Alfa Romeo Mi.To: First pictures

In 2007 Alfa secured 7,355 buyers, and hopes to increase this to about 8,500 this year – the brand is understood to be looking for 6,000-7,000 British Mi.To customers in 2009.

“The Mi.To very much has the potential to be our biggest seller in the UK. It will be a fundamental part of our UK range,” said a spokesman, who would not be drawn on anticipated volumes.

The compact model, to be sold with a mix of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines with power outputs ranging from 90 to 155bhp, uses the Fiat Grande Punto sub structure, and will be Alfa’s smallest UK offering since the 1970’s launched Alfasud.

The car will give Alfa a direct competitor to higher specified versions larger sized hatchbacks such as the Renault Clio, the latest Ford Fiesta and imminent replacements for the VW Polo and its Seat Arosa cousin.

It will also provide Alfa’s resurgent parent company Fiat to extend the use of existing sub structures and running gear and help amortise development costs.

The car uses many of the styling idioms seen in recent Alfa models, notably the low volume 8C sportscars, with a deep, triangulated grill, which harks back to cars it built in the 1950s, and rounded headlamps with teardrop shape profiles, echoing the 8C.

Alfa is promising the interior will employ ‘top-quality materials’ and will be assembled with ‘close attention to detail,’ indicating that the company is keen to avoid the hard plastics and basic assembly standards once associated with cheaper Italian cars.

It is also the latest car maker to apply the term ‘DNA,’ to its products, in this instance using it as a name for a three-mode, electronic, engine, transmission, brakes and steering that will be offered on the car.

The Mi.To’s name is said to be an abbreviation of Milano and Torino; areas of Italy closely associated with its makers.