Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £11,595 to £15,795
Great styling, Alfa heritage, lively 1.4 turbo petrol engine, economical diesels, distinctive cabin design.
Vague steering, not terribly versatile or practical; some superfluous electronic systems.
A highly desirable small Alfa, if not quite as sporting as its looks might suggest.
Alfa Romeo thinks a number of Mito buyers will be people downsizing from larger vehicles (the now redundant-looking and near-obsolete 147, perhaps) and the car's refinement is certainly convincing enough. Sound-proofing is much better than the Punto's, the ride is generally good - even with the larger wheel/tyre combinations - and the higher-spec models' upholstery and trim reflect that of larger Alfas, including (optional) high-quality leather sports seats which wouldn't shame a 159-class car.
At 4.06m long, 1.44m tall and 1.72m wide, the Mito isn't the largest car in its class, and rear legroom is limited. The sloping roofline restricts rear headroom, too, and tall adults will find it a squeeze.
There's a choice of a two-seat or three-seat split/folding rear bench layout. The 270-litre boot is deep but narrow, with a small and high loading aperture, and the back seats do not fold completely flat even with the head rests removed and the bases tipped forwards. There are far more practical superminis out there - but then who ever bought an Alfa for its boot-space? This is the company that made an estate car (156 Sportwagon) with less load capacity than the equivalent saloon, and don't mention the boot of the Brera...
Equipment levels in the UK-spec cars include all the necessaries. Entry-level Turismo models get air conditioning, all the systems including DNA and Q2, a CD/MP3 player, Lusso models add front fog lights, 16" alloys, chrome-effect window sills and chrome-edged headlights, and Veloce versions have satin-effect headlamp trim, 17" alloys, a rear spoiler and sports bumper, white-lit instrument dials and red-painted brake calipers plus the Blue&Me Bluetooth phone kit, internet access and sat nav system.
Also on offer are options such as a Bose sound system, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, seven different seat trims, five alloy wheel designs, different headlamp frames, a black-painted roof, chrome, black or grey door mirrors and ten paint shades, giving plenty of scope for personalisation. We'll have the dark metallic red '8C' paint, please.
