Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo

If all goes well, the headline-grabbing Fiat-Chrysler alliance will deliver a stylish premium small car to lead the U.S. return of a storied Italian brand. MiTo is Alfa Romeo’s answer to the BMW Mini Cooper--and will need to be as popular to give the new partnership a chance.

What We Know About the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo

Alfa Romeo is known for sports cars like Dustin Hoffman’s iconic ride in “The Graduate,” but it has long offered passenger models with the same Italian brio so beloved by enthusiasts. The latest is the MiTo, a small front-wheel-drive two-door hatchback unveiled in mid-2008 ahead of a European sales launch in early ‘09. The name (say “Mee-TOE”) refers to Milan, where the car was designed (and also home to Alfa-parent Fiat Group), and Torino (Turin), where the car is built.

So why should you care? Because this is a new rival for the popular BMW Mini Cooper--aimed at the “You Tube Generation,” Alfa says. And it’s likely headed for the U.S., perhaps arriving by mid-2010 as an early-2011 model. What’s more, you might well find the MiTo at a Chrysler, Dodge and/or Jeep dealer.

A little background is in order here. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne believes only the strongest automakers will survive the global economic crisis. Because Fiat isn’t as strong as he’d like, despite an impressive turnaround he recently engineered, he wants his firm to take a 35-percent stake in Chrysler LLC, with an option for up to 55 percent later on. Marchionne reckons that automakers can’t be viable now with less than 5.5 million sales a year. As it happens, Fiat and Chrysler between them had about that many in 2008, which would rank as the world’s fifth largest car company had the firms been “married.” Fiat is currently number-four in Europe by sales, Chrysler number-four in the U.S. (though falling fast).

Typical of Marchionne, he’s offering no cash from Fiat’s pocket, even though Chrysler needs money in the worst way. His aim is simply a “strategic alliance” as a path to solid profitability for both companies though shared technology, talent, production facilities and other resources. It’s the same idea behind the Franco-Japanese pairing of Renault and Nissan--and very different from the failed “merger of equals” called DaimlerChrysler.

Like Renault-Nissan, this alliance theoretically gives each partner access to the other’s manufacturing bases, distribution channels, and intellectual property. The Italian company would doubtless use Chrysler’s resources for a U.S. relaunch of the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands, which have been absent here for decades (though Alfa’s return has been rumored for years). Chrysler, in turn, could piggyback on Fiat’s strong presence in Europe, China, and many other markets to grow overseas sales of vehicles like the Dodge Dakota pickup, Dodge Journey SUV, and various Jeeps. More important, Chrysler would get to use several next-generation Fiat platforms to develop replacements for existing flops like the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass.

Sounds promising, but there are hurdles to clear first. For one thing, Marchionne says the deal won’t happen unless Chrysler gets the second $4 billion federal loan it’s requested. Fiat will not bail out Chrysler or fund new Chrysler-only projects, he declares. In addition, Congress must also approve a Chrysler restructuring plan that’s due by March 31 under terms of an initial $4 billion loan granted in December 2008. While having Fiat onboard may up the odds for approval, Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli, anticipating lawmaker objections, has promised that no federal money will flow into Fiat’s coffers. That could complicate deciding who does what and who pays for what in terms of design, engineering, tooling, testing, and marketing. And whatever the final scale of their plans, the pair will need to find money to pay for them--not so easy in today’s tight credit market.

Despite these landmines, the partners hope to officially tie the knot by May, then plot their life together. Plans will probably include Chrysler-built Fiats as well as Fiat-based Chryslers, but those vehicles are still 2-3 years off. However, it’s believed that some import-ready Euro-market Fiats could start U.S. sale as early as April 2010. The most likely standard-bearers are the retro-cute 500 minicar for Fiat and--back to the main story here--the larger MiTo for the storied Alfa nameplate.

MiTo shares a platform with Fiat’s mainstream Grande Punto subcompact, which bowed a few years ago and is reportedly slated for a redesign in 2011. Despite that timing, we think the U.S.-market 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo will be basically a “federalized” version of the current car that could run at least two years before needing substantial change. It would be similar to what happened with the Honda Fit, which came here for 2007, late in the first-generation design cycle, and was redesigned for ’09 to “catch up” with other markets.

Speaking of Fit, the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo is about the same size as that Consumer Guide Best Buy Honda, but is trimmed and equipped to compete with upscale small cars like the BMW Mini. Styling takes cues from Alfa’s exotic V8-powered 8C Competizione two-seaters, but engineering is fairly straightforward. The suspension, for example, comprises four coil springs, front struts and a rear twist-beam axle, while the steering is conventional rack-and-pinion, albeit with gas-saving electrohydraulic assist. Also standard are 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, 16-inch wheels, and an antiskid system with traction control, the last unusual among mincars.

