Alfa Romeo MiTo: Funny face

Tag : sic beam

Or is it? Image and reality have not always been easy bedfellows atAlfa, and the undeniably cute little MiTo continues that tradition.Despite claims that this a "real" Alfa, it's actually based on theFiat Grande Punto (the MiTo name combines Milano, where its stylewas conceived, and Torino, where it will be built). The presslaunch certainly upheld Alfa custom in contriving to pack a wholetwo hours of driving into two days. According to the glossy roadbook, the 66-mile route in and around a blisteringly hot Milan was"chosen for its great diversity, allowing all of a car's featuresto be put through its paces [sic]. An itinerary spanning twobranches of Lake Como and the legendary Monza circuit. Over theseroads, tackling these bends, Alfa Romeo's test drivers have testedand awarded their seal of approval to cars like the Giulietta andthe Giulia. Cars that are undisputedly icons, living symbols ofItalian taste, of the Alfa Romeo-style motoring and sportingculture".
So after a delay of several minutes in the Monza paddock while anengineer with a USB stick re-set the sat-nav system in therange-topping 155bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre model (the only versionavailable on the day), we were allowed to pause briefly forphotographs on the disused banked section of the famous circuit,whose vertiginous steepness produced a loud rattle in the back ofthe car (a spare bolt rolling around one of the cup-holders) anddisabled the "DNA" system that allows the driver to choose betweenthree settings for engine response, stability control and powersteering (Dynamic, Normal and All Weather). After further remedialintervention by the engineers, we eventually squeezed out of thecity via a long section of autostrada that revealed another rattle,this time a loose piece of plastic undertray in front of thenearside rear wheel. Peeling off onto the narrow roads around LakeComo, we were held up by Italian sporting culture in the form ofcountless cyclists, joggers and even a man climbing a steep hill ona pair of wheeled skis, then crawled back to Monza through the busyMilanese suburbs, reflecting on the unchanging nature of Italiancar launches. As for Italian taste, lunch was scheduled to takethree hours.