Alfa Romeo MiTo hatchback (2009 – ) expert review

The Alfa Romeo MiTo is only available as a three-door hatchback and takes its design cues from the admired Alfa 8C Competizione. The v-shaped bonnet, high waistline, flared wheelarches and LED lights certainly help it stand out from the crowd, and will get you more turned heads than its ubiquitous rival, the MINI or even the Audi A1.

The contoured carbon fibre-look dashboard pitches up to provide twin hoods over the speedo and rev counter, with red-on-black dials for the Turismo and Lusso models and white-on-black for Veloce. There are two more hoods over the air vents atop a satin-chrome centre console. The three spoke steering wheel has a quality feel and visibility is reasonable. The centre armrest on the Veloce model felt awkwardly-high during our week loan but this may be something which familiarity of ownership improves.

Naturally, looks take priority which means the hatch is created more for show than practicality, particularly when accessing the 270-litre-capacity boot. The cabin feels fairly spacious and there are two cupholders in the rear and one up front, as well as door card space for bottles.

Drivers can choose between three settings courtesy of a D.N.A. toggle switch below the central console, where D.N.A. represents Dynamic, Normal and All-weather driving modes. Quickest throttle response comes as expected in Dynamic mode. While not as precise as a MINI, the steering is quick . The ride was pretty jarring and speed bumps need to be approached with care. The MiTo does handle well and rewards enthusiastic driving more than runaround use.

There is a choice of three petrol engines and two diesel engines. The petrol engines comprise:

• 1.4 16V 95bhp, 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph

• 1.4 TB 120bhp Turbopetrol: 8.8 seconds and 123mph

• 1.4 TB 155bhp Turbopetrol: 8 seconds and 134mph.

While the diesels are:

• 1.3 JTDM 90bhp: 0-62mph in 11.8 and a top speed of  110mph

• 1.6JTDM 120bhp: 9.9 seconds and 123mph.

The fastest petrol, the 1.4 TB Turbopetrol offers 155bhp with impressive performance and soundtrack, one of the highlights of the car.

In descending levels of power the two diesels return 62.8mpg and 58.9mpg while the three petrol engines return 47.9mpg, 46.3mpg and 43.5mpg respectively. CO2 emissions in descending levels of power are 126g/km and 119g/km for the diesel models and 153g/km, 145g/km and 138g/km for the petrol models.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo is the Italian manufacturer’s first supermini in years and while Alfas do not have a class-leading reputation for reliability, we’ll have to wait and see how this model fares.

Impressive. Seven airbags, including driver’s knee airbag as standard, has helped the Alfa MiTo achieve a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating. Safety features designed to keep you out of trouble in the first place include Vehicle Dynamic Control, Alfa Romeo’s version of Electronic Stability Program, with traction control system Anti-Slip Regulation, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Steering Torque and Hydraulic Braking System with Hill-hold. It also has the Electronic Q2 limited slip differential.

The Alfa MiTo is available with three trim levels: Turismo, Lusso and Veloce. Standard features for Turismo include Vehicle Dynamic Control, Electronic Q2, Alfa Romeo D.N.A. seven airbags, trip computer, body-coloured bumpers and wing mirrors, CD/radio. Lusso adds 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, chrome exhaust pipes, kick plates, leather steering wheel and gear knob and audio controls on the steering wheel. Veloce adds 17-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers, satin effect wing mirrors, rear spoiler, front armrest with storage compartment, sports dials with white illumination and Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free system with voice recognition and media player with USB port.

It’s an Alfa Romeo, and more than that it’s a supermini Alfa, and as such is a great way to wear your petrolhead credentials.