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Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 Turbopetrol Veloce road test report

1.4 Turbopetrol Veloce

If you lust after a 186mph, £110,000 Alfa Romeo 8C supercar but can only afford a supermini, then Alfa’s new MiTo might just satiate your desires. The MiTo’s styling and interior is inspired by the 8C and it’s also genuinely fun to drive, but thankfully prices start at around £100,000 less.

Road Test Reports Says 4.5 star rating
A front-facing image of the Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 Turbopetrol Veloce

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TOM SAYS

Performance Performance - 5 stars

The MiTo is initially available with a choice of three 1.4-litre petrol engines, plus 1.3- and 1.6-litre diesels. I drove the 155bhp 1.4-litre Veloce range-topper on the basis that it’s the model most buyers will want, even if some have to settle for something a little less speedy than 0-62 in 8.0secs with a 134mph max. Put simply, this engine does not disappoint; its drive-by-wire throttle response is crisp, it pulls cleanly and strongly, the motor spins eagerly through all six gears right up to its 6,500rpm redline, and there’s a suitably crisp engine and exhaust note as accompaniment.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 4 stars

Small but powerful front-wheel drive hatchbacks used to be something of a handful, especially when accelerating hard out of a bend, in the wet. Thankfully, improved design and, in this case, Alfa’s clever ‘Electronic Q2’ system have greatly improved things. The MiTo’s wide track helps it grip particularly well in corners while the chassis and suspension cope well with bumps and speed, or both. The trade off here is that the MiTo’s ride can’t be accurately described as either comfy or relaxing, except when on the very smoothest of surfaces. I’m reluctant to write-off the supercar-inspired, switchable DNA driving program as a sales gimmick, but on my drive it made little difference.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 3 stars

Alfa Romeo, as you may know, is part of the Fiat group, and both Fiat and Alfa have striven hard in recent years to improve their less-than-perfect reputations in this field. Many of the MiTo’s components are derived from those on the latest Punto, and though the MiTo’s a different car, the Punto’s not faring badly. Poking around inside, and under bonnet and boot, there’s nothing obviously amiss, while the paintwork, quality of materials and general fit and finish are all well up to scratch.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

During development Alfa conducted over 500 crash tests on this model, so if it hadn’t collected its 5-star Euro NCAP award then there would have been much disappointment in Turin. Helping to boost the MiTo’s safety credentials, and in no particular order, are: seven airbags, active head restraints, ABS with EBD, VDC (Alfa’s ESP), ASR, CBC, DST, MCF, FPS, ECS, SBR, DSTS, TPMS, HBA and Hill Holder, plus the aforementioned DNA and Electronic Q2. Additionally, the LED hazard flashers activate automatically under heavy braking, and no, I haven’t made any of that up. Remote central locking with alarm and immobiliser is standard on all models.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 4 stars

Alfa is aiming the MiTo at cool, young, image-conscious buyers, so if you’re wondering if there’ll be a five-door version, or if there’s ample space for three in the rear, then the answer’s no. The point of the MiTo is to be in the front, where the curvy, 8C-influenced carbon- and aluminium-effect dash, instrumentation and centre console dominate. And the well-spec’d Veloce version I drove (c. £16,500’s worth, on the road) had black, perforated leather sports seats, so there’s the strong impression is that you’re in something much more macho than a Punto-sized supermini. And the boot’s an awful lot bigger than an 8C’s.

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 4 stars

Prices at launch start at £10,745 otr (95bhp 1.4 16v Turismo), rising to £14,745 for the 155bhp 1.4 Veloce model tested here. The combined consumption figure for this speedy 155bhp 1.4 is a decent 43.5mpg, although if running costs are paramount, or if you plan on racking up a high mileage, then the 1.3 JTD manages 62.8mpg with just 119g/km of CO2. So, as ever, it’s horses for courses, but the 155bhp 1.4 would be the one for me, and trust me, I’m neither cool, young nor image-conscious.

Submitted: 23/01/2009 10:43:40

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