The 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo will also feature Alfa’s DNA electronics mapping control. It allows the driver to tailor responses of the powertrain, brakes, steering, and suspension through Dynamic, Normal and All-Weather modes. Another upscale touch is Alfa’s Q2 Electronic system that apportions torque between the front wheels like a mechanical limited-slip differential.

The MiTo is offered in Europe with three 4-cylinder engines: A 78-horsepower 1.4-liter, apparently intended for novice drivers; a turbocharged version with 155 horsepower; and a 1.6-liter 120-horsepower turbocharged diesel. We can’t see the low-suds mill coming here, and the turbodiesel seems equally iffy, so the gas-turbo 1.4 should be mandatory for our 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo. The same goes for a 6-speed manual transmission. There’s no automatic option right now, but Alfa says an automated dual-clutch manual is on the way.

On the safety front, the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo is designed for top ratings in Euro NCAP crash tests, which are similar to U.S. procedures. That’s why front-side and curtain-side airbags will be standard, along with a driver’s knee airbag and, to minimize whiplash injury, so-called “self-aligning” front head restraints. Other features are unclear at this stage, but many Euro-market options should be offered here. The most likely items are a large glass sunroof, premium Bose audio, built-in and/or portable navigation systems, and a voice-activated “Blue & Me” infotainment controller that appears similar to the Ford Sync system and was also developed with Microsoft.

So there you have it. Or at least we think you’ll have it, based on our intel. But if all the stars align for the budding Fiat-Chrysler alliance, the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo looks like a tasty addition to the growing menu of sophisticated, well-equipped small cars that more Americans may be turning to in the near future. In case you hadn’t heard, gas prices are already going up again.

A Notable Feature of the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo

As mentioned, the MiTo comes with a good many electronic driving aids and premium-class safety features. It’s matched in that respect only by the BMW Mini Cooper, which costs rather more than the Alfa should. Also worth noting is the one-and-only 2-door body style, which suits Alfa’s sports-car tradition but may be a deal-breaker for some buyers.

Buying Advice for the 2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo

Though we haven’t yet driven one, the MiTo has garnered mixed reviews from European journalists and from a few American scribes who’ve tried it on its home turf. Most reports show the 1.4 gas-turbo model doing 0-60 mph in some 9 seconds, about a second faster than a base Mini Cooper but a bit adrift of the turbocharged Cooper S. Fuel economy isn’t top-of-class, but is still quite respectable at around 40 mpg overall by most accounts. Negative comments center on an over-firm ride and less-than-Mini-sharp handling, even with the DNA system set to its sportiest “Dynamic” mode, but chassis retuning could make these non-issues for the U.S. model. Reported positives include mechanical refinement, general fit-and-finish and, unsurprisingly, Italian design flair. Reliability? Too early to tell, but the parent Fiat Grande Punto has been pretty good in that respect, which bodes well for the Alfa. Besides, competitive pressures long ago forced Italian cars to be built far better than Americans remember.

Interestingly, Britain’s CAR magazine picked the new Ford Fiesta over both the MiTo and the Mini in a recent comparison test, citing superior value, a higher fun-to-drive quotient, and at least par scores in most other areas. As the Fiesta is coming stateside for 2010, it looms as a strong alternative. So does a just-announced U.S. version of Volkswagen’s Polo. On the other hand, the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa are available now, and both are Consumer Guide Best Buy picks for 2009. Still, the MiTo seems likely to square off here mainly against the Mini, due to those brands’ higher perceived status. Buyers who don’t care about that can save by opting for mainstream labels that would also include Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki, and Toyota.

2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo Release Date: Nothing has been announced yet, but we imagine Fiat will want to bring the MiTo here as soon as possible. Based on what we know now, sales could begin as early as the second quarter of 2010.

2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo First Test Drive: If the above timing proves out, U.S. media previews might be held in late winter or early spring of 2010.

2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo Prices: As noted, the MiTo most likely to be sold in the U.S. is the 1.4 turbo model, which currently base-prices in the UK at around $17,400-$18,400. Given the greenback’s renewed strength against both the pound and the euro, we think the car will come here at about that level. If we’re right, the MiTo would undercut a standard 2009 Mini Cooper hatchback by about $1,000 and the Cooper S version by over $3,000.

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