Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida: small SUV gets hybrid power
The Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida will introduce petrol power to the lineup, and will cost £6k less than its electric equivalent...
If variety is the spice of life, then Alfa Romeo is cooking up a particularly flavourful dish with its Junior. That’s because it’s adding petrol power into the small SUVs mix for the first time, with the arrival of the all-new Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida hybrid.
The Ibrida will act as the new entry-level point into the Junior range, joining what was formerly an all-electric lineup. It’ll get the same mild hybrid setup as in its Stellantis siblings, such as the Citroën C4, Fiat 600 and Jeep Avenger, which combines a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 28bhp electric motor and a six-speed automatic gearbox.
That setup will produce a total of 136bhp, which is punchier than the Avenger e-Hybrid and Lexus LBX, and officially completes a 0-62mph sprint in 8.9sec – faster still than those two rivals, but the some versions of the Ford Puma offer more oomph.
As standard, the Junior Ibrida comes with 17in alloy wheels and LED headlights and taillights. Inside, it gets much the same treatment as its electric siblings, with two 10.25in touchscreens that house digital instrument and infotainment functions with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus eight-colour ambient lighting and rear seats that fold in a 60/40 split.
The Junior Ibrida benefits from 15 extra litres of boot space compared with the others in its range, for a total of 415 litres. That’s roomier than the LBX, but the Volkswagen T-Roc is more practical.
If you have a bit more cash to splash on your Junior Ibrida, you can opt for the optional technology pack, which gets you matrix LED headlights, a wireless charging pad and front, side and rear parking sensors (as opposed to just rear sensors, which come as standard), in addition to some additional safety features like lane assist.
Opt for the ‘premium’ pack and you’ll get tinted rear windows, a leather steering wheel and massaging seats.
Orders for the Junior Ibrida will open later this month. It’ll be priced from £27,895, which comes in at £6000 cheaper than the equivalent EV model. It also undercuts the LBX and Peugeot 2008, although the Puma has a lower starting price.
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