2010 Alfa Romeo Mito Reviews

Graham Smith reviews the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Alfa Romeo Mito as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2009, 2010, 2011,2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Alfa Romeo MiTo as a used buy.

The car Alfa Romeo needs to drive its on-road presence is finally on sale. The launch of the semi-automated twin-clutch MiTo TCT models comes 18 months after the manual's launch. That's a long time to wait for a car Alfa predicts will account for more than 70 per cent of sales."When we launched MiTo, the delay (on an auto) was going to be six months," Alfa's general manager Andrei Zaitev wryly recalls.  "But it's here now and we think it's a major advance in the product and in transmission technology."The other major advance is the Euro V-compliant MultiAir engine. Fiat is following the VW Group's "smaller but smarter" engine strategy and this 1.4-litre unit uses only 5.5 litres every 100km while keeping the sound and sensations Alfa owners traditionally value in a car.VALUEThe Alfa's well kitted out on the spec sheet. The base TCT rolls on 17-inch alloys with cruise control, fog lights, Bluetooth and a decent audio system. It's $31,990, which puts it up against the likes of the Mini Cooper and Audi A1.Spend another $3000 and the TCT Sport adds auto wipers, rear parking sensors and a carbon-fibre finish to the dashboard. And red brake calipers, which obviously help you to stop faster.TECHNOLOGYThe twin-clutch transmission and Multi-Air engines are the standouts. The transmission is a dry-clutch unit that Alfa Romeo Spokesman Edward Rowe says was designed to deal with up to seven gears, 350Nm and four-wheel drive demands to suit the other arms of the Fiat empire.In the MiTo's case there's six cogs and three program maps for the automatic mode. Dynamic is the most responsive of the three and tries to adjust its shift points to your driving style. Manual changes are made by either pushing the gear lever left and flicking it up and down or by using the wheel paddles.Alfa repeatedly pointed out the new transmission will operate just like a conventional automatic, right down to the creep on idle. The majority of the time drivers will leave it in one of the auto modes anyway.The TCT is matched in the MiTo with a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine that is every bit as hi-tech. It uses a stop-start function at the lights as part of a fuel-efficiency focus and an electro-hydraulic set of solenoids to operate inlet valve lift and duration.It's smart and it works, with puts out 99kW and 190-230Nm depending on which map you've got the transmission in.  Rowe says the same 1.4-litre engine is tuned to give 125kW in the range-topping MiTo QV.STYLEThe design is what sells Alfas and the looks of the latest MiTo haven't changed. That means its a stylish alternative for Mini shopper or those looking for a change from the baby Audis and BMWs.The three-door hatch is well built and the new transmission will have an undoubted appeal with women - a key target demographic. Alfa expects up to half its customers will be female because of the greater emphasis they place on style and individuality.  The interior is well executed with logical controls in the right places and the seats are comfortable places to spend a few hours.SAFETYThe MiTo has already earned its five stars and comes with the full airbag and software intervention suite, but it is the fact the hazard lights flash during emergency braking that is most impressive.  It's an increasingly common feature on European cars and the flashing lights certainly help grab other drivers' attention.THE MiTo is a five-star safety car, so no surprises on the airbag-ABS-stability control front.  But the seven airbags are boosted by an active head restraint that works to cut whiplash injuries. The MiTo also hits its hazard flashers during emergency braking, a system becoming more common on European cars.DRIVINGThe baby Alfa hustles along surprisingly well, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.2 seconds. The engine revs out to near the redline in dynamic mode and does it with enough growl and snarl to remind you you're driving an Italian car.It's not far off the benchmark VW Polo in this class, but is let down by suspension that is simply the weak link in a good package.  