The Anglo-German wonder car for the junior jet set works best as a Cooper or turbo Cooper S, not as a simplified One. Without the bells and whistles, the accessories and accoutrements, the MINI mojo is less potent and more vulnerable to competition like Fiat Group’s two teen supermodels in this story. Even though the MINI One is nimble, likeable and all, it is ultimately outpaced by the Mito and 500.
The fantastic Fiat is a thing of beauty and a joy to drive. Even specifying a 500 in the showroom is unusually enjoyable thanks to the dressy decals, terrific interior trims and cheery body colours available. Extroverts will probably go for Cha Cha Cha Azure, Ye Ye Green or our test car’s Tropicalia Yellow. But everyone will adore the 500 for its Italian charisma, sweet character and unburstable energy.
Zest is what the MiTo has in abundance. Its outright performance is in hot hatch territory and its cockpit is an Italian temple of speed. Best of all, this new-age Alfa is also a practical proposition that would serve well as a young executive’s daily driver. Unfortunately, there are question marks over the MiTo’s ride and handling, build integrity, fancy electronics and even its Alfa-ness. And the manual transmission limits the MiTo’s sales potential in a marketplace that prefers automatics, but a dual-clutch version is in the pipeline.
Here and now, the Alfa Romeo MiTo is the victor in this little chic flick.
Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 (A)
ENGINE
Capacity 1368cc
Cylinder layout Inline-4
Valves 16, DOHC
Bore x stroke 72mm x 84mm
Compression ratio 9.8:1
Power 155bhp at 5500rpm
Torque 230Nm at 3000rpm
TRANSMISSION
Type 6-speed manual
Driven Wheels Front
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed 215km/h
0-100km/h 8 seconds
Consumption 15.4km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs
Rear Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
Front Ventilated discs
Rear Discs
TYRES
Type Goodyear Excellence
Size 195/55 R16
SAFETY
ABS Yes
Airbags 7
Traction Control Yes, with VDC
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4063mm
Width 1720mm
Height 1446mm
Wheelbase 2511mm
Kerb Weight 1145kg
Power to Weight Ratio 135.4bhp/tonne
Turning Circle 11.3m
BUYING IT
Price $93,800 incl. COE
Warranty 3 years/60,000km
+ Hearty yet thrifty performance, decent quality and practicality, character in the design and drive
– Bouncy handling and busy ride, gearbox needs manual labour, styling not universal in its appeal
MINI One 1.4 (A)
ENGINE
Capacity 1397cc
Cylinder layout Inline-4
Valves 16, DOHC
Bore x stroke 77mm x 75mm
Compression ratio 11:1
Power 95bhp at 6000rpm
Torque 140Nm at 4000rpm
TRANSMISSION
Type 6-speed automatic with manual select
Driven Wheels Front
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed 180km/h
0-100km/h 12.6 seconds
Consumption 15.4km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs
Rear Z-axle, coil springs
BRAKES
Front Ventilated discs
Rear Discs
TYRES
Type Continental ContiPremiumContact 2
Size 175/65 R15
SAFETY
ABS Yes
Airbags 6
Traction Control No
MEASUREMENTS
Length 3699mm
Width 1683mm
Height 1407mm
Wheelbase 2467mm
Kerb Weight 1175kg
Power to Weight Ratio 81bhp/tonne
Turning Circle 10.7m
BUYING IT
Price $92,800 incl. COE
Warranty 3 years/90,000km
+ Motoring chic and cachet, pleasant, relaxed dynamics, German quality standards
– Basic power and performance, a lot less space than style, paying for the prestige and image
Fiat 500 1.4 (A)
ENGINE
Capacity 1368cc
Cylinder layout Inline-4
Valves 16, DOHC
Bore x stroke 72mm x 84mm
Compression ratio 10.8:1
Power 100bhp at 6000rpm
Torque 131Nm at 4250rpm
TRANSMISSION
Type 6-speed automated manual
Driven Wheels Front
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed 182km/h
0-100km/h 10.5 seconds
Consumption 15.9km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES
Front Ventilated discs
Rear Discs
TYRES
Type Yokohama S.drive
Size 195/45 R16
SAFETY
ABS Yes
Airbags 7
Traction Control Yes, with ESP
MEASUREMENTS
Length 3546mm
Width 1627mm
Height 1488mm
Wheelbase 2300mm
Kerb Weight 930kg
Power to Weight Ratio 107.5bhp/tonne
Turning Circle 9.3m
BUYING IT
Price $89,900 incl. COE
Warranty 3 years/60,000km
+ Loveable looks, with loads of options, designer cabin, with surprising space, lively yet friendly on the move
– Big bumps throw it into disarray, feels flat if you don’t drive it flat out, some interior quality niggles
