The first impression

The MiTo was originally launched in South Africa in March 2008. It was fresh in its styling and a quirky alternative to its competitors, the Audi A1 and the MINI Cooper. I reviewed the manual Quadrifoglio Verde a year ago, which left me smitten and longing for a second rendezvous.

So with good reason I was happy to review a second MiTo, this time the Distinctive automatic model. This automatic is labelled TCT (Twin Clutch Transmission), put simply it’s a sporty double-clutch system. The MiTo is still an attractive car five years on. The lines are sexy and unique, versus the Audi A1 and the MINI Cooper. The A1 is a just petite version of the Audi cut and paste design principle, smart in a business suit kind of way. And the MINI Cooper is a retro-revolution the world has embraced, along with its heritage but now a common sight on our roads.

The MiTo is well built. Its frameless doors thud when closed and the interior materials have a quality feel. The dash has a carbon fibre look to it which adds to the overall uniqueness of the car, but the Audi A1 is the benchmark for quality of the competitive trio. The cabin has plenty of storage space and the seats offer good adjustment to suit all shapes and sizes (grande or bambino). The rear seats will accommodate two adults comfortably, where the MINI’s backseats are best for quick trips only. The MiTo has the best boot size of the three and you should easily store several dozen bottles of Grappa, but its sexy posterior does adversely affect the access to getting your Biscotti in and out of the boot.

This coupe is a driver’s car. The suspension is firm and offers good road-holding and a sporting nature. In day-to-day driving, the firmness of the suspension is a tad rigid, but considering the target market, I believe the car’s sporty drive will override the odd thud and bounce over our compromised road surfaces. The 100kW 1.4-litre Turbo engine is a cracker! It’s responsive to peddle input and free revving. The engine can become vocal over 4500 r/min though and the sound is not well insulated from the cabin. All MiTo’s come standard with a DNA system that allows adjustment to the driving character of the vehicle. D (Dynamic) brings out a sporting nature of the MiTo: Steering is tightened up, acceleration optimised and gear changes from the auto holds onto the cars rev band for great driving exhilaration.  N (Natural) loosens things up and the car becomes more sedate in its nature, the benefit is greater fuel efficiency. The A (All-Weather) is similar to the N but has greater sensitivity to slippery conditions like rain or black ice. With that said, this Twin Clutch Transmission lets the overall performance of the MiTo down. Having driven the manual version, you have better control of the engine and its rev band. The auto works best when you mimic ‘Driving Miss Daisy’, working best in the N mode. Slip the car into the D for Dynamic and the engine kicks off its granny loafers for a pair of sprinting shoes, the steering sharpens up and the auto box gets confused! It holds on to gears for too long and you end up having to intervene and play with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, encouraging upward shifts which take a few milliseconds too long to change to the next gear- especially considering your now in naughty play mode (Dynamic).

The facts

Pros

• It has distinctive styling
• It’s Italian which is just so Italian
• It has good handling characteristics
• A zesty engine, making it the quickest of the trio
• It’s safe, having seven airbags including one for your knees and a five star crash test rating

Cons

• The automatic gearbox
• It’s thirsty on fuel
• It’s the most expensive out of its competitors but best specced

The figures

The extra stuff

Service intervals for the Alfa Romeo MiTo are stationed at 30 000 km intervals, while a  5yr /150 000km warranty (three years on paintwork and five years on rust anti-perforation) as well as a 6yr / 90 000km service plan ensures peace of mind ownership.

All Alfa Romeo MiTo models are covered by the AA Fleetcare Roadside Assistance Plan for three years. The service is active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The verdict

Alfa owners are loyalist, they belong to a cult and for good reason they are special cars. They are not teutonic but rather individualistic. The Alfa MiTo is a good car, but when considering the competitive trio, MINI has an average CVT automatic leaving the A1 with the best gearbox of the three. The MiTo is the most individual car of the three but best as a manual.

Alfa Romeo SA website