THE Alfa Romeo 156 has beaten the Volkswagen Golf and controversial Mercedes-Benz A-class to win the 1998 European Car of the Year award. The new four-door rival to the BMW 3-series goes on sale in Britain next February powered by a choice of 1.8, 2.0 and 2.5-litre petrol engines and a 2.4 turbo diesel with prices ranging from £17,000 to £21,500.