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Test Drive: ALFA ROMEO MiTo 1.6 JTDm - 2009
Table of contents:
- PHOTO GALLERY
- INTRO / HISTORY / BRAND
- EXTERIOR
- INTERIOR
- IN THE CITY
- OPEN ROAD
- COMFORT
- TECH FACTS
- GADGETS
- SAFETY
- CONCLUSIONS
- GUEST EDITOR OPINIONS
SEPTEMBER 2009
INTRO / HISTORY / BRAND 8/10
Alfa Romeos are beautiful cars, there's no denying that. With almost no exception, every decade has spawned a truly special, more-than-gorgeous model for the hardcore Alfisti out there. In the last decade, that model has most likely been the 8C Competizione. Penned by Wolfgang Egger, the retro-modern 8C and its open top "Spider" sibling, have turned quite a lot of onlookers' hearts into prisoners.
With such a great hit on their hands, the guys in charge at Alfa realized they must be on to something. Corroborated with the fact that they didn't have any competitor to the highly-successful "by BMW" Mini resurrection, a somewhat peculiar decision was made. DNA samples were taken from the 8C Competizione and then mixed with those of the Fiat Grande Punto. We'll cover more of the "DNA" concept later on into our test drive, by the way.
When BMW launched the new MINI brand in 2001 there weren't that many people who envisioned the world's first premium small car to benefit from a great deal of sales success. Well, apparently it did, therefore convincing other premium or near-premium carmakers to jump on the bandwagon.
The first to come up with a real competitor to challenge the Mini's success was Alfa Romeo, with the funky-named MiTo. Launched in 2008, it quickly became obvious that the model is more than just a Fiat Grande Punto with an Alfa 8C Competizione body kit. Apart from being an abbreviation made out of Milano and Torino (the Italian cities where it was designed and built, respectively), the name "MiTo" is also a play of words, since in Italian it means "myth". Kind of neat, huh?
Well, not entirely. A year before the official launch of the car, a naming competition for it was held in all major European countries. A lot of people voted and the MiTo was very close to be named "Furiosa", since that was the winning name in the aforementioned contest. Apparently, the big decision-makers at Alfa did not quite like it and determined that "MiTo" would be more fitting.
With these said, we took a MiTo in Alfetta red to test drive in order to see what's all the fuss about with the tiny but furious Italian hatchback. Since its other two competitors were missing at the time of our test drive (we're talking about the Audi A1 and the Citroen DS3, ed), our only way of comparing the MiTo with a somewhat similar car was to put it up against the Mini, a version of which we also tested the past week. So, let's see how the MiTo 1.6 JTD stacks up against its rival.
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VISUAL IMPACT (EXTERIOR) 9/10
Not even a person who is very much into details can suspect there's actually a humble Fiat Grande Punto under that gorgeous Alfa body just by looking at it. Every family-trait in the Alfa Romeo design heritage is on the tiny but sexy MiTo. Curiously, the car's second-most outrageous road-going Alfa in history (after the 33 Stradale), the 8C Competizione, has lent much of its design cues on the little bugger we tested.
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The results are more than exhilarating, since the car we drove pretty much stole every bystander's heart wherever we drove it. Never before in this segment has existed a car with so many sporty lines, luxurious design cues and, most of all, so much character. There aren't many people in the world who would consider the MiTo other than a class leader in its segment if their opinions would be based on looks only.
The front is typically Alfa Romeo, but with a twist. After the highly exclusive 8C Competizione was launched, Alfa Romeo guys immediately understood that its design lines shouldn't be confined on one model only. To capitalize even more on the supercar's successful design they took the decision to steal some of those lines and copy/paste them on another, more "down to Earth" Alfa.
The only slight letdown we had considering the design of the front might be the impossibility for the license plate to sit right in the middle of the car, since that part is "busy" with the imposing Alfa Romeo grill. The side view looks a bit too high for our taste, especially since it makes the underbody common heritage with the Fiat Grande Punto/ Opel Astra a bit obvious. Thankfully, the only resemblance with its cousins resides in the car's height, since everything else is pure Alfa.
The rear design also evokes the 8C Competizione, especially when looking at the big, round taillights using LED technology, while the over-inflated bumper looks like it has a built-in aerodynamic diffuser. Overall, this is probably one of the (if not THE) most beautiful hatchbacks currently on the market.
