SEE the green cloverleaf badge on the side of an Alfa Romeo and you know you are in for an exciting drive.

Alfa has always been expert in producing compact cars that are high on enjoyment and blissful handling and the latest to bear the cloverleaf badge of pride is the MiTo which Alfa has pitched at being a glitzy superstar among superminis.

The model bearing the cloverleaf forms part of a significantly revised MiTo range which is designed to make owning an Alfa more attractive by combining lower entry prices with higher standard of specifications and a sub 100g/km low CO2 version for the economy minded.

But most of us buy an Alfa for the sheer excitement this passionate Italian brand can inject into the often humdrum world of everyday motoring.

The range-topping Cloverleaf - or to give its its correct name Quadrifoglio Verde features the revolutionary 1.4 MultiAir 170bhp engine which uses the very latest in petrol power technology to blast from 0-62mph in just 7.5 seconds while delivering a surprisingly efficient 47mpg.

As befits a flagship it boasts SDC active suspension, unique Quadrifoglio Verde Sports alloy wheels and a host of touches inside and out including black Alcantara sports seat upholstery with green stitching.

Other specification star turns are the Alfa DNA three-way selectable drive system, plus Blue&Me Bluetooth in-car information, communication and entertainment system.

But it is on the road where this model really ticks the boxes, especially due to its selective drive modes which can provide everyday, dynamic or poor weather settings.

For me the car would hardly ever be out of dynamic mode because it give the car a road feel akin to some of the great Alfas of the past.

Anyone who looks at the modern range and scoffs that they are not 'real' Alfas should try a drive in this one

With 136mph on tap this car is a force to be reckoned with in the halls of superminis and is one of the ace cards in the pack that has promoted Alfa Romeo from a fringe alternative to a big player in everyday driving.

But economy is to the fore in some ways because the car is fitted with a start/stop system to help with fuel consumption which is remarkably low for a car of this type.

The MultiAir engine is one of the latest new petrol types and can adopt different strategies according to driving situations, with adaptive valve operation is scenarios such as idling, acceleration, city driving and motorway trips.

Above all it is a smooth and accelerative unit that marks a new high in petrol power excellence.