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Alfa Romeo stops 159 production Alfa Romeo stops 159 production

Alfa Romeo stops 159 production

Production of the Alfa Romeo 159 has officially come to a close.

Alfa Romeo started winding down 159 production when they stopped taking orders for it in the UK a few months ago. Now the automaker has announced that both the sedan and wagon versions of the 159 have been given the axe after a discreet six-year-long career.

The driving force behind the decision comes from Fiat, Alfa's parent company. The 159 was built in Fiat's Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy, plant and Fiat needs the production capacity for the third generation of the Panda that will be presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The 159 replaced the 156, the car that almost single-handedly turned Alfa around in the late 1990s. While the 156 was a huge hit for Alfa, the 159 has struggled to find buyers outside of Italy. Alfa tried to market it as a premium Audi-fighter and priced it accordingly, a formula that did not work.

Alfa has enough 159s in stock to allow last-minute customers who want a new 159s to order one, though the stock is expected to run out in a very short amount of time. The special orders are only available with the 136 horsepower 2.0 four-cylinder JTDm turbo diesel and in only two trim levels, Progressive and Super. Four exterior colors are available: pastel white, pastel black, gray and carbon black.

The car set to replace the 159 is called the Giulia but its launch has been pushed back several times over design issues, leaving Alfa dealers with only the MiTo and the Giulietta to sell.

When the Giulia finally bows, it will be available as both a wagon and as a sedan and in both front wheel drive and all wheel drive. The good news is that it is being developed with the U.S. market in mind and is expected to arrive stateside in about 2013.

Alfa Romeo stops 159 production Alfa Romeo stops 159 production