Alfa Romeo 156 Crosswagon: First Look

Alfa Romeo will be joining the growing list of car manufacturers who are opting for a 'jack-of-all-trades' AWD crossover vehicle when it unveils the 156 Crosswagon at the 74th Geneva Motor Show.

The new Alfa Romeo crossover sits almost 60mm higher off the ground than the comparable 156 wagon, makes use of triple-differential 'Torsen C' system for its full-time AWD capability and has subtle styling cues to differentiate it from other Alfa models.

Even Australian automakers GM Holden and Ford Motor Co. have their own crossover vehicles in the form of the Adventra and Territory respectively, and in addition to Volvo, Audi Citroën and now Alfa Romeo, other marques are likely to follow.

The 156 Crosswagon is the first of a range of four wheel drive cars from Alfa Romeo, and is due to go on sale in Australia at the end of the 2004.

Designed by Alfa Romeo's Arese Style Centre, the Crosswagon resembles a 156 wagon, what with that distinctive nose section and grille, but achieves its all-terrain look thanks to special front and rear bumpers with aluminium inserts, aluminium door sills and roof racks.

All season 225/55 tyres with special compounds and tread patterns cover 17-inch alloy wheels, and while cater mainly for sealed road use, will dispatch snow, dirt and gravel as well.

In addition to the extra ground clearance giving the Alfa a more rugged appearance, it also improves approach and exit angles.

Together with a continuously variable torque distribution system, making use of three differentials (front, rear & centre) to modulate torque distribution between front and rear axles according to grip, the Crosswagon is a timely addition to the Italian marque's line-up, a line-up that pales in the face of some European car makers.

This also begs a question: In what is becoming - and what will continue to be - an increasingly crowded market segment, what does the Alfa 156 Crosswagon offer that the others don't?

According to the press release, the car will handle like a gem: "No other four wheel drive, implemented using electronic couplings, can offer the same optimum balance between oversteer, understeer and smoothness of response typical of the Crosswagon, that translates into great roadholding and active safety."

It sounds promising, and seeing as the AWD system favours transferring torque to the rear wheels, it could turn out to be one of nimble crossovers to hit the market.

Interestingly, with the admission that the Crosswagon is the first of a range of four wheel drive cars from Alfa Romeo, can we expect an AWD GT perhaps? HSV has demonstrated that its AWD transmission developed for the Adventra crossover wagon can be put to use in a high-performance 270kW coupe - perhaps Alfa can mate its Torsen C system to the Alfa GT for a similar result.

Alfa is listing it's 1.9-litre turbo diesel as the only engine option at this stage, but chances are the marque's spirited 184kW 3.2-litre GTA engine will make the cut at some stage.

The 1.9-litre, 16-valve JTD powerplant makes 110kW @ 4000rpm, which is above par for a sub 2.0-litre diesel, but it's the 305Nm @ 2000rpm which is the more impressive figure. The 1.9-litre, 4-cylinder oil burner is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox with sports ratios, in order to milk the torquey engine for all its worth.

It is feasible that by 2010, most major passenger vehicle manufacturers will have a crossover AWD wagon of some description - and some are even tipping there'll be exotic, high performance variants too. See HSV's Avalanche as an early example.

This emerging trend towards all wheel drive 'family-friendly' wagons has been sparked by the increased interest in 4WDs or SUVs in the last decade.

Moreover, things such as the safety benefits of AWD in the wet (rather than serious offroading) are also attributed to the market's acceptance of these crossovers, and the moderately higher ride height is seen by many buyers as a positive feature as well.

This and the fact they often weigh less than traditional large 4WDs, such as the Toyota Landcruiser and Nissan Patrol, and offer reduced fuel consumption, put them in good stead with buyers who would normally seek front or rear wheel drive sedans/wagons.

As it stands, the Alfa Romeo 156 Crosswagon is yet another example of this relatively new, but increasingly popular market segment, and if the Italian automaker can deliver on its promise of sporty and linear handling, as well as the medium-duty offroad capabilities expected of these AWD vehicles, it could be onto something special.