The Alfa Romeo MiTo caused quite a stir when it was first launched to the South African market. It seemed that Alfa was once again producing sporty, good-looking little numbers at a reasonable price.
So when the 1.4-litre turbo, 100kW MiTo Progression arrived at our offices, we anticipated a great little car at a sensible price. We weren’t disappointed. This, the cheapest of the MiTo range, proved to be a great all-round sporty hatch with performance, economy and handling in equal measure.
The 0-100km/h sprint is dispensed with in 8.4 seconds while we achieved a consumption figure of around 8.7 litres/100km.
It also has some nifty gadgets like stop-start. While it proved a little disconcerting at first, this system turned into the MiTo’s greatest party trick. Simply come to a stop, put the gearshift in neutral and release the clutch.
All of a sudden you’re sitting in silence as the engine turns itself off. When you’re ready to go, depress the clutch and the engine comes back to life as you engage gear and drive off with the standard hill-holder ensuring you don’t roll back.
The Alfa Romeo MiTo Progression retails at R227 900 and includes a 6-year/90 000km Service Plan as standard.
