Not another Mi.To

The Alfa Sud is back in the form of the Mi.To.

There she is, the oddly/cutely named Mi.To. It might sound like English, but the Mi bit is for Milano (city of design and all of that sort of thing) and the To bit is for Torino (the city where the car is made and all that sort of thing).

We're not sure how much we like the name, given that the altogether more urgent sounding Furiosa was on the list of candidates. The Mi.To, a tiny, sporty hatch, follows the gorgeous 8C Competizione into the market, and you can see that it's got the same genes. At least visually.

The car will be offered initially with a bunch blown inline fours, ranging from 90 to 155 bhp, but more muscular engines are to follow them into the market. The official launch is scheduled for June and the Mi.To will commercially roll out in July.

The look, as we said, is 8C-like. There's typical Alfa details in the windows, the totally unique grille articulation, though the LED tail lights do look different. Alfa says the chrome surround on the head- and tail- lamps is supposed to "create an ultra-stylish eye-liner effect that underscores the car's style and aggression".

While there weren't any interior pictures as we went to press, Alfa says the dash is spunky, sporty and Italian as well.

Now to the driving related bits. There is a control system that allows you to select driving modes, not unlike the F430's Mannetino. You can demand a sports mode, a normal mode and an all-weather mode.

Selection alters engine, brake, steering, suspension and gearbox settings to almost totally alter the driving feel of the car. Yes, like Alfa says, that's a segment first. The manufacturer is clear that in all modes, the Mi.To will feel like an Alfa Romeo.

That means a sporty ride quality and very little roll. In the European spec, of course, there will be a bunch of electro-nannies designed to keep you on the blacktop and to please the cautious gentlemen at EuroNCAP.