Alfa Romeo 159 2.4 JTD Ti (2007) CAR review

The Ti badge is back. Short for Turismo Internazionale, it’s name that’s been used on some of Alfas famous sporting models in the past and now it’s landed on a new version of Alfa’s 159 sports saloon as Alfa takes another swipe at the big German brands dominating the compact executive market.

So where does the Ti slot into the range?

Think of the Ti badge as Alfa’s answer to Audi’s sporty S-Line models and BMW’s M-Sport (but definitely not M) cars. It’s a trim option, not a full blown performance derivative, but it is the sportiest 159 you can get, there being no GTA version. M-Sport and S-Line cars often find homes with business users not allowed an enormous amount of freedom in their car choice but who still want to feel like they’ve got something a cut above your average rep mobile. The Ti costs £750 more than the current Lusso range topper.

So it’s just one model?

No, you can have the S-Line in either four-door saloon or five-door Sportwagen forms and with either a 185bhp 2.2-litre petrol (£23,400, 0-62mph in 8.8sec), 260bhp 3.2-litre V6 fuelled by the same stuff (£29,200, 7sec), or a 2.4-litre five pot JTD diesel with 210bhp that does 62mph in 8.2sec and costs £25,400. The Sportwagen body carries an £1100 premium in each case.

The small petrol is front-drive only, the V6 four-wheel drive only and the diesel can be had in either configuration. But bear in mind that the 159 isn’t a light car before ticking the box for those rear driveshafts on the diesel and adding an 60kg.