Driven: Alfa Mito Quadrifoglio Verde

Under the hood

Fair play to Alfa. Squeezing 168bhp out of a 1.4-litre engine is as impressive as giving a kid the keys to a BMW M3 is stupid.

In Quattro Formagii guise (or Cloverleaf on UK shores), the spicy Mito also musters 184lb ft of torque, giving the hot Italian a top speed of 136mph and a 62mph sprint time of 7.5sec.

Behind the wheel

Forget slipping your cheeks into a comfortable leather sports seat; this Mito gets green-stitched, rock-solid buckets, a black leather steering wheel and dark headlining.

The six-speed manual gearbox shaft (sorry) also gets a (tacky) diamante-effect topping, which will divide opinion.

Outside, there are no complaints, however; 18-inch special alloys, satin-effect wing mirror covers and a spunky twin exhaust out back gives the Mito’s girly image a much-needed shot of testosterone.

What’s most impressive about this Mito, however, is the usability of that little 1.4 engine; drive the mammaries off it, and the Mito surges through the rev range cleanly, without that massive kick-up-the-arse turbo wallop you’d find in a turbo’d Scooby.

On the other hand, the Mito’s just as happy cruising at 30mph in fifth gear – that’s thanks to the engine’s 184lb ft torque, which is a strong figure for a small car.

So the Mito’s a bit of a weapon in a straight line. How about the twisties? Hit Dynamic mode (Alfas have three driving modes) and the Mito’s steering and suspension tighten up, meaning the car’s happy to be chucked through a bend. It’s a grippy little mite and feels nicely balanced, too, but steering feel is on the naff side.

Now to comfort, or lack thereof in the Quattro Formagii’s case. Firm bucket seats, 18s and the car dialled into Dynamic mode (which also unleashes the engine’s full power) give the Mito a ride quality that's on the firm side of solid. But we don’t suffer from piles, so we’ll leave it there.

Splash the cash?

Given the fairly positive review, you’d think that the answer was a resounding “Hells Yeh”. But while the Mito’s great ‘n all, the brilliant Renaultsport Clio does everything better. It also costs less than the Alfa.

If, however, you’re Italian or carry a Louis Vuitton hand bag/man bag, the stylish Alfa could be for you. Just don’t expect people like us to let you out at junctions.