The hi-tech electronics and reasonable rubber are terrific, but the suspension struggled to keep the tyres in constant contact with the back roads of Sydney.The MiTo's torsion beam rear feels every undulation and feeds that back into the cabin. Potholes jar and big hits earn a shudder. So they should, the Alfisti will clamour, but it's an old-school approach to sporty suspension at a time when the modern set-ups on rival cars soak up some of the impact.That said, the Alfa still tracks true - even big hits don't throw the car off-line, just your seating position and if aural clamour matches your desire to go forwards, the Alfa will still deliver.VERDICTA head-turning alternative in the baby-car class that has the poise - and enough pace - to warrant Alfa's forecast of  252 sales next year.Alfa Romeo MiTO TCTPrice: from $31,990Engine: turbocharged 1.4-litre direct injection Outputs 99kW/230NmTransmission: twin-clutch automatic, front-wheel driveBody: Three-door hatchSuspension: MacPherson strut front; torsion beam rear.Warranty: three-years/100,000km

Alfa Romeo is relaunching its MiTo light car range with a revised four car lineup, featuring a twin clutch (manumatic) transmission on some and other technology as well as an equipment tweak.MiTo has been available here for some time but faces stiff competition from Mini and other brands.The MiTo TCT (Twin Clutch Transmission) is aimed at buyers wanting an auto as well as sporty performance and low emissions and fuel consumption. The best of both worlds.But the MiTo you'd expect to get TCT misses out - the high performance QV remains six speed manual only.  Go TCT and it means the least powerful 99kW engine in the MiTo's 1.4-litre, turbo four cylinder, petrol Multi-air engine range.Four versions of MiTo are now offered; 114kW manual MiTo at $29,990, 99kW MiTo TCT at $31,990, 99kW MiTo Sport TCT at $34,990 and 125kW MiTo QV in manual also at $34,990.Alfa says the three versions of MiTo's 1.4-litre Multi-air engine deliver comparable power and torque to other engines of greater capacity. Designed by Fiat, Multi-air technology also garners significantly better fuel economy.Multi-air engines don't have an inlet camshaft instead, a set of electro/hydraulic solenoid (pumps) operates the inlet valves, it is said, more efficiently than any variable cam timing system in existence.Opt for the TCT models and you also get auto stop/start function that further reduces emissions and fuel consumption to as low as 5.5-litres/100km particularly around town.The six-speed TCT system has adaptive shift patterns and is operated like a regular auto with PRND selected on a stick shift that also offers sequential change mode in a parallel Sport gate. Paddles are also provided on the steering wheel.Sport mode defaults back to auto if you fail to utilise the manual system.All three engines deliver strong torque at low engine speeds and pass Euro 4 or 5 emissions regulations. MiTo score a five star Euro crash rating.All four models score Blue&Me audio system, electronic key, aircon, wheel controls, cruise, pollen filter, electric power steering, trip computer and window tint. Wheels are alloy 17 or 18-inch with low profile rubber.All models are fitted with what Alfa calls DNA (for Dynamic, Normal and Allweather - a system that changes settings for the engine, steering, suspension and gear box.The MiTo Sport TCT is speced up to a similar level as the MiTo QV model - without the 125kW engine.MiTo has undeniable character and presence on the street thanks in part to its unusual face and the pert rear end accentuated by a bank of LEDs.It's just that the TCT transmission needed to be on the QV as well as the other models. Go figure.Alfa Romeo MiTo TCTEngine: 1.4-litre Turbo 4-cylinderPower: 99kWTorque: 190Nm/230Nm (Normal/Dynamic)Transmission: 6-speed Twin-Clutch autoWeight: 1170kg

