2003 Alfa Romeo Kamal Review

A Future SUV in North Americas Sights?

Alfa has never produced a sport utility vehicle before. Whats pushing them to make one? Right now, its either peer pressure from rival manufacturers or just good old fashioned greed.
After all if performance-car-only brands like Porsche and Maserati can do it, whats limiting Alfa from jumping on the bandwagon?

Although the 2003 Geneva show is now well behind us, Alfas contribution to the SUV game is well worth a look, especially since the legendary brand should be the first of the Fiat flock to make its way to this side of the pond. Alfas very Italian twist on the sport utility genre is dubbed the Kamal, and if produced could be a serious player in the ever popular category.

Though it looks as if poised to make life difficult for the ML and X5, not to mention a dozen or so additional luxury SUVs, the concept seen on the Geneva display stand is smaller, a show car based off of the recently introduced 147. With compact size to its advantage, the Kamal would probably come out against Land Rovers Freelander and BMWs upcoming X3 if produced.

Alfa Romeo, lauded for its superb engines since time immemorial, cram the popular 3.2 liter V6 from the 147 GTA and 156 GTA into the Kamal, resulting in 250 horsepower - plenty enough to shoot the diminutive SUV forward faster than its current rivals.

Hooked up to the engine is Alfas own Selespeed 6-speed sequential gearbox. From there, the power is sent to all four wheels via an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system. It features a front, center and rear differential, maximizing traction in all weather conditions and at all speeds. The suspension, like most of todays high-end SUVs, is fully adjustable, raising and lowering according to speed and need. Alfa reports that its Kamal also handles better than most of its ilk, thanks to a well-developed double wishbone suspension system placed at all four corners.

Though the show car doesnt have a completed interior, it is promised to be creative, luxurious and comfortable. Judging from sketches, the production version will offer a full panoramic glass roof, making it for an airy interior. Quality is expected to be excellent, and there is said to be up to a 14 cubic foot cargo volume with a split tailgate for easy loading and unloading.

The real Kamal, or whatever Alfa Romeo finally calls it, is set to go on sale sometime in 2006, sporting the underpinnings of the next Alfa 166. It will, of course, include a host of alternative engines, as well as technologies not shown, and possibly not known to us at this time. With its arrival so far off into the future its probably best to leave things undefined. Perhaps by then, Alfa Romeo may even be available in the U.S. Now thats something to look forward too.