Alfa Romeo Mito 1.4 TB (155bhp) Veloce CAR review

Judging by its bold front end styling, Alfa would certainly have us believe its new MiTo is the 8C’s little brother. And having one of the best-looking supercars in the family stable certainly won't harm the MiTo’s image. But has it got the dynamism and brio to take on the ubiquitous Mini? Time to head to Turin to find out.

I’m still not sure about that front-end treatment…

Nor are we. In much the same way that Jaguar made a pig’s ear of the X-Type by cramming every available XJ styling cue they could think of on a much smaller car, the MiTo’s son-of-8C hooter is going to seriously polarise opinion. For my money, both headlamps and foglamps are too far inboard, unfortunately emphasising verticality rather than width. I can’t help thinking of an Austin A40 whenever I see the car head on.

From other angles, though, the MiTo is a tidy piece of work, and the interior certainly offers the levels of quality and finish to take the fight to the Mini, which Alfa see as the car’s main rival. And that’s also why, though not on Mini scale, the MiTo offers a fairly high degree of personalisation potential through assorted dashboard and upholstery finishes (the soft touch carbon fibre dashboard is a nice touch) and various trims to the headlamp and tail light surrounds.

Cheaper than a Mini?

Certainly, a three trim level model price range of between £10,975 and £14,975 is highly competitive (and, it’s nice to see, very much on a par with European pricing), and there’s a choice of 1.4 16v and 120bhp and 155bhp versions of a 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine, as well as 1.3 and 1.6 litre turbodiesels.

Standard equipment and safety levels are suitably high with electric everything and air-conditioning equipping ever the least expensive models, whilst seven airbags fitted as standard signals Alfas intent to garner at least five Euro NCAP stars.

For now, the top of the range 1.4 TB Veloce we drove with 155bhp is a fraction down on the grunt of the most powerful Minis, but there’s a 230bhp GTA MiTo waiting in the wings which, if Alfa can control all that power through the front wheels, should furrow BMW’s brow.