Well actually i have seen this MiTo more than a couple of times in Munich already. So its not really new for me. But heard that it has only been recently launched in Singapore. T
hat said, being an Alfa Romeo, this MiTo isn't too common around in Singapore YET. Frankly speaking, i love Alfa Romeos, how it manages to capture the hearts of many car enthusiasts despite the questionable performance. This MiTo is no different from the rest of the Alfa breed. For the car its size which i classify as supermini, its easy to screw up the design, well not ugly per se, but rather boring. Cars that leaves no impression when you see one on the road. Got a couple of examples from land of the rising sun, Toyota Yaris, Nissan March, and from europe we have Renault Clio, Peugeot 107,Volkswagen Polo to name a few. Can't really picture them in your hea
d? Don't worry, you're not getting old. Its just that they leave an impression of probably the time a Goldfish can remember where it is. Anyway back to MiTo. With its sleek design, it was sure to draw some attention while on the road. For me its one of the best lookin
g Superminis out there on our roads. Actually the front reminds me of a certain bug, which i suspect is the huge bug in the movie Monster vs Alien, the one with big round eyes. Sort of cute isn't it?DASH
The moment the door swung opened, my eyes were drawn immediately to the red dashboard trims instead of the friends whom i was meeting for the first time. From first impression, they seemed well build and definitely praiseworthy in the design department. I am personally quite anal about interiors, and i detest cars with horribly designed dashboards no matter how great the exterior looks. Just before i climbed into the backseats, i noticed the frameless windows, loved it. These are things that people love without a need for justification.
BACKROW SEATS
Climbing into the backseats was a little embarrassing and awkward. For anyone who is classified as mildly overweight or more, getting into the back will be a problem. Then agai
n, isn't it always like that for cars with 2 doors? Being 1.78m tall and having a little claustrophobia, i would say the back seats accommodated me pretty well. My head wasn't brushing against the roof and did not feel claustrophobic at the back throughout the 5 hours testdrive. Well done Alfa! The only part from the dashboard that irked me a little was the silver plastic piece on the steering spoke.BELT MONITORING SYSTEM
Above the rearview mirror sits this seat belt monitoring system. What it does is basically beep the hell out of you if you refuse to belt. If my memory didn't fail me, the faster you drive without the seat belt on, the faster it beeps. Great for safety, but not too sure when the sensors go wrong after certain months. Considering this is Alfa Romeo, you decide on the number of months. From the display, the driver can easily tell who is not belted up and with the beeping going, i don't think its hard to persuade the passengers to belt up
. This system will probably solve the problem of uncooperative passengers who refuse to belt up in cabs.ACCELERATION
My friend wasn't too concerned with the concept of frugal driving since petrol wasn't paid for by us. Thus i was thrown back into the seat the moment we set off. Its probably not a WRX or EVO kind of G-force, but certainly unexpected from a car that looked this small and with a 1.4 litre engine. He justified his pedal to metal driving style to bringing out the best of a car. His driving made me realised another part missing, the handle above the window of the backrow passenger seats. While its not important to many, i find security in grabbing one when the ride gets rough.
Knowing that it came equipped with 7 airbags did however ease my fear of crashing through the pearly gates in a MiTo.SOUND INSULATION
Traveled down SLE to Jalan Kayu for lunch. On our way there, noticed that the engine and road noise was pretty loud. I am no sound insulation expert, but i suspect it was due to the frameless windows or lousy tyres. Or perhaps it was due to the slightly aggressive driving style from my friend. We test drove a manual version, thus the RPM was kept a little higher to "bring out the best" of the car. Thus i suspect that was also a contributing factor to the noise. The drive speed certainly felt like what was shown on the speedometer, meaning it doesn't give the same false sense of speed that luxury sedans give. But i wouldn't expect it from a 1.4 litre supermini
with a turbocharger. So its forgiven.MY TEST DRIVE
Test drove the MiTo myself on a stretch of empty road somewhere near Seletar airfield. Don't worry i have a driving license, its just that i haven't got the opportu
nity to drive a manual since the day i passed my driving test 2 and a half years ago. Expecting me to kill the car after a series of heart throbbing jerks? No. That didn't happen throughout my time behind the wheel. Of course it was partly due to my inn
ate driving skill, but the clutch of the MiTo must be credited as well. However one thing the small Alfa didn't impress was the steering feel. Basically it felt like the steering wheel wasn't connected to the wheels. Awesome if you're steering with your mouth, otherwise it unjustifiable. According to the Alfa Website, there are 3 different modes for the heaviness of the steering, i was probably at the lightest mode. Couldn't comment on the other 2 functions as i didn't try it. I was su
ppose to be a photographer remember? Hope those who tried would comment on this. I love options. Whether they work or not is another matter. Although i am not very hopeful that it will work. Just my opinion. Another important part that i noticed were the huge concave side mirrors. They offer really good visibility for the driver, supposedly to compensate for the rearview mirror, which is partly blocked by the middle headrest from the backseats. Yes the car is built to house 3 person at the back. Quite possible i would say, but not something that you want to try on a 3 hours ride to KL. Unless one of them is a kid. A sedated one.LUGGAGE SPACE
For a car this size with a respectable amount of room at the back, what is likely to be compromised?? Thats right, the luggage space. While you can certainly transpo
rt 4 person to KL, i wouldn't guarantee that you can fit the luggage of 4 in the trunk. I am not going to throw you any numbers, but i can tell you it will only fit 2 medium size luggage.NUMBERS
Ok now some numbers for those who are not used to my writing style. Priced at $88,800, certainly a lucky number that might attract some rich superstitious Aunties o
r Uncles, but certainly wouldn't rank too highly on my "is it worth it?" list. Although it comes with 5 year warranty, 6 speed manual, 7 airbags, 155 BHP and brings you all the way up to a turbocharged 215km/h, i would think twice about the practicality, since i could get a camry for 5K more or a very reliable and practical 4 door german Volkswagen Golf. Then again, people who buy Alfas aren't guided by rationality, are they?WHO IS IT FOR THEN?
Without any modification, i would say this is a lady's car. A sweet little one that is. What kind of lady then? Well, one with money of course and doesn't need a big luggage space for travel because her family would very likely have another MPV to do the job. Suitable for doing short shopping trips around singapore in style and with the fiesty little engine, getting her there faster than an average cab would. The only problem is that its Manual. Before i get blasted for being sexist, can you imagine a Tai Tai shifting gears? I can't really. Correct me if i am wrong..
Disclaimer: Whatever written here is based purely on my opinion and they serve to better inform potential buyers. Should any section appear offensive, kindly inform me and appropriate measures will be taken. The above review is written mainly from a passenger point of view and without the actual intention to review. Thus it should be lacking in certain details. Last of all, i would appreciate if you could leave a comment, so that i can better my next review! Till next time!
