Alfa Romeo Mito

The much anticipated Mini-Alfa Romeo has been touted by some motoring pundits as a replacement for the much-loved Alfasud, the benchmark small car from the 1970s that redefined small car performance with a class leading chassis, peppy performance and crisp styling.

However, the new Alfa Romeo MiTo is even smaller, with the Alfasud built to compete with cars such as the Volkswagen Golf, making today's Alfa Romeo 147 its true successor. Additionally, with its five door hatchback and wagon versions, the Alfasud, despite its performance and styling, was designed to compete with mainstream models.

The MiTo, at just over four metres long and 1.72 metres wide, not only sits in the class below the Alfa 147 and its predecessor, it is resolutely a prestige small car that is a performance and style design, intensely focused on the driver, drawing on the iconic styling of the Alfa Romeo 8C and offering a true performance orientated experience.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo's family heritage can be seen in the grille, headlights and LED taillights, along with the frameless side windows endowing it with a coupe appearance. It could genuinely be called a mini-Alfa Romeo 8C.

Technologically, the Alfa Romeo MiTo promises to be highly innovative with the debut of the Alfa Romeo DNA system, the next generation of electronic stability control and a first in this class. Controlling the engine, brakes, steering response, suspension and gearbox, the MiTo can be set to offer a super-sporting dynamic range of responses, a normal setting for city use and a special high grip setting for snow, ice and mud conditions. This remarkable new technology will set a new safety standard when allied to VDC, ABS brakes and a design developed to achieve the highest EuroNCAP crash test rating.

A full range of engines, both petrol and diesel, will be offered in MiTo and they will range from 90 to 155 bhp.

And the name? MiTo references, Alfa Romeo's history as the first two letters of Alfa Romeo's spiritual home, Milan, plus the first two letters of Torino or Turin in its Anglicised spelling, the industrial Italian powerhouse where it will be built.