Introduction
The Cloverleaf is a hotter Alfa Romeo MiTo, but it's more of a warm version than a full-on hot hatchback. This is a popular area of the market now, as cash-strapped enthusiasts seek ever more affordable ways to get their thrills and keep running costs to a minimum.
What are its rivals?
SEAT's punchy Ibiza Bocanegra, the similar but bland Volkswagen Polo GTI and the excellent Skoda Fabia vRS are the heavy hitting competitors from the Volkswagen Group. On home turf, there's the Ford Fiesta Zetec S, which isn't the fastest hatchback out there, but it's tremendous fun to drive.
For similar money, you can also upgrade to a genuine hot hatch - the RenaultSport Clio 200. It's slightly more expensive to run, but it's a fantastic driver's car and practical to boot.
How does it drive?
The MiTo is fitted with a 1.4-litre 170bhp MultiAir engine. MultiAir is the latest invention from Alfa's parent company, the Fiat Group, and, thanks to some clever tinkering beneath the bonnet it theoretically creates an excellent mix of performance and economy - depending on how the driver behaves obviously. It will hit 62mph in a brisk 7.5 seconds and carry on until 136mph. You still get a healthy 47.1mpg and low emissions of 139g/km, though.
Alfa's DNA system (Dynamic, Normal and All Weather) allows the driver to change the characteristics of the car at the flick of a small silver switch, mounted on the centre console. Leave it in Normal or All Weather mode and the Cloverleaf is, to be honest, rather sluggish. There's a flat spot at low revs and it's very difficult to get it going without really putting your foot down.
Switch to Dynamic mode and everything changes. Many modern cars have variable settings that usually range from slightly more comfortable to mildly sporty, but we've never known a car to demonstrate such a huge difference in performance just by flicking a switch. In Dynamic mode, the MiTo's suspension becomes firmer, the steering is meatier and there's less intrusion from the driving aids, which usually numb the experience.
The flat spot at low revs disappears and the whole car - particularly the engine - becomes so much more responsive and hugely improved. An electronic turbo boost gauge pops up on the screen between the dials in Dynamic mode, too.
The six-speed manual gearbox is a little sloppy, but it's easy enough once you get used to it and the four-cylinder engine makes a pleasant, fruity soundtrack at any speed.
What's impressive?
The transformation when you select the sportier setting. Do it on the move and the MiTo lurches forward with an extra burst of acceleration, which demonstrates how strong a transformation it really is.
There's no denying that the MiTo is a handsome thing. Alfa has long been renowned for making fun little cars with tasty looks and the trend has certainly continued. The green Cloverleaf badges along the flanks suggest that this model is a bit special and the yellow paintwork and grey alloy wheels made our test car appear especially striking.
What's not?
The interior. Alfa's build quality and reliability record has been patchy and a cheap interior like this doesn't instil any confidence at all.
The dashboard itself is shapely and quite attractive, but it's covered in pretend carbon fibre (i.e. tacky plastic), as are the door inserts. The whole inside of the car just doesn't seem well put together. It's not just the materials either, as the handbrake and gear levers feel flimsy and the dodgy stereo fascia and rectangular digital display looks at least 25 years old.
Inexperienced drivers may struggle with the handling, too. The ride is very hard, so the MiTo is easily unsettled on rough surfaces and prone to wobbling around. Grip is limited and it's quite easy to unsettle the car by altering your acceleration or braking during a corner. That actually makes it quite good fun for experienced drivers, but a bit scary for anyone else.
Should I buy one?
As a warm hatch with great looks, sprightly performance and low running costs, the MiTo Cloverleaf is a good package. The sad thing is that it's let down by poor build quality, reliability worries and lacklustre performance in anything but Dynamic mode. That means the theoretical blend of performance and economy will be hard to achieve - you'll either get one or the other depending on what setting you choose.
It can be tremendous fun on the right road at the right time, but as an all-rounder, the Cloverleaf is flawed. A good hot or warm hatch should be suitable to live with every day and robust enough to cope with a daily commute. Unfortunately, the MiTo just doesn't seem well built enough to cut it with the considerably stronger competition.
