Little Alfa TwinAir is a real gem

You probably know by now that the TwinAir is force-fed by a small turbo that spins faster than the lead woman in Street Dance, and it gives a kind of zesty performance you just don’t get in normally-aspirated small petrol engines.

Yes there’s a bit of turbo lag; you can’t get away from it. But the shove as the rev needle spins around the counter to a charismatic thrumming soundtrack is delightful.

The engine seems smoother in the Mito than it has done in some of its other foster homes, but arguably even more fun.

Should you be strong of willpower there’s actually a choice of how you want to drive it, courtesy of Alfa’s DNA drive selector switch.

Going backwards, A is for All-weather, which basically means normal driving settings but allowing for a bit of wheelspin in slippy conditions, along with tighter control over sideways movement.

N is for Natural. Going backwards, A is for All-weather, which basically means normal driving settings but allowing for a bit of wheelspin in slippy conditions, along with tighter control over sideways movement.

Well, that’s how it feels, anyway. In reality, the second of the six gears only just about reaches 40mph, so while you’re giggling away to yourself whacking the gear lever into third, you’re not actually going that quickly at all. It’s all part of the joy.

Another of the happy spin-off factors from the TwinAir system is that even with all the extra turbo and vibration control gubbins it’s a good 10 per cent lighter than other small petrol engines, so the Mito’s front end has a wonderful crispness of turn-in, darting into corners as if its life depends on it.

It always feels so eager to please, and that makes it incredibly likeable.

You can buy a Mito TwinAir in two trim levels; Sprint and Distinctive. Both post the same tax-free 98g/km CO2 output and 67.3mpg fuel economy, but Distinctive cars are the real lookers.

With 17-inch ‘sports’ alloy wheels, red-painted brake callipers, rear parking sensors and a truckload of silver and chrome-effect aesthetic details, it looks as good as the Mito ever has. Very, then.

But even Sprint models get cruise control, Bluetooth, an electronic limited-slip differential, seven airbags, stop-start technology, air conditioning, an alarm and immobiliser, front fog lights and more.

It’s far from Spartan, but place the two models side by side and the extra £1,200 for the Distinctive starts to melt into irrelevance.

There are also myriad ways to customise the car, with colour variations on the outside and inside.

These days most cars are a bit too anodyne; a bit too sterile. But the Mito TwinAir, thanks to some inspired engine modifications and some styling genius on the higher model, is a car with a life - a personality even.

It has split personalities, with its economical, easy-going side dominating in Natural drive mode, but in Dynamic it gives you fun by the bucket.

The fact that you can have both in one great-looking car makes this little Alfa a real gem.