2011 Alfa Romeo MiTo TCT Review

Available with the 1.4 TB MultiAir 135 bhp petrol engine and combined with a Start&Stop system, this Alfa Romeo MiTo offers outstanding performance (38.7 mpg over an urban cycle, 128 g/km of CO2 and 8.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph), a result that is superior to the same engine with a manual gearbox (the values of which are 38.2 mpg, 129 g/km and 0- 62 mph acceleration time of 8.4 seconds). The Alfa MiTo 1.4 TB MultiAir with ALFA TCT is available in Lusso and Veloce trim levels, with prices starting from £16,745 OTR.

About ALFA TCT transmission
In detail, the operation of the ALFA TCT transmission is distinguished by maximum interaction with the vehicle's systems. To achieve the best performance on the road depending on driving conditions and on the driver's requests, the transmission interacts with the braking, engine control, Alfa D.N.A. vehicle dynamic control switch, Start&Stop, steering and vehicle stability control systems.

Thanks to the speed with which the parameters are processed, the transmission can, for instance, modify the speed of gear shift, manage the torque delivery, for instance on low grip roads, and it can operate completely automatically or as a manual sequential gearbox, and adopt a usage profile which focuses primarily on reducing fuel consumption.

Developed by FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies, in conceptual terms the new ALFA TCT transmission consists of two gearboxes in parallel, each with its own clutch, which allows the selection and engagement of the subsequent gear while the previous one is still engaged. The gear is therefore changed with a simple gradual switch of the corresponding clutches, guaranteeing continuous torque delivery and therefore traction.

The result is a driving comfort and sporty feeling far superior to those offered by conventional automatic transmissions (with torque converter), as proven by greater speed of gear shift, the possibility of selecting between manual or automatic mode, and a near-zero power loss during the gear change. In addition, the purchasing, servicing and running costs are low, while fuel consumption is reduced, thanks also to the implementation of the Start&Stop system, by up to 10% compared with a traditional automatic hydraulic transmission with torque converter.

Other notable features of the new ALFA TCT are its flexibility of application, thanks to the compact size of its components, and the fact that it is a dry twin clutch (the type of clutch that guarantees the highest degree of efficiency in terms of fuel consumption among all automatic transmissions).

If we compare dry clutches with oil bath (wet) clutches, we can safely say that the former dissipate energy only during the actual slipping phase of the gear change and on pick-up, whereas wet clutches, which always operate in an oil bath, introduce losses due to viscous friction such as those of conventional automatic transmissions, even when they are not in operation. They also require forced cooling with oil, and therefore continuous energy expenditure to drive the dedicated oil pump (absent in the case of dry clutches).

A `wet' automatic transmission also requires approximately 4.8 liters more gearbox oil than the dry version, again for reasons of clutch cooling (in this way, weight is added and losses due to splashing increase). When all these effects are added together, a dry transmission is found to be approximately 6% more efficient than the corresponding wet one in terms of consumption.