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DEEP IMPACT (INTERIOR) 6/10
Compared with its main rival, the Mini, the MiTo's interior first impresses with the amount of extra space available. So as to not get the wrong impression, the MiTo's cockpit is only bigger by means of overall interior height and the volume of the luggage compartment (270 liters, or 9.5 cubic inches). Other than that, both cars are mainly to be used as two seaters since the rear bench is only fit for (really) small passengers or children on longer rides.
Just like on the exterior, the overall interior design is typically Alfa Romeo, with a nice dose of sporty and elegant lines everywhere in the cockpit. Although usually "sporty" doesn't exactly equal "practical" in family car speak, the MiTo manages to change those stereotypical perceptions. There are plenty of storage spaces available for depositing smaller items and the glove compartment is more than enough for storing your stuff.
As we mentioned before, the fact that the MiTo uses the Fiat/GM SCSS platform is quite a good thing from the point of view. With quite a lot of body modifications, the SGSS platform can also be found under the Fiat Grande Punto/ Punto Evo or the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, which are among the most spacious cars in their class. Sure, the MiTo has a much lower overall height and only two doors, which kind of take away from the said advantage, but the basic idea remains.
Our test car wasn't the most fully equipped MiTo in the range, but we won't subtract too many points in this chapter since the present features had quite a lot of Italian flair and provided a very "racy" atmosphere. The materials used, on the other hand, weren't exactly top notch everywhere in the car. for example, the standard cloth trim on the seats appeared to feel a little cheap for Alfa's standard, while the center console benefitted from a similar treatment.
As for the driving position and the ergonomics, everything is pretty good except for one minor exception. We've noticed this in several other cars, so it's not that uncommon of a problem. The pedals are sitting a bit too close to the lower part center console, making larger drivers feel a bit claustrophobic at the legs, if such a thing is possible.
Overall, the quality and the fit and finish of a not-very-well-equipped MiTo are above average, and a bit nicer than those found on its "donor" brothers, but we can't say they're exactly premium. The sporty feeling found in almost any Alfa is more than present though, and everything from the "hugging" seats to the low-diameter three-spoke steering wheel are there to remind you that deep inside beats a "cuore sportivo".
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IN THE CITY 6/10
Unfortunately, the city portion of our test drive was heavily influenced by the MiTo's low ground clearance in the front. Considering we live in a city where an over-optimistic mayor has put insanely high road shoulders on almost every street, the MiTo's front bumper is very easily damageable. Our test car had already had a close encounter with a road side curb just before we took it for a spin, so if you live in a similar town/city, you should be as careful with the MiTo as you would be with your regular 500+ horsepower supercar.
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Now let's see the car's other high and low points in the city. The "high ones" aren't as many as you'd imagine, especially for a car as small as the MiTo. First of all, our test car had no parking sensors. Obviously, they would usually be pretty futile on a sub-compact hatchback, since the car practically "ends" right behind the rear windshield. The problem with them missing is the fact that the rear windshield has a rather small area and the rear roof pillars are very thick and curved, hurting quite a lot of the rear visibility. On the good side, the exterior rear view mirrors are both nicely-shaped AND large enough to fulfill their main purpose.
The very low-slung front overhang is a real pain whenever tackling higher-than-usual speed bumps and/or roadside curbs. Apart from that, the very curvy front "corners" of the car also make it hard for you to perfectly judge the correct distance towards the car in front when parallel parking. Of course, everything goes well later on after practicing enough, but without any parking sensors to guide you it's still a bit harder than it should to park in overcrowded cities.
Other than that, the 1.6-liter four-banger under the hood makes a nice pair with the six-speed manual gearbox, making for quite a sporty behavior both in and outside the city. Plus, even if hardcore Alfisti will probably not like it as much for using the wrong kind of fuel, the performance figures are still very Alfa-like. Plus, those better-than-average performance figures from traffic light to traffic light also translate into a very good mileage.
During the course of our test drive we managed to average around 6.5-7 liters of fuel for every 100 kilometers (US 33.6 – 36.2 mpg) in highly crowded traffic, which is just a little more than the official figure of 5.9 liters (US 39.9 mpg).
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OPEN ROAD 6/10
Yes, we know, we know, the fact that we didn't exactly test the most appropriate type of engine kind of takes away from all the "Cuore Sportivo" present on the MiTo we drove. Yes, it's a 1.6-liter diesel under that beautiful hood and yes, it only has 120 horsepower (albeit that's a pretty high number for an engine of this displacement). Truth is, the performance figures don't look exactly great on paper either. Well, it so turns out once more that you should never read a book by its cover, since "real life" performances are more than adequate on a car like the MiTo.
