FIRSTDRIVE:ALFA ROMEO MITO MULTIAIR: The new Alfa Romeo MiTo's MultiAir engine is impressively economical, writes PADDY COMYN
WHILE THE Italian motor industry may have made its name from its styling prowess, it’s not just car fans with their HB pencils and colouring-in sets who should take the credit. Those who get down and dirty under the bonnet also deserve credit. For while Italian cars may have showed weaknesses in the past over electrics and bodywork, the engines have always been built to last.
The Fiat Group in particular is well known for its pioneering work in relation to diesel technology, and now it has just released details of some new engine wizardry, which it hopes will again spark interest in the petrol engine, which in recent years has been viewed a bit like the wicked brother to the seemingly angelic diesel engine.
Making its debut in a new Alfa Romeo MiTo is MultiAir, a new engine technology that operates on petrol engines but is planned for diesel too in the not-too-distant future.
Brace yourself for a bit of science: MultiAir allows the intake valves to be controlled independently of the camshaft. Here, instead of the valves simply adding the fuel at fixed intervals, the computer can manage the most appropriate time to open and close the intake valve to achieve the lowest consumption.
The end results are impressive. Compared with similar petrol engines, the MultiAir offers an increase of power of up to 10 per cent, and torque of up to 15 per cent, while at the same time offering 10 per cent better fuel economy and 10 per cent fewer emissions. There is also a reduction of particulate emissions of up to 40 per cent and NOx emissions by up to 60 per cent.
All these figures relate to Fiat’s new 1.4-litre unit. It will be sold as a naturally aspirated version, with 105bhp as the Mito’s new entry-level engine, with emissions of 136g/km. Next up is the first of the turbocharged units with 135bhp, with peppy if vocal performance and lower emissions of 129g/km.
At the top of the range will be a return to the use of the Cloverleaf badge, used decades ago to signify high performance versions of Alfa Romeos, and it will adorn the 170bhp MultiAir. The Quadrifoglio Verde can manage the 0-100km/h sprint in just over seven seconds while managing to return 4.8l/100km, with CO2 emissions of just 139g/km. This version also gets a new active suspension system, and, for the time being, will be the flagship of the MiTo variant.
All of these new MultiAir versions gain Stop/Start technology, an increasingly common addition to new cars, which works by shutting off the engine when the gearbox is put into neutral at standstill, such as at traffic lights. This serves to reduce CO2 emissions and to improve fuel economy.
On Alfa Romeo’s Balocco test circuit, we tried two of the new cars, the 135hp and the Quadrifoglio 170bhp version. The lower-powered version is reasonably good to drive, but still suffers from a lack of steering feedback, something we have found with all MiTos. Despite the engine’s undoubted talent for frugal consumption, it doesn’t have the sort of sound that Alfisti from years gone by will demand.
The higher-powered Quadrifoglio is a much better proposition. It has a slightly more aggressive falsetto, and the active suspension keeps the car much flatter through tight bends. Neither car can quite match the talent and fun of a well-sorted Mini Cooper S. Yet the MiTo does have a charm that warrants closer inspection by potential buyers in this class.
It’s likely to be the new year before we see these new Alfa MiTo models coming to Ireland. Before then, buyers can expect some tempting offers on the current unsold fleet. Prices are likely to be about €18,000 for the 105bhp version, rising to about €28,000 for the 170bhp.
Factfile: Alfa Romeo MiTos
1.4 MPI 105BHP
Engine:1,368cc 4-cylinder petrol engine putting out 105hp and 130Nm torque
Transmission: six-speed manual gearbox, front wheel drive
Max speed:187km/h
0-100km/h:10.7 secs
Economy:5.8l/100km
CO2 emissions:136g/km
Tax:Band B, €156 annual road tax
Price:estimated €19,000
1.4 MPI 135BHP
Engine:1,368cc four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine putting out 135hp and 180Nm torque
Transmission:five-speed manual gearbox, front wheel drive
Max speed:207km/h
0-100km/h:8.4 secs
Economy:5.6l/100km
CO2 emissions:129g/km
Tax:Band B, €156 annual road tax
Price:estimated €23,000
1.4 MPI 170BHP
Engine:1,368cc four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine putting out 170hp and 230Nm torque
Transmission:six-speed manual gearbox, front wheel drive
Max speed:219km/h
0-100km/h:7.5 secs
Economy:6l/100km
CO2 emissions:139g/km Tax: Band B, €156 annual road tax
Price:estimated €28,000