Alfa Romeo MiTo

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Alfa Romeo Mito GTA (probably the only view you will get)

Alfa Romeo Mi.To rear view

Side view of the Mito

Disgiused interior of the Mito?

We are almost certain this is the Mito being tested in the snow, I love the grill!

An early design picture of the Mi.To

Frontal design scetch of the Mito

A CGI impression of the Duetto which is based on the same chassis

4/2/13

Well, the Mito has been with us for some time now and is just about to be updated. Over the life of the model so far we have seen the release of the Multi air and twin air versions and the addition of Alfa Romeo,s TCT transmission. Maximum power is up from 155 to 170 bhp in the cloverleaf but unfortunately, the car has not been fitted with the 1750 TBi engine. This may happen with the upcoming facelift. Over the last 5 years, the Mito has had the suspension and DNA settings tweaked to help reduce the slightly deadening effects of the electronic power steering. The cabin is exactly what you expect from an Alfa Romeo, it isn't a dark cave-like interior like some of its competitors it positively shouts that it is a stylish Italian car and build quality is comparable with its north European rivals.

Surprisingly one of the picks of the bunch is the tiny 875 twin air, in these days of austerity, its frugal appetite for fuel (around 50 MPG)and nimble handling go a long way to making up for the lack of outright power. The twin air engine is a peach and until you get used to its unique sound you will find yourself constantly on the rev limiter desperately trying to grab another gear as quickly as possible. Driving the car would be helped by moving the DNA button to somewhere where it is instantly at hand when you want it as it is a bit of a pain finding it down amongst the sweet wrappers!

2/10/2009

Yes, it's here, the Alfa Romeo MiTo is with us and we have been allowed to drive it and it is good, very good. I know we are bias being dedicated Alfisti but we are genuinely impressed that the MiTo does manage to deliver exactly what it promises on the tin, it is a genuine Alfa Romeo and it is not an Alfa Romeo we need to make any excuses for, it has a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating, it has vehicle dynamic control, it has seven airbags (two of which are multi-stage!), it has Anti-lock brakes with electronic power regulation to each wheel, it has a Q2 electronic limited-slip differential, it has, get this, emergency stop indication I bet your mate's Volvo hasn't got emergency stop indication and much, much more so for all safety-conscious motorists, it is a must-have. To add to the safety credentials it has got probably the best sorted small car chassis in the market, nothing much will outhandle this little baby so hopefully, you will not be testing any of the advanced safety features.

Initially the car came out with two 1.4 litre petrol engines one of which is turbocharged to produce 155bhp and a 1.6-litre diesel engine which produces 120bhp, this was soon followed by the GTA version with 230 BHP and a 185 bhp version is rumoured to be in the pipeline, this with a kerb weight of around 1200 kg will give the car a distinctly sporty feel. All of the new generation of engines are designed to maximise mid-range torque, this should help to emphasise the sportiness of the chassis while still making these some of the most efficient engines that Alfa Romeo has ever produced. All the new generation of engines are already Euro5 emissions compliant for the environmentally conscious out there and the diesel has a particulate filter to reduce the amount of soot in the exhaust. All the engines are mated to a six-speed gearbox and the gear selection is by cable to improve feel.

Alfa Romeo has also developed some chassis control technology, called DNA, the onboard computers change a number of parameters in order to change the way the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox, operate allowing three different forms of vehicle behaviour based on the driving style best suited to the situation or the customer's wishes: super sporting (Dynamic), town driving (Normal), maximum safety even in low grip conditions (All weather). The different options are all driver selectable from the centre console of the car and you are able to change the setting while on the move. The engineers at Alfa Romeo have also incorporated an auxiliary spring's in the shock absorber, these spring's do not contribute any more stiffness to the ride of the car while the car going straight ahead, however as you corner and the car roll's the secondary springs inside the shock absorber come into play and stiffens the car's ride, thus improving road holding.

JP

Specifications

Colours

185 Giulietta red
289 Alfa Red
601 Black
251 Biancospino White
507 Corsa Yellow
252 Gardenia White
612 Techno Grey
805 Etna Black
437 Blue
669 Graphite Grey

Related Links: Video footage of the Mito | Alfa Romeo Mito Servicing Prices | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Review | Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione | Alfa Romeo Duetto