IT'S nice to see the Italians back in town. Once upon a time streets were sprinkled with Fiats and Alfa Romeos. Lancias too.Back in the sixties, into the seventies and eighties there were Fiat 850s, Fiat 124 coupes, Alfa GTVs, Alfasuds and Alfettas roaming Australian roads. There followed a dearth of Italian product for a few seasons and many reasons.Things are looking brighter these days. Maybe there's not quite the range once enjoyed here but machines such as the Fiat 500 (especially the CC) and the Alfa Brera do brighten the streetscape, breaking up the monotony of all those German runarounds.There is more passion in the style of today's Italians over most Euro rivals; maybe the Italians are considered quirky and chancy in some quarters but they are rarely dull.Latest in the ranks is Alfa Romeo's MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde MulitAir, a very handsome three-door with a clever and spirited engine. As it should be.At just shy of $35,000 before on-road costs, the MiTo QV is not the cheapest of three-doors but is packed with a swag of comfort, convenience and safety features plus clever mechanicals. And it carries a good deal of style, heritage and sporting character; things hard to pin a dollar value on.This Mito's MultiAir motor is 2010 Engine of The Year, acknowledged for a clever variable valve timing system that helps the Alfa to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds while offering a reputed 6 litres per 100km on the combined cycle. There's also Start/Stop technology here, allowing the engine to turn itself off when stationary and idling, automatically restarting when the clutch pedal is depressed.And then there's the switch allowing a driver to choose between dynamic, normal and all-weather modes.  This changes the MiTo's dynamics by adjusting engine, steering, suspension and gearbox outputs. Most sporting.Inside and out the MiTo is covered in class. The interior sports a tidy array of switch gear and comforts with chrome and carbonfibre highlights. The exterior is a piece of auto art, with a sweet face and big shoulders separated by coupe-like profile, design cues taken from the striking Alfa 8C Competizione. It is a small car with a big presence, designed to scare the likes of VW Polos and such.The MiTo arrives with a five-star Euro NCAP rating, seven airbags and hazard lights which fire automatically under emergency braking. Active safety includes ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution plus traction and stability programs to resolve any loss of grip, whether down to surface or driving issues.The MiTo QV is a feisty six-speeder, best driven in dynamic mode for extra turbo boost and more torque. It also stiffens up suspension, weights up the steering and everything happens that bit quicker and sharper.  Much more better (even if there's less ride suppleness through the potholes).The only supermini problem here is the cramped footwell for taller, big-booted drivers; these types may also find forward visibility a little restricted by the roofline and rear view mirror. But the nature of the little beast nipping at the heels of bigger machinery will always bring a smile. The 'normal' setting for engine and all feels a tad doughy after a run in 'dynamic'.The Alfa Romeo MiTo QV is hard to ignore. It adds a deal of ingenuity and excitement to this compact compact class. It mixes class with charisma; it has street presence. Maybe it is not cheap for a small car but it is never dull.

IF new cars sold only because of the way they look the Alfa Romeo MiTo would be a showroom champion.It competes in the baby-car class against a wide range of rivals, led by the Volkswagen Polo and upcoming Audi A1, with a distinctive style that shouts Italy and promises something special. The QV model of the MiTo also comes with a breakthrough Fiat 'Fire' engine that makes 125 kiloWatts with brilliant economy and emissions.But the numbers tell the story, as only 174 MiTo deliveries have been made in Australia during the first nine months of this year. That compares to 674 for the Peugeot 207 that leads the upper price bracket of the baby class, athought it is third behind the Fiat 500 on 265.The relatively slow sales rate explains a new two-model approach and the loss of the previous starter car, with only 88 kiloWatts.VALUE The MiTo is now priced from $29,990 or $34,990 for the loaded QV, although it's still possible to jump over $40,000 on the road with the $2500 leather cabin, $1950 glass sunroof, $1990 adaptive suspension and $790 metallic paint that are on the list of optional equipment.The change was made to boost the car's competitiveness and cashes-in some of the recent gains in the Australian exchange rate. But it still makes the MiTo more costly than the Volkswagen Golf, which is a class bigger and the real benchmark for European hot-ish hatches.And the spelling of its name? MiTo is a combination and contraction of Milan and Turin.TECHNOLOGYThe big brag for the Mito QV is the 'Fire' engine, which uses