Despite being the most affordable new car in Alfa Romeo’s current lineup, the MiTo hasn’t exactly been a strong seller.
New car buyers are moving towards crossovers and SUVs, and this reflects directly into the numbers, although the fact that it’s been around since 2008 doesn’t exactly help. The Italian brand only has one SUV in its lineup, the Stelvio, but it will be joined by others in the not-too-distant future.
So, will the MiTo live on for a new generation? In its current form, probably not, but the nameplate could be used on a different car, most likely a small crossover. FCA boss Sergio Marchionne hinted at this, AutoExpress reports, while talking to the Press at the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show.
“If there is a MiTo [in the future], I don’t think it will be in the [current] shape. The market has shrunk – two-door B-segment hatchbacks is a very shrinking market. It’s got a limited practicality, so we have to be careful”, Marchionne commented.
The company’s chief, Reid Bigland, admits that there isn’t really much room for the MiTo and the C-segment Giulietta in Alfa Romeo’s range, which he says “is defined by the 4C, Stelvio and Giulia. The Giulietta and MiTo are two very good cars, but they’re not on the same level of Giulia and Stelvio”.
Launched a decade ago and based on the same underpinnings as the Fiat Grande Punto and Opel Corsa D (Fiat had formed a short-lived alliance with GM back then), the Alfa Romeo MiTo remains, for the most part, unchanged since then. It’s offered with a variety of petrol, petrol/LPG and diesel engines, and is available with three transmissions – two manuals, with five and six speeds, and a six-speed dual-clutch.
