Reinvented Alfa Romeo takes lead from MiTo

Alfa Romeo is winning the public perception battle against the three Rs – rust, reliability and residual values – and is re-inventing itself as a brand which is both sporty and green.

That’s according to UK company head, Damien Dally, who says the MiTo supermini is leading the brand’s resurgence.

The MiTo has lowered the average age of Alfa buyers to less than 40, is attracting female customers turned off by previous Alfas, and is bringing new buyers into the showrooms.

More than seven out of 10 MiTo buyers are new to Alfa, and 45 per cent of them are women.

“We’ve tweaked our marketing message in titles aimed at the female market,” says Dally, “and we are working with PPQ, one of the organisations behind London Fashion Week.

“We are also working on tying the MiTo up with the music scene – one of our plans is to back a band and take it on the road with MiTo.”

The MiTo appeared in the Glass’s Guide top 10 for secondhand values in 2011, and is exceeding CAP valuations. As a gesture of confidence in the car’s reliability, retail customers are being offered a five-year warranty until the end of September.

“Alfa is still a car with emotional pull, but backed by a rational message,” says Dally. “It has premium values and a premium image, but is still very niche.

“We sell 10,000 cars a year in the UK with a two-model line-up and when we launched the 8C Competizione at £140,000 a few years ago we were able to sell them all (500 were built) within minutes.”

Two new versions of the MiTo, powered by an 85bhp two-cylinder petrol engine, will go on sale in the UK within days, priced from £14,150 (for more details click here).

With a CO2 emissions figure of 98g/km they will fall into the 10 per cent company car tax bracket and are eligible for 100 per cent business capital allowance in the first year.

Words by: Headline Auto