Read more >>
The official data claims a dawdling 9.9 seconds from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) and a top speed of just under 200 km/h (124 mph), but honestly we felt it to be faster. Although after the first two minutes or so of driving it we were actually feeling a very "man, this is slow!" sensation, things immediately changed after flicking the onboard "DNA" switch from "N" to "D". Short translation: in Alfa-speak, "DNA" doesn't come from deoxyribonucleic acid but from "Dynamic, Normal and All-weather". In other words, a single flick of a switch can turn the car's behavior from slouch to athlete.
The DNA system controls the throttle's responsiveness and the amount of "power" the power steering gets at any given moment, so you can basically change the way your MiTo feels everytime you drive it. Plus, the electronic stability control also gets different settings for each of the three letters. You want fuel-efficiency, maximum active safety and the throttle response of a heavy truck, choose "Normal" or worse, "All-weather" settings. Want a car that drives and feels like a true enthusiast's Alfa? Move the controller to "Dynamic" and your whole driving experience changes.
There are somewhat similar systems - with more or less functions - at other manufacturers as well (how many of you guys have "Sport" buttons on the dash?), but on the MiTo it was the first time we actually experienced a totally different car when switching from one program to another. With this being said, we mostly drove the MiTo in "Dynamic" mode, which got the best out of the car especially on the open road.
A rather stiff suspension, short steering ratio and supportive seats combined with the aforementioned gadget can provide miles and miles of fun on a deserted serpentine road. The MiTo steers, accelerates and brakes like a true hot hatch at medium-to-high speeds. When cruising at highway speeds in a straight line things become a bit jittery though, mostly because of the stiff shocks and the very short wheelbase. In other words, if you plan to use your MiTo for long-distance traveling mostly, don't. It's made for the curves, not for the straights.
Since we mostly drove the MiTo in dynamic mode, most of our open road test consisted of higher-than average speeds and accelerations, but the fuel economy remained very good. After some highway miles cumulated with mountain serpentine roads we achieved an average of about 5-5.5 liters per 100 kilometers (US 42.8-47 mpg), which isn't half bad for a car delivering this kind of sensations.
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FEED ME LIES (COMFORT) 5/10
We weren't exactly expecting a comfortable, wafting ride that gives you the feeling of driving a car with sponges instead of absorbing shocks. Still, the sporty little red hatch provides even a bumpier ride than expected, especially on paved roads or over tram lines in the city. In other words, the Alfa MiTo we drove has more in common with an Italian sports car than its vivid-red color. The pretty hard suspension setup doesn't do much for absorbing pot holes. On a perfectly flat road and at medium to high speeds it doesn't feel jittery at all though.
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The only problems arise when tackling poorer road surfaces, speed bumps and, contrary to what we expected, at highway speeds. Because the wheelbase is rather short and the suspension hard, at high speeds the MiTo doesn't feel exactly planted but jittery. This doesn't exactly go well with a sensation of comfort when traveling long distances at high speeds.
The sporty seats found in the “Progression” trim level we tested were softer than we expected though. They don't have anything in common with the plush Citroen seats we drove earlier but they aren't rock hard either. The side bolster support is pretty good though, so larger drivers and passengers should be wary of that.
Unfortunately, our test ride wasn't equipped with the best comfort amenities one could ask from an Alfa dealer for the tiny MiTo, so it doesn't score a lot of points for those either. For example, the dual-zone climate control system was missing, giving way to a manual, single-zone, air conditioning unit. Not say that it was bad or anything, but as far as comfort goes, it doesn't get any over the top good remarks.
The standard audio system is fine, but any seriously hardcore audiophile should consider upgrading to the optional one. Other than that, the MiTo is a comfortable car only if you know what to expect. In other words, people who usually crave for a “cloud-walking”, wafting ride will be disappointed, while the ones who appreciate cars for their handling instead of their comfort will get exactly what they want.