Fiat's multair technology to deliver plenty of kiloWatts but claimed economy of 6.0 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of just 139 grams/kilometre. It's all done with very carefully controlled air injection and variable valve timing, as well as a stop-start engine system.The QV is also available with adaptive damping, claimed as a first in the class, with three settings for different conditions and driver demands.DESIGNThe MiTo is a baby hatch that stands out in a crowd of cars like the Mazda2 and Honda Jazz, but still doesn't have the trendy pulling power of the Fiat 500. So it's a good looker but not an outright star. The shape is great - although not for rear vision - and the nose is one of the most distinctive since Alfa's own 147.Inside, the look is clean and modern, with dress-up kit including a carbon fibre look to the top of the dashboard. The seats are also well shaped, the dials are sporty and clear, and all the controls are easy to use.SAFETYThe MiTo is a five-star safety car, so no surprises on the airbag-ABS-stability control front. But the seven airbags are boosted by an active head restraint that works to cut whiplash injuries.The MiTo also hits its hazard flashers during emergency braking, a system becoming more common on European cars.DRIVING: Paul GoverThe MiTo is good but not great. And if you forget to trip the switch that takes the turbo engine to dynamic response then it can feel quite dowdy, although it's good for the 1.4's economy.The MiTo QV is comfortable and well equipped, good looking and nicely finished.But the whole time I'm driving the car I compare it with a Golf - even though it's a class bigger - and find the Italian car comes up short. It does better if you use the Polo as a rival but people who buy chic hot hatches are not usually buying just on price.The MiTo gets along very nicely with full power engaged, the gearbox is great, it has good brakes and the cornering balance is also good. But the ride suffers over sharp bumps, when the rear suspension gets all bouncy and unsettled.There is plenty of standard equipment, the trip computer is good and the sound system has plenty of punch.Yes, I like the look of the MiTo and the idea of an Alfa that combines go with green, but I cannot warm to the car.SHE SAYS: Alison WardThe whole time I was driving the MiTo I was thinking about the Mini, and I prefer the Mini.The MiTo looks great and it's comfy, but it doesn't have any zoom-zoom unless you push the special button. It goes nicely then but it should be the standard setting, not something you have to turn on. I know it makes the engine greener, but . . .I like the stop-start system to save fuel but I've seen that in other cars, including a Fiat.For me, the MiTo costs too much and is not special enough. Yes, there is a cheaper model but I can only go on the QV I got to drive.VERDICT: A great looker but not a standout in 2010Alfa Romeo MiTO QVPRICE: $39,440 as tested (sunroof, leather)ENGINE: 1.4-litre turbocharged four cylinderPOWER: 125kW/5500revsTORQUE: 230Nm/2250rpm (Normal),250Nm/2500rpm (Dynamic)ECONOMY: 6.0litres/100kmCO2 EMISSIONS: 139g/kmTRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, front-wheel driveBODY: Three-door hatchSEATS: FiveDIMENSIONS: Length 4063mm, Width 1720mm, Height 1446mm, Wheelbase 2511mmTRACKS: front/rear 1475mm/1469mmSTEERING: Electric power-assisted rack-and-pinionSUSPENSION: Front MacPherson struts, rear torsion beam axleFUEL TANK: 45 litresFUEL TYPE: UnleadedWEIGHT: 1145 kgSPARE TYRE: Space SaverBRAKES: ABS four-wheel discsWHEELS: 17x7 alloyTYRES: 215x45SAFETY: Front-side-head-knee airbags, ABS, stability control, active head restraints, emergency brake lights

In its 100th year, Alfa Romeo has revived the once famous Quadrifoglio Verde badge (four leaf clover comes closest in English - or just QV) and slapped it on its MiTo super-mini.That's a nice acknowledgement of history from a marque whose "sporting heart'' reputation has from too long been the stuff of the past rather than the present. The fun but flawed MiTo is a case in point, but the new version in the re-priced line-up points to a promising immediate future for Alfa, not so much because of the badge, but what lurks beneath the bonnet.VALUEThe QV is $34,990, nearly $3000 less than the now deleted MiTo Sport. The entry model kicks off from $29,990.  