litre boot that's much more spacious than the 147 and just 60 litres less than the 156.
Stylish - dare we even say sexy - machines such as this with an upfront diesel, are still the exception, so it's no surprise that the Alfa engineers have done some notable refining work. It's most evident in the up-and-running mode with low noise and vibration levels. There's only the smallest hint of diesel clatter when the engine is ticking over: untrained ears probably wouldn't pick it up.
The engine is wonderfully flexible and smooth, with a power band from 1,500rpm to 4,500rpm that immediately becomes the operating range. Outright acceleration is strong enough not to embarrass the GT coupé's values, although the claimed 9.6 seconds to 62mph is half a second slower than the 147 junior sibling with the same engine and a slightly smaller 140bhp output. With the six-speed gearbox, the nine-plus seconds actually seem immaterial: the GT feels very quick. This willing and potent form is delivered with predictable Alfa brio.
Where the GT improves over its four-door siblings is in the dynamics. It's not radical but a 15 per cent improvement in torsional body rigidity and subtle changes to the suspension tuning reduce road and tyre noise, take some of the fidgetiness out of the ride and help handling. Aficionados of performance and handling would, no doubt, prefer the BMW 3-series for fluency but we think in handling balance they would still be impressed with the GT.
For the driver, apart from a new texture to the dashboard, revised instrument graphics and new console, the cockpit is pure 147: classy, sporting and well-equipped. Room in the back for tall passengers is limited and somewhat claustrophobic. Alfa's promotional material refers to "five-adult sized seats" but we prefer the notion that this car is for one or two, the second person being a desirable companion! It's a coupé after all.
Our biggest gripe is restricted rear vision. It's the sort of car that you would never trust in a reversing manoeuvre. The problem is the smallish rear glass area that's also set at a relatively high angle. Rear parking sensors are available but they are an extra.
That's not to say specification is in any way frugal, far from it. There are two levels, Lusso and Sportivo, the latter offering as standard items such as leather upholstery and trim and a Bose Hi-Fi system with a 10-disc player in the boot. Both come with cruise control and automatic climate control among the standard goodies.
Being diesel, this M-jet GT isn't that thirsty. We actually did two tests, one on a normal driving route with lots of open road and some motorway, and the other on twisty back roads. The normal route produced 39.25 mpg while vigorous driving with much gear-changing gave 29mpg. The official EU figures are 32.4mpg in the urban cycle, 52.3 mpg extra urban and 42.1mpg combined.
In Lusso form, the 1.9 M-jet retails at €38,495, Alfa's recommended on-the-road price here. The higher spec Sportivo comes in at €40,495, somewhat less than similarly-engined diesel competitors such as BMW's 320Cd coupé at €49,100 and Mercedes-Benz's C220 Sports Coupé at €43,555.
Petrol competitors for the GT, which begins at €38,995 in 2.0-litre form, must include the rotary-engined Mazda RX-8 with 192bhp at €40,940, Mercedes C200 Kompressor Sports Coupé at €39,115 and BMW 320Ci at €48,360.
The GT wears the magical Bertone name on its side - the styling house has long associations with the Alfa marque. This GT that Bertone created is a clever mix of 147 and 156 parts clothed in an (almost) bespoke body. In fact, front fenders are 147 GTA and the bonnet nearly, but not quite, identical to the 147. Under the body, steering column, climate control, pedal area and much of the dashboard are 147 derived, but the platform borrows the longer 2,596mm wheelbase of the 156, thus giving a roomier cabin.
For the record, the GT is built at Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples, alongside the 147. This plant was built by Alfa Romeo in its pre-Fiat days to produce the Alfasud.
The GT may induce hype, not to mention attention, but it's very much a niche model. Production isn't likely to exceed 25,000 a year.
In a nutshell then, the Alfa GT will attract attention and almost certainly the admirers will not be aware that it is an amalgam of 147 and 156 parts.
The high spot undoubtedly is the engine which is refined, flexible and eager and as good as a four-cylinder diesel can get. It offers good body control while the cabin is solid in feel and sporty in appearance. On the practicality test, it's brilliant for two occupants, not good for four and hopeless for five. Apart from more frugal fuel consumption, in diesel form the GT should have better residuals.
Meantime, back in a filling station in Co Monaghan, a young fellow has now realised just how exciting and glamorous diesel motoring can be these days.