DEUS EX MACHINA (TECH FACTS) 5/10
In normal “diesel speak”, the 1.6-liter oil-burner under our test car's hood would be regarded as a small technical masterpiece. Sadly, these past few years diesel engines have evolved quite a lot, and this can be regarded only as bad news for our little Alfa. Considering it sports a rating of no less than 120 horsepower at 3750 rpm and a humongous torque of 320Nm (236 lb ft), which is quite impressive for an engine of this displacement, the JTDm we got to drive is much less impressive than you would expect. No, we're not talking about the sensation of speed every time we floored it, we're talking about how less good it looks on paper compared to its number one rival.
We suspect the main difference comes from the weight - 1280 kilograms or 2822 pounds for the MiTo 1.6 JTDm compared to only 1165 kilograms or 2568 pounds for the Mini Cooper D. This basically means that, at least on paper, the differences are pretty steep. Let's see now, both cars have a modern and petite common rail engine with just 1.6 liters of displacement. Both share a 0-100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) acceleration of 9.9 seconds. So, where are the differences, you may ask?
Well, the Mini achieves the same naught to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint with 10 horsepower and a staggering 80 Nm (59 lb ft) of torque less than the MiTo. Not to mention the fact that, at least on paper we must stress, the Cooper D uses 3.9 liters of fuel to cover every 100 kilometers (US 60.3 mpg), compared to the “massive” 4.8 liters (US 49 mpg) used by the MiTo.
In conclusion, the engine under the MiTo 1.6 JTDm's hood is mighty impressive, as long if it powers a car with a substantially less amount of weight. Either it's the weight, or maybe Italian test drivers used the “All-weather” mode to check the acceleration and the “Dynamic” mode to check the medium fuel consumption. Other than that, the six-speed manual transmission is pretty precise (except maybe from second to third at times) and the fact that it uses cables means the engine doesn't make the stick shiver at idle almost at all.
USEFUL TOYS (GADGETS) 5/10
Sadly, the Alfa MiTo we tested wasn't exactly the most fully optioned MiTo we could ever drive. Not that any other Alfas would be filled with gadgets, but there were quite a lot of features missing from the options list. In other words, we “only” had to live with a manual, single-zone, air conditioning unit and the standard Blaupunkt mp3-reading audio system. Apart from these, the "DNA" system is the most impressive (and useful) piece of gadgetry. In short, those were our test car's best gimmicky features, but that doesn't mean it all ends there.
For example, the audio system had an auxiliary port for your iPod or other types of mp3 players, plus steering wheel control buttons. Also, albeit we didn't have high-intensity discharge headlight or “aero” windshield wipers, we did have light and rain sensors for the headlights and the wipers, consequently.
Not jumping on the “LED is the new black!” bandwagon, the MiTo's daylight driving lights use “regular” light bulbs. The taillights, however, have enough LED technology to put a 1970s Star Trek episode to shame. Truth is, they do give quite a nice look and are also a bit safer than regular ones when it comes to visibility.
The last gadget probably worth mentioned is the “up/down” electric mechanism on the doors' windows. We're not sure how many of you have noticed that on most modern convertibles there's an automatic mechanism which winds the side windows up or down every time you close or open the doors. This is done so that rain and unwanted sounds stay out of the car. Well, the MiTo is the first non-convertible we drove which also has this feature.
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ON THE SAFE SIDE (SAFETY) 8/10
Although at first the MiTo's array of safety features are a bit hidden, we soon learned this is one of the safest cars in its class. For example, it's small size and the fact that (surprise!) it doesn't even have any grab handles for its passengers can give you a pretty wrong impression. Let's just start with the standard active and passive safety features to let you know that you'd be wrong if you had a similar first impression.
There's an anti-lock braking system with corner brake control, an electronic front differential to put down all that torque safely to the ground, an electronic stability control system and quite a lot more. Plus, there are also double pretensioners for the front seatbelts. As far as passive safety goes, the MiTo comes standard with no less than seven airbags (two frontal dual-stage, two side airbags, two curtain airbags and one airbag for the driver's knees. Pretty impressive for a car its size.
If that's not enough, you should learn the the MiTo has also passed the EuroNCAP crash test with honors. Five full stars mean that it can pose quite a decent threat to just about any car its size in a head-on crash. Of course, its small size and weight kind of diminish those stars' impact versus a full-size SUV or something like that, but there's always a bigger fish out there no matter what car you buy.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (CONCLUSIONS) 7/10
Every male alfisti out there will probably agree with this sentence: living with an Alfa Romeo is like living with a supermodel. Not that much of us guys will ever know what it's like actually living with a supermodel, but you get the point. The best part about owning a red MiTo is not something completely technical, it's more like a motley array of different sensations cumulated in one single package. There's the joy of driving one (even if it's a diesel!), the envy from other drivers - which accumulates every time you pass someone - and there's the pride of owning a car with a brand which even Enzo Ferrari was tipping his hat for. Plus, the DNA system also makes it a big boy toy.
