Alfa Romeo MiTo

Alfa Romeo introduced the MiTo in 2008; it is a supermini that competes with the likes of Audi’s new A1 and the Mini. The little three door hatchback is front wheel drive, just like most of its competitors, resulting in an exciting and lively driving experience.

The name MiTo is an abbreviation of the cities Milano (Milan) and Torino (Turin), it was designed in Milan and was assembled in the Torino; the name is also a play on the Italian word “mito,” meaning “myth” or “legend.”

Like most new Alfa Romeos the MiTo comes with “Alfa DNA” which is a system that lets the driver choose between different drive settings; Dynamic, Normal, and All-Weather. The selected setting changes the behaviour of the engine, the braking, steering, suspension and gearbox. The MiTo also features a Q2 electronic differential on the front wheels, this system allows for faster and tighter cornering without any loss of traction.

The new MiTo in Guildford is available with a diesel or petrol engine, the petrol engine is fundamentally a 1.4 litre unit with different power output levels. The petrol unit also comes with the new MultiAir technology which responds more keenly and is cleaner than conventional engines. The diesel engine is available as either a 1.3 litre or a 1.6 litre, the bigger diesel is much livelier but equally lively, the smaller seems more refined and brisk.

Being a sporty supermini the MiTo tries to handle like a fully fledge sports car, the ride is quite firm and harsh but that hasn’t resulted to precise cornering, the MiTo’s cornering ability could be better. The Sportiest trim, the Cloverleaf has the best suspension set-up, it corners better and the ride is much more forgiving.