While that's done mainly to make room for a forthcoming 135bhp MiTo, the first fitted with the Fiat groups's TCT twin-clutch automated transmission), it means that in the QV you get a more powerful car than the Sport for less money.The QV gets dual-zone aircon, lumbar control in the front seats, adjustable headlights and automatic windscreen wipers. Wing mirrors, headlights and tail-light surrounds have a titanium finish, the inside is faux-carbon fibre. The parking sensor is crucial.  The question of value hinges on the store you set by that badge and whether you're up with the idea of a premium small car.TECHNOLOGYUsing a combination of turbo induction and precise electro-hydraulic valvetrain control, the QV's 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine packs 125kW and 250Nm for a 7.5 second 0-100km/h time.  But maximum output is conditional on the DNA switch being in Dynamic mode. In Normal, it manages 230Nm, though it hardly feel it. There's also an all-weather mode which might be useful in an alpine blizzard.So why bother with a switchable system to control suspension and output at all? Because the all-important (in terms of Europe's tax regime) consumption and emission figures _ 6L of premium unleaded per 100km and 139g Co2 per km _ are achieved in Normal.  Cute, yet somehow irritating, unlike the Q2 electronic differential, a boon on a powerful front wheel drive car.DESIGNEvoking Alfa's 8C supercar - which we don't get here - in a Mini Cooper S competitor either beguiles you or it doesn't. If the look's a bit try-hard, the language is at least Alfa's own. You know what it is when you see it and that's no little thing.It's other little things, however, that grate. To too great an extent the cabin plastics suggest plebian Fiat rather than patrician Alfa. Fit and finish don't inspire confidence as to the long term.The driving position is almost a reversion to the dreaded short-legs-long-arms Alfa default of old. All-round visions is hardly a priority with this design, but you'll need to be hyper-vigilant about traffic in your rear-three quarters. And while we don't expect an especially useful boot, why is the lip so high?SAFETYAll MiTos have a five star NCAP crash safety rating, seven airbags, double pre-tensioners on the front seatbelts, anti-whiplash front seats with self-aligning headrests and seat belt reminder alarm. The active measures include  Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with hill holder, traction control, assisted braking and Q2.DRIVINGThe DNA selector is undoubtedly clever - a budget version of the Ferrari's manettino switch - but unless you're entire driving life is spent in supermarket car parks, your first act on the turning the ignition key will be to flip the switch into Dynamic.  Do it on the run with the go pedal pressed and the QV surges forward as though stung.Even in traffic Normal feels chloroformed by comparison. Dynamic imbues the engine with a rorty note, missing from recent petrol engine Alfas, that encourages you to press on. Q2 abets tight cornering almost seamlessly, partially transferring torque to the outside wheel, not only reducing understeer but almost hauling you around the bend. It's seems more focused and more rewarding then the old Sport, the steering livelier and the six-speed manual shift more purposeful in is action.Of course the QV requires a near-perfect surface to display it's talent and the rear and front ends don't always seem to be on speaking terms. Nor will you and rear seat passengers after a bout of rough roads.VERDICTThe best MiTo to date with an engine to die for. ALFA ROMEO MiTO QVPrice: from $29,990Engine: 1.4-litre turbo petrol; 125kW/250NmTransmission: 6-speed manual; (twin clutch coming)Thirst: 6L/100km (claimed)

Barbie is, arguably, the world's most beautiful woman and has since the 1960s been the perfect women for men who have disproportionate ideals and have an unhealthy interest in plastic. