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13/12/2010
By MURRAY HUBBARD
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As Volkswagen Group continues to eye off Fiat’s Alfa Romeo brand with a view to take-over, the Italian company itself has taken an up one aspect of the German maker’s success: the dual clutch transmission. It has launched the first of a family of TCT – Twin Clutch Transmissions – in the pocket-rocket MiTo, which it says will transform sales of the lively hatch in Australia. The TCT transmissions will filter into other Alfa models as upgrades occur. VW launched its version of the dual clutch transmission – DSG – several years ago and it is now common in VW Group’s volume brands, VW, Audi and Skoda.
“The (TCT) gearbox could not be better suited to Australian conditions,” said Andrei Zaitzev, general manager for Alfa Romeo in Australia. “It has the performance and fuel consumption of an equivalent manual gearbox and when called upon responds with the speed and dynamism of a manual transmission.”
In addition to the new transmission the three-door Alfa MiTo also gets the latest version of the MultiAir engine and fuel-saving stop/start technology. The new gearbox is available in two Mito models, MiTo TCT at $31,990 and the upgraded MiTo Sport TCT at $34,990 both using a 99 kW 1.4 litre engine. Two other models complete the range, MiTo six speed manual with a 114 kW engine at $29,990 and the top of the range MiTo QV with a six speed manual and 125kW engine. These 1.4 litre turbo charged engines are members of the Alfa Romeo `Fire’ family powerplants.
Alfa’s version of the dual clutch transmission was developed in-house by Fiat Group’s engine designers FPT. It is a six speed unit with a traditional changer with Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive. Drivers have the option of using paddles mounted on the steering wheel for sporty driving. The one on the left downshifts and one on the right upshifts.
At the launch in Sydney we drove the MiTo TCT Sport over a route of heavy city traffic, highway, twisting roads and suburban commuter runs around the northern beaches. While purists may question and auto transmission in a sporty car – even a micro mini – the dual clutch system is a revelation in the MiTo. There is a secret to getting the best out of the system which is selection of `Dynamic’ mode which turns this `City’ car into an exciting sports machine at the flick of a switch.
Alfa call it their DNA system which enables the driver to set the car up for local conditions or the driver mood. In Dynamic mode it gives quicker throttle response, the steering becomes sharper and the handling more agile. There’s also an All-Weather mode for slippery conditions and a standard mode. We drove the city leg of the road test in standard mode which suits that style of stop-start driving with speeds under 60 km/h.
The transition to Dynamic is both brief and dramatic with the car undergoing a personality by-pass. Best of all it is really suited to the dual-clutch transmission which revels in taking on the high revs and getting the best out of the engine. The MiTo is a true Alfa when it comes to handling and in Dynamic mode eats corners at speed. The gearshift paddles are connected to the steering wheel, not the column, so it is easy to select gears as you are negotiating sharp corners for the slow-in, fast-out technique.
While we really liked the dual clutch transmission, we came away less in love with the stop/start technology. Luckily there’s a button to turn this off and if we owned the MiTo this is one button that would remain in the off position. The system works by turning the engine off when the vehicle is stationary in most – but not all - conditions. When you depress the accelerator the engine starts and moves from neutral into drive. We found it a clumsy system compared to others we have tested and did not like the de-activation of the hill start function which enables the car to roll backwards between engine re-start and depressing the accelerator to engage the transmission.
The new MiTo TCT and QV are powered by the latest variant of Alfa Romeo’s 1.4 litre engines with `MultiAir’ technology, a Fiat patented design. The goal of the system is to deliver high-performance while also reducing emissions and improving fuel use. The system works by taking more control of the quantity and characteristics of air drawn into the cylinders in the combustion cycle by the use of four solenoid valves, one for each cylinder. These have five phases which adjust valve timing and lift to suit different engine speeds and loads, all aimed at maximising combustion efficiency.
The bottom line is both performance and economy. The MiTo 114 kW version scoots from 0-100 km/h in 8.0 seconds with a combined economy of 6.5 litres/100 km. The MiTo TCT with the 99 kW engine goes from 0-100 km/h in 8.2 seconds with a combined economy of just 5.5 litres/100 km and the MiTo QV with the 125 kW engine sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds with a combined economy of 6.0 litres/100 km. MiTo has a European 5-Star ANCAP rating and includes seven airbags and crash-saving ESP technology.
MODELS AND PRICING*
Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 litre 114 kW 6-speed manual $29,990
Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 litre 99 kW 6-speed TCT $31,990
Alfa Romeo MiTo Sport 1.4 litre 99 kW 6-speed TCT $34,990
Alfa Romeo MiTo QV 1.4 litre 125 kW 6-speed manual $34,990
(*Pricing does not include dealer delivery or government charges) |
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