2003 Alfa Romeo 166 2.0L TS 6MT FWD (150 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Alfa Romeo introduced its flagship model, the 166, in 1998, and five years later, the Italian automaker enhanced it with the facelifted model, solving most of the car’s issues.

Strangely, Italians were good at designing vehicles, but the 1998 Alfa Romeo 166 was not exactly a sought-after car. One of its main issues was with the front fascia, which featured ridiculously small headlights compared to the vehicle’s size. In addition, its engines were not exactly what the brand’s fans expected. But with the facelifted version, the fans got what they wanted.

The most significant aesthetic change was at the front fascia, where the Italian automaker installed taller headlights. In addition, it redesigned the hood and moved the specific “Alfa shield” into the lower area of the front fascia, and it was bigger. In addition, the lower bumper featured the “tri-lobo” design element that combined the main triangular-shaped grille with the lower horizontal lobes of the automaker’s design language. At the back, the rear fascia remained virtually unchanged, at least in terms of shape.

Inside, the main upgrade was for the center stack. This received aluminum trims and a new infotainment center for vehicles fitted with that. But Alfa knew that its fans wanted high-bolstered seats and felt obliged to provide them. Even the rear bench was profiled for two passengers with almost no place for a third, middle occupant.

Under the hood, the Italian automaker narrowed the range of gasoline engines and expanded the turbo-diesel versions. It also cut a few versions and added others. In addition, the most potent Alfa Romeo 166 provided 240 PS (237 hp), 20 more than the non-facelifted version.