Who knew that matte grey could be such a divisive colour? It put the Alfa Mito – pronounced mee toe – Quadrifoglio Verde – pronounced Quadrifoglio Verde – at a distinct disadvantage during a straw poll among my colleagues.

The styling proved less divisive, drawing some inspiration from the 8C Competizione while the flared arches, twin exhaust and red Brembo brake callipers hiding behind exclusive 18in alloy wheels help set the sporting tone. For history buffs the Cloverleaf badges on the wings and shield grille hark back to Alfas of old.

That sporting theme continues on the inside, with carbon-effect dashboard and door trims, flat-bottomed steering wheel and, a £2,000 option in my test car, carbon fibre-backed bucket seats with integrated logos.

Standard equipment on the QV includes rear parking sensors, cruise control, manual climate control and Uconnect – yes, the same system hackers used to crash a Jeep Cherokee from the comfort of their own sofas – colour touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav, Bluetooth and voice recognition.

First of all let’s talk about those seats. Being fast just isn’t enough for a hot hatch these days, they have to be practical and comfortable and, well, the bucket seats fitted to my test car don’t fulfil that brief. They’re hard, lack adjustment and the side bolsters made climbing in and out more of an ordeal than it really should be.

Personally – and I have to confess to not having tried them out – I would probably save my £2,000 and stick with the standard sports seats which are height adjustable, on the driver’s side, with lumbar support for both front seat occupants.

Then there’s the Uconnect system with its five-inch touchscreen. Five inches might be fine for a phone, generous even, but trying to hit your target in a car, even a stationary one, can be frustrating at the best of times, particularly if you're fingers err on the fat side!

The sat nav didn’t function flawlessly either. On a number of occasions while driving through London it lost its bearings, which essentially meant it was as frequently as lost as I was. It harked back to the Days when my other half used to do the map reading!

The quality of the interior is high, with the exception of a few buttons. The materials feel nice to the touch - in case you’re prone to stroking them - and the switchgear is well-placed and easy to operate. If it wasn’t for that pesky touchscreen...

Under the bonnet (where else?) sits a 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged petrol engine which produces 168bhp. It’s coupled to Alfa’s Twin Clutch Transmission (TCT) which can be used as a pure automatic or operated via the paddles on the steering column.

It does have a tendency to hang onto gears during acceleration but can be a little hesitant during a downshift which can create a bit of an issue at junctions. It's no slouch, however, with 62mph arriving in a respectable 7.3 seconds.

The ride is firm, but rarely uncomfortably so, and the springs handle most imperfections on the road relatively well. The steering is nicely weighted but it can be a little vague. You can still press on with reasonable confidence, however, as there’s more than enough grip from the front tyres on turn in.

Maximum torque, 184lbft, is available at 2,500rpm but only in Dynamic mode, which also sharpens up the throttle and brakes, tightens up the steering and makes the electronic control systems a little less intrusive.

Select Natural for a more neutral drive, optimised for fuel consumption or, when conditions are less than ideal All Weather mode ensures that the electronics cut in earlier.

Add them all together and you get Alfa D.N.A. and you’ll find the selector switch just behind the gear lever.

The engine note could be a little more inspiring, but the cabin is generally well insulated from the outside world. In fact, if you’ve acted wisely and stuck with the standard front seats then chances are you’ll rather enjoy the ride but rear-seat passengers fare less well.

Legroom is always going to be limited in the back of a car this size but what I wasn’t prepared for is the lack of headroom. I’m 6ft 1in and my scalp was pressing against the headlining. It completely ruined my quiff!

The boot will swallow 270 litres of luggage, but the lip isn’t flush with the floor. In fact, it’s a sizeable distance to the bottom which could make lifting heavy items in and out difficult. The rear badge doubles as the boot release. It’s a nice touch that helps keep the rear end tidy.

The Mito QV is handsome, well built and reasonably rapid. It is also competitively efficient in Natural mode although the fuel economy takes a bit of a hit when you opt for Dynamic.

It's not without its flaws, however and its hot hatch credentials are damaged by its lack of composure, flexibility and driveability compared to the very best in its class. It’s also let down by a gearbox that can be inconsistent at times. However, for all its flaws, it's not difficult to love the little Alfa. The question is, could I love it enough to spend £20,000 of my own money on one?

Oh, go on then!

Alfa Romeo Mito Quadrifoglio Verde

Price: £20,300

As tested: £25,110

Engine: 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo Petrol

Transmission: 6-speed TCT

Power: 168bhp

Torque: 184lbft @ 2,500rpm (Dynamic mode only)

Maximum speed: 136mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 7.3 sec

Urban: 40.4mpg

Extra urban: 64.2mpg

Combined: 52.3mpg

Emissions (CO2): 24g/km

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