What is it?
This is no ordinary super-mini, and indeed no ordinary MiTo, but rather one that wears the essence of Italian performance on its sleeve. This is the Quadrifoglio Verde.
It squares up against the Polo GTI, Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTI to name but a few. The hot-supermini-hatch market is full of flavour at the moment – so the MiTo has its work cut out.
On the outside
For many Alfisti, as the marque’s enthusiasts are commonly known, an Alfa must stand out from the sea of silver/grey city-boxes. The MiTo does just that. That traditional Alfa grille and massively contoured front end just scream European chic. This might make it a marmite car – ie you’ll either love it or hate it. Either way, it most definitely cannot be called boring.
On the inside
Here the MiTo is a mixed bag. It’s reasonably solid-looking and finished with contemporary, nicely styled details, but it loses ground to the Polo in terms of overall quality. That said I’d argue a bit of Italian flair wins over Germanic fastidiousness any day of the week.
Practicality is what really lets the MiTo down because it only comes with 2 doors – and there’s nothing practical about getting out so passengers can get in – while the rear is less than capacious.
Behind the wheel
This is where the good stuff happens. Alfa’s 1.4 litre multi-air turbo charged unit is a peach, delivering 125kW and enough torques to get you along the road at quite a lick. There’s a clever drive mode system called DNA, giving you the full beans or keeping fuel efficiency in check. It’s revvy and very Italian-like, with a slick 6 speed manual.
But then there are some downsides. The adjustable dampers try give you the best of both worlds, comfort when you’re pottering about and sportiness when you’re not. Unfortunately the comfort side of that coin is missing; but on the flip side it’ll hang on like a Jack Russell in a dog fight through the bends. Steering could do with a bit more feel, albeit a common trend throughout the segment.
Verdict
If the run-of-the-mill hot supermini is too boring for your full-blooded approach to life then this MiTo might serve you well. It’s far from the most rounded car in the segment, but that Italian flare and penchant for being off-beat is something to love. This car isn’t for squares.
Price: R313 951
Engine: 1368cc four cylinder turbo charged petrol
Power (kW): 125
Torque (Nm): 250
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 7.5
Top speed (km/h): 219
Consumption (l/100km): 6.0 (claimed)
Service: 3 year/100,000km maintenance plan
