As Alfa Romeo looks to return to America in the near future, the Italian automaker is currently mulling over plans for its next-generation MiTo, which could be bound for America.
The MiTo, which is short for Milano-Torino, will see a new design for the 2016 model year. But the direction Alfa Romeo plans on going with it hasn’t been set in stone. Its design will play a major role in whether or not the model will appear on American soil.
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Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne wants the next-generation MiTo to make it to America once it’s built on the new Fiat platform that underpins the 500L. The major question is whether it’ll continue being a fun, three-door hatch, which isn’t a viable option for going global, or become a MINI Paceman competitor as a compact crossover offering.
As for what will power the next MiTo, rumor has it that the base model will have a two-cylinder, TwinAir turbo engine borrowed from Fiat. It’ll produce around 100 hp and can run on either biofuel or natural gas. A top-of-the-line MiTo will feature a four-cylinder, turbocharged powerplant with upwards of 200 hp while a plug-in hybrid variant is also in discussion.
Of course the chances of the MiTo making it to America will be contingent on how well the brand does once it’s back in America. At the end of the day, it’ll all have to make financial sense to the automaker.
[Source: Car and Driver]
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