A TWEAKED version of the award winning two cylinder TwinAir engine is making its debut in the latest Alfa Romeo MiTo hatchback.

Spruced up and with more equipment inside, the new MiTo is arriving just months before Alfa revises its larger hatch, the Giulietta.

Priced from £14,350 the new MiTo TwinAir is the entry level car in an 11 model line up which tops out at £18,995 for the sporty Quadrifoglio Verde.

The latest TwinAir engine - created by parent company Fiat and voted Engine of the Year in 2011 - has been uprated from 85 to 105ps and the extra power plugs the gaps in its performance.

With a top speed of 114mph and a 0 to 60 acceleration time of 11.4 seconds it is noticeably nippier than before yet remains highly economical.

That's if driven gently and officially it is rated at 67.3mpg with emissions of 99g/km.

In the real world expect something in the region of 50 to the gallon which is a result of the quirky nature of the two cylinder set up.

It is a raspy little 875cc turbo which needs working on the open road.

Around town it's perfectly suited and that is where the best economy arrives, aided by stop/start.

Give it some beans - and you have to for motorway work - and it is obviously thirstier and demands full use of the six speed box.

For a little car the MiTo rides acceptably although the steering would benefit from a more positive feel in any of the three drive modes which are available from Alfa's DNA system.

This is equipment which is available on all of its cars and changes the characteristics from a natural setting to a sportier dynamic mode which increases throttle response and the weight of the steering.

There is also an all weather setting for poor road conditions and it's a feature which helps set Alfa apart.

The real appeal of the MiTo is its trendy looks and on the new versions that is enhanced with additional brightwork in the triangular grille and around the lights.

It is a stand out effect while inside the finish is also fun and funky with some adventurous colour schemes including a red finished dashboard which fades into darker hues towards the windscreen.

The new models are now fitted with Alfa's Uconnect entertainment and communications system which has a five-inch touchscreen at its heart and can deliver TomTom sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity and voice control.

Similar technology is also on its way in the new Giulietta which is coming on stream in January.

In the Giulietta there's a larger 6.5-inch screen that sets off the facia which can now be specified with two tone colours.

The new Giulietta also gets the exterior makeover to its grille and the range now includes a 150ps two-litre diesel which packs a mean punch. Top speed is around 130mph and 0 to 60 takes just 8.8 seconds.

On the road it is altogether more composed than its smaller sibling and has genuine traits of Alfa's sporty lineage yet bang up to date when it comes to fuel efficiency.

We managed to see an average of 57.6mpg which is nothing to grumble about although nowhere near Alfa's official figure of 67 to the gallon.

Emissions are 110g/km - the lowest of the Giulietta range - and the performance from the new engine matches that of the more powerful diesels currently used by Alfa.

Prices for the new look Giulietta range are still to be announced but are expected to rise by around two per cent over the current line up which starts from £17,765.