Bose Sound System

The Bose Sound System, developed for Alfa Romeo by the American company that leads the acoustic Hi-Fi market, guarantees exceptional listening quality for all passengers in all travelling conditions. The Hi-Fi system has a power output of 570 Watts, an acoustic system with ten speakers and a subwoofer with a 6-channel digital amplifier (200 Watts) built into the luggage compartment, which reproduces the lowest frequencies.

The Bose Sound System produces the emotion of a live concert. Reproduction is realistic, with crystal clear high notes and full, rich low notes, and it refuses unnatural timbres that may seem attractive at first, but tend to tire the listener in the long run. The merit goes to the new arrangement of the tweeters, on the facia with a central diffuser. The latter lets the sound envelop all the occupants, giving the sensation that it is propagated into a much vaster environment, because the audio system was designed specifically for the passenger compartment, to guarantee perfect harmony between the technical characteristics of each one.

To achieve this result, the Bose engineers carefully selected the components of the stereo system, establishing the best position for the diffusers in relation to the listeners, helped by advanced design software.

A built-in signal processor automatically adjusts the bass notes so that they are perfect at any volume. This device is more sophisticated than a conventional volume control, and guarantees natural, top quality sound at all times. An active equalisation circuit automatically guarantees excellent electronic balance of all frequencies, great balance and clear tones over the entire audio range. Which means being able to enjoy impeccable musical reproduction in all driving conditions.

The clarity of the sound is also an effect of the active compressor circuits, thanks to which there is never any distortion, even at high volume. And it is the interaction between all these sophisticated components that produces the extraordinary sound effects that have been made famous by Bose all over the world.


Rain, dusk and parking sensors and built-in anti-theft protection

The equipment on the new model includes a number of significant technological devices that enhance life on board. For example, the rain sensor, which automatically activates the windscreen wipers at the first drops of rain; the dusk sensor which turns the headlights on when the car enters a tunnel; and the front and rear sensors that make parking easier, informing the driver with acoustic and graphic warnings (on the display) about the distance between the car and any obstacle. And finally, the Alfa 159 Sportwagon includes a sophisticated 'built-in protection system' that comprises the volumetric, anti-lift, anti-break-in, anti-theft Safe Lock device. It can mechanically disconnect the lock and the inside and outside handles of the doors, making it impossible to open them from inside, even if the window is broken.


Class-beating roadholding

The new Alfa 159 Sportwagon states that it is an Alfa Romeo through and through, by guaranteeing control and entertaining driving that admit no compromise. Travelling comfort and dynamic behaviour have always been hallmarks of Alfa Romeo cars, and they become real strengths on this model. To start with, the Alfa 159 Sportwagon has a very interesting suspension layout, the fruit of a new design that set extremely high standards of excellence: it has 'high' double wishbones at the front, and a multilink system at the rear. This means a greater capacity to absorb road roughness, more linearity and precision in response to the steering (the most direct of the standard saloons, with a small turning circle), superb roadholding, maximum stability in high speed manoeuvres and the agility of a true Alfa Romeo on narrow mixed routes. The solutions adopted and the advantages perceived immediately by the motorist are described in detail below.


Front suspension and steering

The new high wishbone layout adopted on the front suspension is the ideal solution to guarantee precise control of wheel movement, with a clearly defined steering axis. The architecture was borrowed from racing and endows the car with outstanding dynamic performance, and extremely sensitive, pinpoint steering. The high double wishbone was already used on the 156 and has been further improved on the new Alfa 159 Sportwagon.

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