As you most likely know already, Chrysler Motors agreed last month to a business deal made with the Fiat Group of Italy in an effort to resurrect the US automotive giant from the doom of bankruptcy. As a result, cars produced by the Fiat Group, including those by Alfa Romeo will be making a splash on the highways and byways by next year.

One of the first Italian mini-stallions to enter the market will be the Alfa Romeo MiTo, which will be sold exclusively in Chrysler dealerships. There’s no word about vehicle pricing just yet, however, and how exactly the car will be marketed. The MiTos cousin, the Fiat 500, will also make its foray in the US auto marketplace.

Alfa Romeo offered several models in the US during the last few decades but the company decided to pull out in 1995 due to lackluster sales. Probably the most memorable model to cruise the American roads was the eye-catching Alfa Romeo Spider convertible roadster.

But here’s what we know about the MiTo. It’s a zippy, two-door hatchback that combines fuel efficiency with sporty automobile performance. The MiTo will most likely be aimed at young professionals in their twenties looking for something that offers great styling in a compact package, the likes of which have not been made available by American carmakers in quite a while, which is partially what brought them into this mess they’re in now.

Here’s what Jerry Garrett of the New York Times had to say about the MiTo:

An Alfa Romeo in Giulietta red — which sounds vaguely Shakespearean — would seem to fit the dictionary definition of sports car. But while the MiTo is sporty, it is no sports car; Alfa calls it a three-door “supermini.” …

Don’t be fooled by photos that make the MiTo look sleek; up close, it’s a jelly bean. The fish-eye headlights and arrowhead grille provide retro touches. The Mini Cooper is its likely target.

We could expect a model similar to what’s offered in Europe—a 1.4 liter engine offering that generates 155 horsepower with a six-speed manual transmission for starters. There could be a more powerful engine offered to meet consumer demand; no one can say right now what exactly the executives at Chrysler and Fiat are necessarily thinking just yet. Also no word if the MiTo will be one of Chrysler’s safety vehicles offered.

There’s one thing that’s obvious, however. The MiTo sure is intriguing, and I can’t wait to take one out for a test drive next year.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times