Alfa Romeo is back in the small car market with a new and stylish small car called the MiTo. The MiTo has the Mini in its focus as the key competition, with its emphasis on being a new and trendy car for the younger driver. The MiTo's three-door design is an integral part of this sporty look. There is no mistaking the Alfa heritage; the front end design confirms its place among the Italian family.

Alfa Romeo has impressed with the styling and look of the new compact MiTo three door small car. There are enough engine options to suit most buyers, even if the entry price seems a little steep at €18,995.

The front end carries a more compact look of the 159. As in the 159, the front number plate spot relocated to the left of centre in the bumper, to continue that theme. There are some differences in a sense an evolution of the 159 design. The MiTo headlamps are rounded shape and this, coupled with the raised centre in the bonnet, gives it a distinctive look. The test car was a red MiTo and I believe that this is the best colour for the MiTo, as you won't mistake its Alfa heritage for anything else.

The entry level Turismo models come with electric power assisted steering and a Vehicle Dynamic Control system, which Alfa claim is an mix of ABS, Anti Slip Regulation and Brake Assistant, plus Hill Holder, all as standard. That's considered a good specification deal.

The standard pack also includes electrically adjustable and heated colour-coded door mirrors and bumpers. The standard deal includes manual air conditioning, electric, one-touch window operation plus an RDS radio with CD and MP3 reader.

All Alfa MiTo Turismo versions come with 16" wheels with unique design trims and 195/55 tyres, all adding that dashing look. There's a choice of cabin colours for what is a modern interior design. I found that there was some distracting reflection in the recent strong sunlight.

The safety features include driver, passenger, front side, window and driver's knee airbags, along with fast-reaction LED rear lights and a fire prevention system. The front passenger airbag can also be de-activated for a baby seat. The driver's knee airbag is a first in this car size and it added to the MiTo success in securing a five star safety rating in the Euro NCAP crash test.

The Mito test car that I had was powered by a lively 1.4 litre turbo-petrol engine. This powerful and tidy size engine achieved a power output of 155bhp. I found that it needed high revs to get there. Even with the matched six speed gearbox you end up revving to well over the 2,500 rpm mark to achieve a 120km/hr cruising speed on a motorway. The fact that the test car was fitted with a speedo in miles rather than kilometres almost caught me on the hop more than once.

High revs always compromises fuel economy. This was not as severe as I had expected in the MiTo. I found that the car achieved a fuel consumption figure of close to 6.5 litres/100km (43.5mpg) across a range of driving conditions.

While that's poorer than many other modern small car, you have to consider the level of power and the fact that the MiTo can achieve a 0 to 100km/hr acceleration time of just eight seconds. In the case of the Mito, the higher fuel consumption figure is just part of a power compromise in a car that can accelerate so well.