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is, arguably, the world's most beautiful car. It is the sum of its parts that, like Barbie, combine to make something quite extraordinary.Naturally, a carmaker who builds a $300,000-plus car like the 8C wants to capitalise on its beauty - and its expense - by translating the appeal into its cheaper line of models. Albeit in the case of the Alfa Romeo Mito, prices are from $31,490.The problem is that Alfa has taken the best bits of the gorgeous 8C and stuck them on a rather nose-heavy, short-tailed love-me or hate-me three-door hatchback that has overtones of the Daewoo Lanos. They call it the Mito. It carries with it the 8C's teardrop headlights, roundel tail lights, ‘exclamation mark’ grille and the pretty, spidery alloy wheels… which, attached to the 8C, define the car as something special.Applying these parts to the Mito - Alfa's ‘cheap’ car line - results in the automotive equivalent of Mr Potato Head. Like transplanting Barbie's legs, arm and face on Miss Piggy. But, at least, you won't miss the Mito in your rear vision mirror.This is my second run in a Mito. The first time wasn't enjoyable. The driving position felt unusual, the engine needed a lot of coaxing and there wasn't much pragmatism to the hatch to align with the emotion.Maybe it's osteoporosis or a few collapsed discs in the spine or weary muscles that control my posture, but the Mito seemed to fit me better this time around.The shape of the car eventually grows on you. There's not much room in the rear seats and the two-door arrangement makes getting into and out of the back an awkward exercise. The boot is narrow and short and the spare wheel is a space-saver. But if you're not carrying people in the back, the rear seats fold down and with your eyes squinted, it becomes a neat little two-seater coupe.It has all the right safety gear and is children friendly with ISO-certified seatbelt anchors and little storage spaces in the back. The doors are long and wide and make entry easy for the front occupants, though park too close alongside another car and you'll be in for a tight squeeze.Italians are enthusiastic masters of design but the stars in their eyes cloud some practicalities. The Mito isn't the worst example of dashboard design gone mad, but then again it is streets away from Audi. It takes time to become familiar with the placement of the switches and possibly a new set of spectacles to clearly see the red numerals.That seating position places the steering wheel quite high and the height adjustment is over a small arc. There is no telescopic adjustment- which can force you to get close to the steering wheel because the floor pedals are so far away - but the driver's seat will go up and down. The rear window is tiny and the relatively long nose invisibly curves off into the distance, so familiarisation is also needed to preserve the panel work when parking.But, though at this stage you’re thinking this is the most illogical, expensive and cautiously-constructed small car to reach Australia, you turn over the engine. The 1.4-litre engine remains, but the Sport model had a lot more verve thanks to a ‘dynamic’ switch at the base of the gearlever. So it went better, too.It may be small but the 1.4-litre is willing and carries its exhaust note like a triumphant battle cry. Well, that's probably a bit too enthused. I mean that if you turn the three-mode engine management switch to dynamic, the engine's turbocharger will turn the Mito into an Alfa.It becomes so beautifully sensitive to the accelerator pedal that it can be placed perfectly into a corner and made to slingshot out. Its responsiveness encourages much flaying of the gearlever to arouse the six cogs and promotes last-second pounding of the superb brakes.The Mito becomes an Alfa in spirit. Its only downfall is the over-power assisted electric steering system that gives no road feel.Keep the engine management switch in normal and you may as well drive a Daewoo Lanos. Clearly made to maximise economy, it places electronic hands around the Mito's neck and squeezes, shutting out all sense of life. It stops being an Alfa.There's the third switch which is for snow. Because it doesn't snow much in my street, I didn't turn it on. Also, I didn't turn it on because this switch position was lower than normal. If normal was so lethargic, I feared what retardation would be on hand if I chose the third option.Unless you're new to cars, history records that Alfas are emotional purchases and may or may not have a wonderful record for durability. I've driven Alfas on and off for nigh on 40 years and they appear to be getting a lot better. We're coming off a low base, but they are improving.They're made for people who are like the car - enthusiastic, passionate, individual, mechanically competent but without a certificate, perhaps even a bit unhinged, in the nicest sense of the word. And, just sometimes, beautiful.