The Alfa Romeo MiTo is arguably one of the most under-appreciated compact cars->ke140 of our time. It's a solid performer that has been on the market for a few years, but it doesn't get nearly the same amount of love as the Mini Cooper. The Italian automaker hopes to change that with the introduction of the MiTo Junior, a special edition->ke2041 model that made its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.->ke227

The MiTo Junior pays homage to the old Giulia GT 1300 Junior, which went on to become one of the biggest commercial successes for Alfa Romeo. There's a lot of history there to draw from, not to mention some big shoes for the MiTo Junior to fill.

By bringing back the "Junior" nomenclature, Alfa Romeo->ke1386 wants to re-introduce to the world the level of fun this model once brought to the proud Italian automaker.

As far as justified reasons are concerned, it's actually a pretty good one.

Click past the jump to read more about the Alfa Romeo MiTo Junior.

Exterior

The overall look of the MiTo Junior doesn’t deviate much from its standard form. But it does have a lot of personalized details, highlighted by a black paint finish with white racing stripes and white door mirror fairings. A “Junior” tailgate sticker is clearly visible at the back, overlapping the white racing stripes.

A sports rear bumper was also added, as was a chrome-plated exhaust tailpipe, front and rear light frames, Satin Chrome door handles, and a new set of 17-inch white alloy wheels. The wheels in particular are a nice touch; a cool departure from their traditional polished silver appearance.

Interior

The MiTo Junior’s cabin takes the exterior’s black and white treatment to a new level with black sports seats that are complemented with abstract white contrast stitching. A new shaped steering wheel design is also included, but the changes are subtle enough that most won't notice.

The MiTo Junior also has a special sports instrument panel with matching white graphics, a black-colored "Street" dashboard, and special mats emblazoned with the “Junior” logo.

The MiTo Junior doesn’t lack in new equipment, either. It’s got a dual-zone automatic climate control system, tinted windows, fog lights, cruise control, and seats with adjustable lumbar support. On the technology side, the special edition hatchback boasts a Uconnect radio system, a 5-inch color Touchscreen, SMS Reader, Bluetooth, an MP3 Media Player with USB and AUX-in, SMS reader, and a BOSE Hi-Fi sound system that comes with a subwoofer and eight speakers.

Drivetrain

Unfortunately, the MiTo Junior doesn't have any performance upgrades; if you're looking for a 200-horsepower sports hatch, you're fresh out of luck.

A 1.4-liter inline-four engine that produces 140 horsepower, can be found under the bonnet providing enough fun for most. The engine is mated to Alfa Romeo's TCT automatic transmission and should be good enough to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds before peaking at a top speed of 130 mph.

In the event that you're looking for a smaller engine, Alfa Romeo's also offering the "Junior" special edition model with smaller engine options. The 0.9-liter Turbo TwinAir, for example, produces 105 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. This model can cover 0 to 62 mph in 11.4 seconds to go with a top speed of 114 mph.

Prices

Alfa Romeo hasn't released any pricing details for the MiTo Junior. But that's not stopping us from speculating on a price. So we're going to throw out $25,000 as a ball park price for this special edition MiTo. This machine will never hit U.S. Soil, but for our friends across the Atlantic, this should be a good number to base your estimates on.

Competition

Mini Cooper

If there’s a company that’s not prudent about special edition models, it’s Mini. With a wider availability and a deeper heritage, the Mini holds a lot of advantages over the new MiTo. The Cooper is also a fresher model in the sense that a new generation model was just launched at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show whereas the MiTo has been trudging along since 2008 with only minor updates.

The Cooper also has a more powerful set of engine options compared to the MiTo. 140 ponies is adequate for a hatchback like the MiTo. But the Cooper just has more power to tap into, especially in the Cooper S, which has a 2.0-liter inline-four engine that produces 192 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. That’s not only head and shoulders above what the top-of-the-line MiTo will give, but it also translates to a faster 0 to 60 mph time of just 6.5 seconds to go with a top speed of 146 mph.

The Mini Cooper is priced from $19,950 for the standard model all the way up to $23,600 for the top-of-the-line Cooper S.

Conclusion

The "Junior" is essentially a normal MiTo with a few splashes of extra style and nostalgia. Nothing too fancy and certainly nothing overblown. If you aren't looking for a back road bomber, and you just need a stylish, and suitably efficient city car, the MiTo Junior is a solid choice.

Sure, it needs an update, but you can say the same thing for a lot of models with some design years on them. Give the MiTo Junior a second-look if you have the chance. You might find it is the exact car you were looking for.