The bad part about the Alfa MiTo 1.6 JTDm is probably the fact that its engine could have delivered much more than it actually does. Although it's actually designed and built by the true inventors of the common rail, it somewhat fails to deliver the best impression there is. It's powerful, silent (within the reasonable diesel limit) and it uses a very small amount of fuel. Too bad it's not enough to completely shatter its much older competition, which kind of makes it mediocre.
Honestly, "ugly" doesn't go with anything Alfa-related, but we have to cover this part also. The ugly bit about our test car was probably its inability to completely obliterate its main competitor, the Mini, in every chapter. It manages to outclass it in chapters like styling or interior space, but it only manages to tie it or get beaten by in other areas. It's not exactly a great thing for a car launched almost seven years after the only source of inspiration for its existence.
GUEST STAR EDITORS' OPINIONS AND RATINGS
| Sir May B. Bach strongly believes this car is worthy of a rating of 5 / 10 "Bella machina... ahem... Cuore Sportivo... ahem... blah blah blah. Well, even I can oblige to everyone's opinion about the MiTo's design. Yes, I'm man enough to... ahem... admit it myself. The Alfa Romeo MiTo is a good-looking car, even though it's so tiny it could... ahem... fit in my Bentley's luggage compartment. There, I've said it, I like the way it... ahem... looks." Read more >> |
| Lou Cheeka knocked, knocked some more and finally shouted a rating of 8 / 10 "Having lived most of my youth in Europe, Alfa Romeos were a pretty common sight on those tight roads. Sure, some of them were most of the time parked in service centers since you couldn't drive one for more than two or three days until something broke. Being under the "Fix It Again Tony" umbrella for so many years sure took its toll." Read more >> |
| Mary broke a nail, complained a bit and then gave a rating of 9 / 10 "Can I just say this is the most gorgeous car I ever drove? And by far, I mean. The closest car in terms of cuteness to the Alfa Romeo MiTo would be a Mini or a Volkswagen Beetle. I haven't driven either one of those yet so I can't be one hundred percent sure about it, but so far the MiTo takes the cake." Read more >> |
| Charles Darveight pondered gravely, nearly fell asleep and then submitted a rating of 9 / 10 "It's a strange and fascinating apparition. A beauty like no other... unique, flawless. Words are simply too few to describe it. I wish I could play you a romantic song and project huge pictures of her marvelous silhouette on a wall." Read more >> |
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21.09.2009 | 10:58 GMT
Gorgeous car. Too bad it's too sporty :(
05.10.2009 | 18:11 GMT
Very nice car
13.10.2009 | 06:15 GMT
I find this car to be very ugly, honestly. The more than a decade old Ford KA still looks better than this Hitler moustached Pikachu.
22.10.2009 | 10:36 GMT
Wife just ordered 1.6JTDM Veloce. Beautiful looking car, and very well equipped for a standard production model. On test drive, drove beautifully once in Dynamic mode. Having considered all the "small" car options, there isnt one to touch this in terms of style, both inside and out ! Its a real head turner, and got an awful lot of interest whilst we were out on test.
As for calling this ugly and using KA in the same sentence, you should be shot at dawn.....
02.11.2009 | 10:34 GMT
Well they've done it again. The corporatist people fooled the masses again. I'm not gonna comment about the Ford Ka, but at least that car had personality, didn't blatantly copy anyone. What Alfa Romeo did here with the MiTo is fool everyone by tossing a cramped 8C Competizione look, on a Fiat Grande Punto chassis and Fiat Bravo engines, but advertising it as cheerful-passionate-fiery-chic car. What a ripoff! They should be ashamed and kp should be shot at dawn for disrespecting another reader :P cheers!
12.11.2009 | 17:30 GMT
I am about to order this beauty. I've tested 1.4 TB but since I currently own a Fiat JTD I decided not to change the winning combination. And for the record, Italians have invested so much in development of modern engines so that nobody can refer only to design when talking about their cars.And anyone should own an Alfa, at least for once in a lifetime:))