2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf First Drive

You have to admire Alfa Romeo's sense of nostalgia. The inspiration for the new 2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf can be traced back to 1923, when works driver Ugo Sivocci presented the Alfa racing team with a four-leafed clover before the start of the Targa Florio. Then as now it was a symbol of good luck, and it has designated a high-performance Alfa Romeo ever since.

Almost a century later, the green-on-white emblem of the "quadrifoglio" is back with the 2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf, the most exciting version of the small MiTo city car.

Now that Alfa has apparently scrapped plans for an ultra-rapid MiTo GTA, the MiTo Cloverleaf has been left to carry the fight to the Mini Cooper S in the battle of Europe's premium superminis.

With 168 horsepower, this MiTo's performance is more warm than scorching, yet the Cloverleaf also debuts some key updates for the MiTo, notably the new low-emissions engine technology from Fiat called MultiAir that soon will be seen on small cars from Chrysler in the U.S.

Clean Power
There is some genuinely clever technology in the new MultiAir engine. Variable valve timing for the inlet valves isn't exactly new (although it's rare to see it applied to a small-displacement engine in an affordable car), but instead of a simple two-mode step-type system, Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) has applied a patented electrohydraulic system with five different variations. Controlled by a Magneti Marelli ECU, the MultiAir operates the intake valve for each cylinder individually; it can even open the inlet valve twice in one intake stroke to optimize combustion.

Here MultiAir is applied to a turbocharged 1,368cc inline-4, and the version for the MiTo Cloverleaf puts out 168 hp. It supersedes the former TB155 engine, and Alfa engineers claim a 10 percent increase in power accompanied by an 8 percent improvement in fuel economy and a 9 percent reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions. This engine also delivers an impressive 184 pound-feet of torque, which helps this car with its six-speed manual transmission sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 7.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 136 mph. In comparison, a Mini Cooper S gets to the 100 km/h mark in 7.0 seconds and runs to 143 mph.

Perhaps this has a compelling and poetic meaning in Italian that has been lost in translation.

Just like every Alfa Romeo MiTo, the Cloverleaf edition has the so-called "DNA" switch for the effort level of the steering assist, the aggression of the throttle action and character of the suspension damping, so you choose between Dynamic, Normal (urban) and All-Weather. The default is Normal, but why is anyone's guess, since the car then feels sloppy and lethargic, which runs contrary to Alfa's brand values. The whole system is an irritating distraction, pointless even in town. Too much of this car feels like it was dictated by a marketing wish list rather than engineering necessity. We just popped the switch into Dynamic and forgot about it.

Driving in the Alfa Way
Opt for Dynamic mode and you get a digital instrument display showing just how hard the turbo's blowing. It puffs away happily, the lag is modest and the sizable kick of thrust seems to suit this diminutive car's character. If only the MiTo Cloverleaf's little 1.4-liter turbo sounded like the small-displacement Alfa engines of old. The engine note is encouraging enough, but true aficionados will miss the evocative cry of a normally aspirated, high-revving, high-compression engine.

The latest MiTo also debuts Alfa Romeo's stop/start technology to improve fuel economy. Just like similar systems recently introduced by other European manufacturers, the system shuts off the engine when the manual transmission is put into neutral while the car is at a halt, thereby saving fuel. When you dip the clutch again, the engine starts and you're on your way. Unfortunately this MiTo sometimes proves reluctant to restart, resulting in awkward and embarrassing moments at stoplights while we pump the clutch to bring the engine to life.

Alfa Romeo is also talking up this car's electronic damping. The DNA Normal mode is supposed to emphasize comfort, with Dynamic offering enhanced agility, but Dynamic offers the best compromise on the winding secondary roads of the English countryside where we drove this car. For us, the enhanced body control makes us feel more comfortable, which is the way an enthusiast will usually respond.

In general the 2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf is more comfortable than a Mini Cooper S, but it trades this against agility. The crisp responses of the Cooper S or even the new Ford Fiesta are missing here. There's no shortage of ultimate cornering grip, but it's not an interactive experience. The electric-assist steering is the culprit, for while Alfa claims to have reworked the algorithms, the result is still disappointingly devoid of feel. You turn the steering wheel and the car changes direction, but you're never quite sure about it. At least the six-speed gearbox now has shorter, crisper throws.

The Architecture of Italy
When it was introduced, the Alfa Romeo MiTo was billed as yet another reawakening for Alfa Romeo. Trading on its enviable if slightly overworked heritage, Alfa would now finally stand as the premium arm of the Fiat empire and the MiTo would be a kind of Italian-built Mini for the thinking individualist.

Such a concept demands a quality product, though, and a couple of years into its life, the MiTo is still trying to deliver. The Cloverleaf tries hard with 17-inch wheels that are supposed to invoke the spirit of the Alfa Romeo 8C supercar, titanium-color outside mirrors and Quadrifoglio badges on the fenders. Alfa says we should also note "the dark finish of the headlight parabolas is achieved by a brand-new metal sublimation technology." Perhaps this has a compelling and poetic meaning in Italian that has been lost in translation.

In any case, the interior of the MiTo Cloverleaf is deliberately understated, a symphony of purposeful black that includes nice touches like the carbon-weave fascia on the dash. The aluminum pedals are also a delight, as are the Italian inscriptions on the dashboard.

But other details disappoint. Some of the switchgear still feels cheap, and the infotainment system is the most excruciatingly counterintuitive we've ever experienced. The seats are handsome to behold, but lack sufficient support for a car with sporting intent. Altogether the MiTo still seems in limbo between city car and driving machine.

Good Luck
Priced at $21,700 in the U.K., the 2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf predictably competes directly with the Mini Cooper S, yet this car still seems to be in limbo between city car and driving machine.

Some cars are more than the sum of their parts, but this Alfa feels very much the opposite. The new turbocharged 1.4-liter engine is terrific, and it's accompanied by so many enticing ingredients that you can't help but feel that there's a great car struggling to break free. In the final analysis, the Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf is another Alfa that you'd buy for its charm and novelty, but not for its brilliance.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.