IN recent times, most motoring traditionalists will have shed a tear or two over Alfa Romeo, not least its loyal supporters, the Alfisti. It is a brand with a wonderful heritage that was, towards the end of the last century, allowed to drop its values and integrity to become a Fiat off-shoot but with lost pride. Then the 156 appeared and the auto world welcomed the prospect of a renaissance, which shortly after was reinforced by the introduction of the 147. But inexorably, Alfa went on another wobbly, giving up more of its cuore sportivo (sporting heart) identity to Fiat, then diluting matters even more with a brief flirtation with General Motors. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and, following a massive clear-out of personnel and some back-to-basics strategising, Fiat Auto became a leaner and meaner operation, concentrating on its age-old expertise and refocusing its product line-ups, including that of Alfa Romeo. Enter MiTo, the dawn of a new age…
First, let us start with the name. MiTo stands for “designed in Milano, built in Torino”, but in Italian the word actually means a myth or legend, or when used as a colloquialism, “you’re great” – sei un mito! Whatever interpretation you use, MiTo is designed to half take over from the 147 as the entry-level Alfa. Slightly smaller than a 147, it will only be produced in three-door guise, with the upcoming, larger Milano becoming the “five-door half” replacement.
There is a clear evolution from the 147 in the MiTo’s styling, despite each being designed by a totally different person – Andreas Zapatinas did the 147, Manuel Diaz is responsible for the MiTo. The new car’s frontal aspect draws heavily on the 8C Competizione coupé (as will future Alfas), and the sculpted bonnet blends dramatically into the shield grille and “moustache” to help create what is arguably the best interpretation of the traditional visage – the “trefoil” – of any current production Alfa. Ah, but the lights… The headlamp design is contentious, having moved away from the “slit” shape we have come to expect. Their ovoid design does make the MiTo’s nose look a little pinched, the effect lessened by opting for bright metal surrounds: black, grey and body-colour frames are alternatives.
Front and rear wheelarches are pronounced and house characteristic 17-inch “telephone dial” alloys. The narrow glasshouse tapers towards the rear, with door windows being frameless. Round, LED tail-lights are Ferrari-esque and the surrounds match the fronts in terms of trim. The rear bumper includes a diffuser moulding line (wait for the MiTo GTA…), and twin exhausts exit from the left under a neat heat shield. The tailgate is fairly small and the loading height is high – 850 mm – but the boot holds a reasonable 224 dm³ of luggage under a stiff, removable cargo cover. A space-saver spare wheel lies under the boot board.
Inside, the facia incorporates the also-traditional Alfa cowled instruments (the benzina, acqua and giri x 1000 labelling are tastefully Italianate), but what is a surprise is the expanse of (exclusively processed) Competizione carbon fibre-look panels on the top of the facia and in the doors – such overt sportiness can be overdone, but MiTo just about manages to pull-off this effect. The glossy titanium grey plastic in the facia hangdown section, multi-function steering wheel and door panels is less successful, eliciting some negative comment about trim quality from a couple of testers – “lacks a premium feel” – although it is far from flimsy. A custom Blaupunkt radio/CD/MP3 audio system is standard, with Blue&Me, which provides connectivity to a wide range of supplementary entertainment and communication systems, available as a R3 200 option. Air-con operates through some neat flap vents. Where MiTo does score highly is comfort. The seats are superbly sculpted, and the driver’s chair is instantly comfortable, offering plenty of adjustment, including lumbar and cushion height, and near-perfect bolstering – the driving position is excellent. The rear seat is moulded for two, and there is a reasonable amount of head-, leg- and shoulder room. The rear cushion tips forward and the one-piece backrest folds down to create 816 dm³ of utility space. Leather upholstery is a R10 000 option, the look and feel of the hide on the test car was excellent.
Overall, then, to most of the editorial team, the MiTo appeared a little less impressive in the flesh than it did in pictures, but everyone wanted to drive it, and our pre-launch unit drew plenty of admiring attention from the general public. It may not fully represent the elegance of Alfas of old, but its looks are distinctive and stand out in any crowd. As the saying goes, a good design polarises opinion… On home soil, MiTo is offered with four 1,4-litre petrol engines and a 1,6-litre turbodiesel, but for now SA gets only the high-power turbo petrol. The four-cylinder twin-cam delivers 114 kW at 5 500 r/min, and 206 N.m of torque in normal mode, outputs that provide strong mid-range performance, but with a typically “dead” period below 2 000 r/min, and a slightly breathless top end once peak power revs have been passed. However, the MiTo has selective “dna” – d for dynamic, n for normal, and a for allweather – which are self-explanatory settings selected via a console toggle switch, and each alters the steering, throttle map, and traction control settings accordingly. On turbo models, the boost pressure is increased, too, in this case realising a healthier 230 N.m at 3 000 r/min, and it is in this guise that the MiTo comes alive, becoming more alert and sharper reacting.
Included in the dna package is Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), which cannot be deactivated. The system incorporates Dynamic Steering Torque (DST) that complements the electric-assisted power steering by applying compensatory torque to the steering in specific situations such as the onset of oversteer, or if one driven wheel has less grip than the other. Also part of the set-up is Q2 electronic, a system that works on the brakes to simulate the effect of a limited-slip differential.
A slick-acting six-speed manual gearbox is standard, and helps propel the MiTo from standstill to the benchmark 100 km/h in 8,33 seconds, on to the kilometre marker in 29,31 seconds at a speed of 180,3 km/h and finally to a top speed of 210 km/h – figures that represent spirited performance in “sports hatch” terms. Fuel economy is a highlight, CAR’s fuel index working out at a thrifty 7,8 litres/100 km.
Dynamically, the MiTo has its good and bad points. The steering is high-geared, but the electric assistance counters this to provide some sharp and accurate response with minimal twirling and effort, although it is slightly dead around the straight-ahead. At odds with the car’s wieldy nature is the typically Alfa large turning circle, but parking was never a concern, helped by the MiTo’s compact size: just over four metres long and 1,7 metres wide.
Based on the competent Fiat Grande Punto platform, the MiTo’s MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension set-up offers a firm but compliant ride that is a revelation on smooth roads, each damper incorporating an internal rebound spring that acts during the extension stroke, working in conjunction with the spring to perform a supplementary anti-roll function. However, on coarser surfaces the ride becomes a tad harsh, perhaps due in part to the 215/45 tyres, which nevertheless do provide prodigious grip. All-disc ABS brakes provide strong, fade-free stopping performance. Seven airbags, including one for the driver’s knee, are fitted, along with self-aligning head restraints and anti-whiplash front seats. ISOFIX anchorages are fitted at the rear.
Test summary
When we heard the MiTo’s launch price – R228 500 – we immediately thought “expensive”, which it is if you look at it purely as an entry level hatchback. But look for direct rivals to the 1,4 Turbo and only three emerge, none of which seriously out-performs the MiTo, nor equals the Alfa’s service plan (see accompanying panel). For sure, to entice new customers and lure back enthusiasts who may have, sadly, lost the faith, the local sales, marketing and service operation needs to step up its game and promote Alfa Romeo in a manner worthy of a brand that, admittedly, has had its ups and downs, but has given the automotive world 100 years of passionate motoring. With its “back to roots” name, MiTo is the catalyst for a new beginning.
