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Alfa Romeo's rennaissance continues with new MiTo
publication date: Mar 12, 2010
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author/source: David Miles
The Mito sporty supermini launched to the UK just over one year ago has been a mighty boost to Alfa Romeo’s UK sales and acquiring new conquest customers to the brand. Speaking to Journalists this week at the press launch for the second generation MiTo models with the new Fiat MultiAir petrol engine Andrew Humberstone managing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK and Ireland said, “The Mito achieved 6,000 UK sales last year which enabled Alfa Romeo to achieve a 52 per cent increase in UK registrations over 2008 and the brands best result for six years.” Alfa Romeo sold a total of 9,067 cars in the UK in 2009, the Mito accounting for two thirds of their sales. In the first two months of this year their sales have increased a further 21 per cent, again driven by demand for MiTo. Humberstone added, “2010 is Alfa Romeo’s centenary year and there are key issues to be addressed with the brand regarding residual values, running costs and the customer experience with our dealers. We have the right products at the right time and the right dealers. Currently we have 50 Alfa Romeo UK dealers but this will increase to 55 by the end of the year and with the brand we have a wonderfully loyal band of owners” “The recent success of Alfa was not brought about by the Scrappage Scheme; we only sold around 800 MiTos through this sales incentive. To further improve our performance we need to return to a multi model portfolio – we cannot do it with one model range such as the second generation MiTo range we are showing today. The introduction of the new C-segment Giulietta this Summer, which replaces the 147, has just had its world debut at the Geneva show and this new range will help us with that.” “Post Scrappage we will be entering the fleet sales channels having been absent for two years so this will bring us incremental business. We already have passion and style with the Alfa Romeo brand and that is what other manufactures strive to obtain.”
Andrew Sproston, sales director for Fiat Group Automobiles UK said,” 75 per cent of customers who have bought MiTo are new to the Alfa Romeo brand, something other manufacturers would love. Traditionally UK Alfa customers were male, they have been older at around 48 to 49 years of age but MiTo has dropped that average by ten years and we now have more or less a fifty-fifty split between male and female drivers.” For the UK market the new MultiAir engines are 1.4-litre, turbocharged, four cylinder petrol units, technology recently introduced in the new Fiat Punto Evo range. The MultiAir system includes variable valve timing, variable valve lift and variable fuel injection modes. The 135bhp version of the unit powers the £15,165 MiTo Lusso and £16,135 Veloce while the new top of the range Cloverleaf model uses a 170bhp version and is priced at £17,895. Over the previous 1.4-litre 120bhp petrol unit the new 135bhp engine sees CO2 reduced by 10 per cent, maximum power increased by 12.5 per cent, fuel consumption reduced by 10 per cent with better throttle response and less turbo lag. Other changes have been made including Start&Stop as standard and modifications to the steering, braking and suspension systems. There is also the option of a new automatic twin-clutch, six-speed gearbox for 135bhp MultiAir Lusso and Veloce models. The price of new MiTo MultiAir models range from £15,165 to £17,895. The existing 1.4-litre non-turbocharged 78 and 95bhp petrol engines remain in the new range with prices starting from £11,945. Sproston said he expects the new MultiAir 135bhp Lusso to be the best selling MiTo model with 35 to 40 per cent of sales. The new top of the range 170bhp Cloverleaf version should achieve 8 per cent of total new MiTo UK sales. Sproston added, “To date 90 per cent of MiTo UK sales have been to retail customers but we expect to increase the number of business user-choosers as the latest generation Multijet ll 1.3-litre 95bhp engine with Start&Stop function as standard, with CO2 emissions of 112g/km returning 65.7mpg, has also been added to the range with Turismo, Lusso and Veloce trim and equipment levels. Prices of these diesel versions range from £13,995 to £15,785. |
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