| First Drive | Balocco, Italy | 2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo MultiAir |

Which car makers come to mind when you think 'cutting-edge automotive engine technology'? The smart money says you didn't list an Italian in the top five. Yet Alfa Romeo has its own list, one that says things like Twin Spark and Common Rail on it. The latter technology was sold onto Bosch and revolutionised turbodiesel development, something the Fiat Group is hoping to do again for petrol engines with its new MultiAir technology. It debuts on the 2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo.

In the Metal

Though there are a few detail changes to the 2010 MiTo, you're unlikely to notice them - unless it's a car finished in the new Tornado Blue colour you're looking at that is. As the MiTo itself looks the same, the metal of interest is in the new MultiAir technology. Although you'll not see much by lifting the bonnet, the inlet camshaft is replaced by individual electro-hydraulic actuators, working on each of the four pairs of inlet valves. This obviates the need for the traditional throttle valve, which has always been a significant source of 'pumping losses' at part throttle.

There have been other systems that operate on the same principle, but Alfa's is notably compact, relatively light and remarkably simple. A mechanical cam lobe is still included on the exhaust camshaft, but it represents the maximum opening duration and lift of the inlet valves. It is linked hydraulically to the valves, so the timing, duration and lift of the valves may be altererd independently by varying the pressure in the hydraulic line. For the first time, even 'multi-lift' is possible, allowing engineers much more freedom in how they tune the engine.

So how does that benefit the driver? Well, across the board actually. Power is up 10 percent - low-end torque even more - while CO₂ and fuel consumption are reduced by similar margins. The first application of MultiAir will be to a range of 1.4-litre petrol engines fitted to the Alfa MiTo.

What you get for your Money

We're not yet entirely sure what the prices will be for the new range of Alfa MiTos, but it's fair to assume they'll offer plenty of bang for their buck and still return decent economy. The entry-level naturally aspirated engine puts out 104bhp and 96lb.ft of torque, allied with 136g/km of CO₂ and 48.7mpg. Those figures don't sound too bad, but the two turbocharged variants are more impressive overall. The range-topper is a 168bhp version that also produces up to 184lb.ft of torque and yet returns 47.1mpg and 139g/km.

Here we concentrate on the 133bhp model. In Sport mode - on overboost - this has up to 152lb.ft of torque at its disposal. It posts a respectable 8.4-second 0-62mph time and manages 50.4mpg on the combined cycle, with CO₂ emissions rated at 129g/km. Those figures compare well to the MINI Cooper. Like the MINI, all MultiAir engined MiTos will feature stop-start to cut the engine out at a standstill. Eventually the function will be rolled out across the entire range.

Driving it

In terms of ride and handling the conventionally damped version of the MiTo doesn't feel all that different to the actively suspended Cloverleaf model, while the 'D.N.A.' switch alters the car's personality in terms of steering assistance, electronic safety threshold, throttle response and torque curve. The more modestly powered 133bhp variant is a well-balanced car and though a turbocharger is present there's little evidence of it in terms of power delivery. Sure, it gives its best at low revs, but there is virtually no lag to speak of - it just feels like a bigger engine than the 1.4-litre capacity would suggest.

Worth Noting

While improvements in the order of 10 percent are to be applauded, you get the feeling that the MiTo is only the beginning of a long journey for the MultiAir technology. The Fiat Group reckons it will eventually be on all of its cars, as it's completely modular. One engineer confirmed that next year we'll see the arrival of a new turbocharged two-cylinder engine featuring MultiAir suitable for a nippy city car. He wouldn't be drawn on whether there'd be an Alfa version.

Summary

We'll admit that the improvements MultiAir result in, while impressive, are not groundbreaking; however, it's merely the beginning. If nothing else, the new powerplants bring the MiTo closer to its key MINI rival than ever before. It seems there's life in the old petrol engine yet.