Alfa's zesty hot hatch

"Owning an Alfa is a portal through which all petrolheads must pass if they genuinely want to know what it is that differentiates a car from a toaster," says Jeremy Clarkson in The Sunday Times. There are better small cars if you want a household appliance, but if you're a true car lover, what you'll really want is an Alfa.

And the new Alfa Romeo Mito Cloverleaf is a worthy example, says Autocar. It has Fiat's revolutionary MultiAir engine technology, which gives more power and better efficiency, and the changes to the dampers, steering and gearbox make the Cloverleaf a big improvement over previous Mitos. It is now the "characterful, desirable and entertaining hot hatch that it should have been from the get-go".

It's the best Mito we've driven, says Ollie Marriage in Evo. It's not a "hardcore charger in the mould of the Clio 200, but instead trades outright driver appeal for a good measure of refinement and ride comfort". In its sportiest driving mode, the Mito is "zesty" and "poky enough to keep you entertained", with a "cracking drivetrain, able to stand comparison with the Cooper S".

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The brilliant 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo engine delivers 170bhp and the engine loves to be revved, says Graeme Lambert in AutoExpress. It's "mated to a slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox, while the exhaust emits a pleasing growl that inspires you to press on". It's no hardcore hatch in the mould of the illustrious Cloverleaf racers of the past but it still "sounds great, and is a fast and agile choice".

Price: £17,895.