2016 Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4L 5MT FWD (120 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Alfa Romeo MiTo entered its seventh year on the market and went through a facelift in 2013, but the aging model started to show its wrinkles, so the Italian automaker decided to refresh it once again.

The Italian automaker built the MiTo on the same platform as the Fiat Grande Punto and the Opel Corsa. That decision may not have been the most preferred solution for the “alfisti” (the Alfa Romeo fans). Still, the automaker actually made a lot of money because of it. Moreover, the sales for this supermini hatchback were still good. Hence, the car manufacturer decided to facelift it again for the 2016 model year. The car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, and sales started soon after. Alfa Romeo didn’t radically restyle its supermini hatchback, but it still offered it in three grades and made it available with nine colors and a wide choice of wheels ranging between 16 and 18 inches. There were also some changes to the interior, including an updated infotainment system.

Alfa Romeo’s design team couldn’t resist adding a few new touches to the car’s front. As a result, it changed the mesh grille that adorned the Alfa shield and the lower side scoops. While its predecessor featured chromed horizontal slats, the 2016 model year had a hexagonal pattern instead. But still, on the lower part of the bumper, the automaker kept the round fog lamps.

From its profile, the three-door hatchback boasted contrasting door mirror caps and handles, plus a new design for the wheels. Customers could also choose larger wheels, even for the lower grade versions, not just for the potent Quadrifoglio Verde (four cloves). The dark B-post and the frameless windows for the front doors were still something special on the market since only the MiTo and the MINI hatchback had that feature. Alfa Romeo also slightly updated the car’s look from behind, which sported new LED taillights with burnished surroundings.

Inside, customers were greeted by a well-built cabin fitted with high-bolstered front seats. As an option, they could get a set of Seabelt sports seats with integrated headrests. Fronting the driver was the same binocular-styled instrument cluster featuring large dials for the speedometer and rev counter and smaller gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature. The center console housed the switch for the DNA drive mode selector and the gear stick. On the center stack, the Italian automaker added the 5-inch touchscreen of the infotainment system. Customers could connect to it via a dedicated app, which was available in the Apple Store or Google Play Store. That app, named Uconnect LIVE, allowed them to get more than 35 million songs. Thanks to the Internet connection via mobile phone, the car could also connect to over 100,000 online radio stations. In the back, the split-folding (60/40) bench seat could hardly accommodate more than two people.

Under the hood, Alfa Romeo kept a choice of three gasoline engines, two turbodiesel powerplants, and one fueled by CNG. The automaker also offered customers the option to get a six-speed TCT (dual clutch) automatic gearbox that sent its power to the front wheels only.