TwinAir engine for Alfa’s MiTo

Fiat Group has extended the availability of its much-admired TwinAir petrol engine to the Alfa Romeo MiTo.

TwinAir versions of the supermini are now on sale priced from £14,150.

Additionally all cars sold before 30th September will get the standard three-year warranty extended to five years.

The remarkable 875cc two-cylinder turbocharged TwinAir engine has clocked up several awards for what its creators describe as petrol performance with diesel economy and emissions.

The achievement centres on electro-hydraulic valve control of the 84bhp unit.

In the MiTo it hits 62mph from rest in 12.5 seconds and will go on to 108mph, yet according to Alfa Romeo it also returns plus 67mpg fuel consumption and a tax-busting 98g/km emissions figure.

This makes the car highly attractive for fleets, with a benefit-in-kind tax rate of just 10 per cent.

In the MiTo the unit is combined for the first time with Alfa Romeo’s DNA selector, with Natural, Dynamic and All-Weather modes varying the engine torque by up to 26lbft.

The £14,150 price tag buys the MiTo Sprint with a standard equipment list including 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights, manual climate control and Alfa’s Blue&Me system with Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and a USB media system.

For £ 15,350 the car can be had in Distinctive trim, extending the alloys to 17 inches and also adding red-painted Brembo brake calipers, rear parking sensors and chrome/aluminium detailing.

There’s also a new paint option for TwinAir-powered MiTos, dubbed metallic Ametista Black.

Words by: Andrew Charman