Alfa Romeo has ventured into the world of sporty
fuel-efficient
vehicles with its new MiTo which will challenge the Mini Cooper.
The two MiTo models available are a direct price rival to the two Mini Cooper
models. The base model MiTo will compete with the base Mini Cooper while
the MiTo Sport is up against the Mini Cooper S. Since its 2001 launch the
Mini has been highly successful and Alfa Romeo hope to steal some customers
with its own blend of fuel-efficient vehicle, stylish design and sports
handling.
Alfa Romeo have not produced a car as small as the MiTo to date and the
new fuel-efficient vehicle will sit below the current 147 in terms of size.
The MiTo shares its chassis with parent company Fiat's Grande Punto. Whereas
the Mini is based on a vehicle of the past, the MiTo is not but it is supposed
to be the spiritual successor to the Alfasud of the 70's and 80's. Its a
very pretty vehicle, combining classic Alfa Romeo design elements with hints
of Alfa's limited edition sports car, the 8C Competizione.
Half of Mini purchases are by females while the 30-45 age group are the
largest buyers of these fuel-efficient vehicles according to BMW. Alfa Romeo
are therefore also aiming the MiTo directly at these groups. Alfa Romeo's
current buyers are usually between 45-60 and male. By tapping into new demographics
with the MiTo, Alfa is hoping to double its global sales to around 300,000.
Therefore the success of the MiTo is hugely important to the company. It
will probably be their most important new model of the next 5 years. On
the subject of sales of the MiTo, Alfa Romeo said 'We anticipate 80 per
cent of MiTo buyers will be new to the Alfa brand, while female buyers are
expected to account for 12 per cent of MiTo sales compared with 1.5 per
cent for the brand overall currently.'
So, is the MiTo a good car? Lets take a closer look at the top model MiTo
Sport compared to the Mini Cooper S.
The MiTo Sport has a 1.4 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine producing
114kW. This is enough to get you from 0-60 mph in 8 seconds dead. Its a
good engine, revving to 6500 rpm and feels quite powerful and eager. The
Mini's 1.6 litre turbo is slightly more powerful at 128 kW and gets you
to 60 in 7.1 seconds but the Alfa engine certainly doesn't feel underpowered
and is good competition to the Mini. The Alfa is slightly more fuel-efficient
than the Mini, with fuel consumption figures of 6.5 litres/100km compared
to 6.9 litres/100km but its not a big difference and both are very fuel-efficient
vehicles. Its amazing that cars can be this economical yet still so fun
to drive and quick too. CO2 emissions are similarly lower from the Alfa
at only 149 g/km versus 169 g/km from the Mini. Currently only manual gearboxes
are available on the MiTo, but a dual clutch auto is expected soon.
The MiTo has an interesting feature called the 'DNA' switch. It allows drivers
to alter engine response, steering weight and stability control sensitivity.
Unsurprisingly the cars handling feels at its best when 'Dynamic' mode is
selected which offers the sharpest throttle response and weightiest steering.
The MiTo's steering is ok but not as accurate or reassuring as the Mini's.
Similarly the Mini's suspension is just that bit better too, although the
fuel-efficient MiTo is by no means bad to drive. Its a lot of fun on a twisty
road, has minimal body roll and grips really well around tight corners.
It drives excellently, its just that the Mini is exceptional in these areas.
Personalization has been an important feature in the appeal of the Mini,
but customization options on the MiTo are not as large. It'll be interesting
to see if this affects its popularity. Mini say that its unlikely two identical
Mini's would ever leave the plant in the same year given the vast range
of options. Alfa Romeo, however, will only be offering a choice of alloy
wheels, stickers, mirror colours, light surrounds, sunroof and leather seats.
In their defence, Alfa Romeo say they have a policy of offering a comprehensive
equipment list as standard on all their cars including base models.
Inside the MiTo Sport, the first thing you'll notice is the driving position
isn't perfect. The steering wheel adjustment doesn't allow it to go low
enough so the steering wheel feels a bit high. The interior of the fuel-efficient
vehicle is very stylish though with great looking trim, soft touch dash
and Italian instrument dials. You get dual zone climate control and the
optional leather seats look fantastic. Its all very pleasing to the eye.
The Mini's interior is definitely a lot simpler, though its also stylish
in its own unique way. There's a lot more legroom in the back of the MiTo,
but headroom is still tight as you'd expect from all
fuel-efficient
vehicles of this size.
Both the MiTo Sport and the Mini Cooper S add great safety to their fuel
efficiency. They both get a 5 star NCAP rating which is exceelent for such
small cars. The MiTo has a total of seven airbags, while the Mini has six.
Both of these sporty efficient cars also have stability control.
Overall then, the MiTo Sport is a very good car. It looks great inside and
out, drives well, is sporty yet fuel-efficient. Its up against tough competition
against the outstanding Mini Cooper S though and mechanically the Mini does
most things a little better. The result is a car thats a bit more rewarding
to drive. This doesn't mean you should buy the Mini over the MiTo though.
If driving dynamics are the most important thing to you then by all means
buy the go kart like Mini. A good part of the buying decision for these
type of vehicles though is based around emotion and fashion and if you love
the look of the pretty MiTo then go for it. You can't go wrong - both are
great sporty fuel-efficient vehicles.