Alfa Romeo's new MiTo hits Europe

ALFA ROMEO has released more details and images of its all-new entry-level hatchback, the MiTo (now spelt without the full stop in the middle), which was officially announced in March.

Originally expected to emerge in the metal at this October’s Paris motor show, the MiTo will now make its global public debut at the British International Motor Show from July 22 due to unexpected UK demand.

This is despite the fact that, while the MiTo’s global launch in Europe commenced last week, right-hand drive production won’t commence for a number of months.

Initially dubbed the Alfa “Junior” and described by its maker as the first compact Alfa Romeo in more than 35 years, the MiTo will go on sale in Australia in mid-2009, priced below the 147 - Alfa’s current entry-level model, which starts at $35,990.

Two versions of the MiTo will be available here next year, both priced to compete directly with BMW’s Mini Cooper hatch in the low $30,000s and both priced above the Fiat Punto ($19,990 to $27,990), on which the MiTo is based.

Of course, that will pitch the MiTo directly at Fiat’s new five-door Ritmo hatch ($29,990 to $36,490), with which the entry-level MiTo will also share its 114kW 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine.

In the MiTo, the 1.4 T-Jet engine returns average fuel consumption of 6.5L/100km, 0-100km/h acceleration in eight seconds and a top speed of 215km/h.

The Australian MiTo’s other engine will be an 88kW 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine dubbed the JTDM, which will be new to Australia but powers the Ritmo in Europe, where it is known as the Bravo Eco.

Delivering 9.9-second 0-100km/h acceleration, a 198km/h top speed and fuel consumption of just 4.8L/100km, the JTDM engine is positioned between the 1.3 JTD engine that’s available in the Punto and new 500, and the 1.9 JTD diesel that powers flagship Punto and Ritmo variants here.

Initially both models will be available only with a six-speed manual transmission, which will later be joined by an automated manual transmission dubbed Selespeed - essentially the same robotised manual gearbox that goes by the DuaLogic name in Citroen models.

In the UK, where pre-ordering begins in October, the entry-level MiTo 1.4 variant will be badged as the Turismo, while the flagship 1.6 JTDM will be called the Veloce.

Featuring frameless windows, LED tail-lights, heavily flared wheel-arches and other exterior styling cues from Alfa’s top-shelf 8C Competizione coupe, the MiTo is Alfa’s Punto-based response to Europe’s booming supermini vehicle segment, which is rapidly overtaking the small-car class in overall sales there.

As such, the Italian maker expects a much younger buying demographic than that of the 147, but denies the Volkswagen Polo-sized MiTo is a spiritual successor for the original Alfasud, which it says was designed specifically as a rival for VW’s popular five-door, five-seat Golf hatch.

Of course, that makes the 147 the most direct successor for the Alfasud, leaving the Alfasud Sprint coupe, which was designed to compete with the day’s Golf-based Scirocco coupe, as the most logical forebear for the three-door MiTo.

Indeed, the MiTo’s arrival is expected to signal the death-knell for the three-door version of the 147 this year.

The front-drive MiTo will feature Alfa’s new “Q2” electronic differential as standard, as well as seven airbags, ABS brakes, electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), ASR traction control, VDC stability control and the HBA hill-start function, plus new-to-Alfa technologies like cornering brake control (CBC) and dynamic steering torque (DST).

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