Alfa Romeo Junior review

P.T. Barnum famously remarked: "There’s no such thing as bad publicity". That's a sentiment echoed by Alfa Romeo’s head of PR at the launch of the new Alfa Romeo Junior, in a brave attempt to embrace what must be one of the all-time great automotive PR gaffes.

Less than a week after this – Alfa Romeo’s first electric SUV – was unveiled back in April as the 'Milano', the Italian government deemed its name illegal since it is built in Poland, not Milan. You know, just like Champagne can only be from Champagne…

The resultant name change to ‘Junior’ has attracted some serious attention from the mainstream press but as the brand's CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, put it: “The choice of the name Junior is completely natural, because it is strongly linked to the history of the brand” – referring to the 1966 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior. 

Typically we’d dismiss this kind of statement as marketing bumf, but in this case, he has a point. The original Junior was an attainable, fun compact car and that’s exactly what Alfa hopes its new Junior will emulate. Because despite sharing its underpinnings with the Fiat 600e, the Jeep Avenger Electric and the Peugeot e-2008 (all fellow Stellantis products), a greater emphasis has been put on the level of driver interaction the Junior offers. What's more, it will be available with a wider range of electric motors and power outputs than those models.

So, can the Alfa Romeo Milano – sorry, er, Junior – compete with the best small SUVs and would we recommend buying one? Read on to find out…

The all-electric versions of the Alfa Romeo Junior (a petrol hybrid will come later) all come with the same 50.8kWh battery as the Jeep Avenger Electric, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Peugeot e-2008. But unique to the Junior is the option to upgrade to a more powerful electric motor.

The entry-level Junior Elettrica and mid-spec Speciale both get a familiar 154bhp setup, giving it an official 250 miles of range and delivering a 0-62mph time of nine seconds – respectable but not particularly punchy. However, it’s the range-topping Junior Elettrica 280 Veloce that we’ve had the pleasure of sampling so far. This is the version we suspect will be the one to go for, because much of it has been re-engineered to make it ‘feel like an Alfa Romeo’.

We’re talking a more powerful 278bhp electric motor (still driving the front wheels), a mechanical limited-slip differential to improve traction, a faster steering rack, 25mm lower suspension, a wider track (the distance between the wheels left-to-right), stiffer front and rear anti-roll bars (to limit body lean), bigger brake discs and 20in alloy wheels.

The result is a car that is genuinely joyous to drive. Indeed, it only takes a few hundred yards to realise that Alfa Romeo has put some serious work into how the Junior handles. Turn into a corner and you’ll find that the steering is quick, direct and well-weighted, allowing you to place the nose exactly where you want it. And unlike in the majority of modern electric SUVs, real feedback comes up through the steering wheel; accelerate hard out of a low-speed corner and it gently writhes in your hands letting you know that the clever differential is working away to keep you heading in the right direction.

Better yet, the sports-orientated suspension deals with crests and bumps with a fluency and finesse that's usually reserved for the best sports saloons. Our testing of the Junior took place on a racetrack featuring corners picked from some of Europe’s most demanding circuits, and the Junior never felt anything other than settled.

Body lean is progressive and well-contained and, should you find the front end pushing wide, you can simply correct your line with a quick lift of the accelerator. That’s not the kind of driving dynamics we’d typically expect from a small electric SUV, yet Alfa Romeo has delivered. 

Like other Alfas, the Junior gets switchable ‘DNA’ drive modes – Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency – which adjust the weight of the steering, the accelerator response and, crucially, brake feel. We say crucially because, in Efficiency and Natural mode, we found that brake feel was inconsistent with the regenerative braking, causing the pedal to gently pulse away underfoot. This makes coming to a smooth stop quite a challenge. 

However, should you select Dynamic mode, regenerative braking is dropped entirely in favour of full mechanical braking. The result is a pedal that responds faithfully and consistently to your inputs. Of course, this will no doubt have an impact on efficiency, but we’d rather lose a few miles of range in return for a smoother driving experience. 

Speaking of range, the Veloce has an official range of up to 215 miles on the WLTP cycle. Is that enough in this day and age? We’re not so sure, especially when the Mini Cooper SE (244 miles), the Brabus #1 (248 miles), Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance (279 miles), Tesla Model Y Performance (319 miles) and Cupra Born VZ (372 miles) can all go much further before running out of juice. 

This lack of range is even more disappointing when you discover that the Junior is a very pleasant long-distance companion. Wind noise is well contained and, despite the Veloce's larger 20in wheels, road noise is perfectly acceptable. It even rides well – firmer, than a #1 or an EX30, but less brittle than a Model Y. And while the odd pothole or expansion joint does cause the rear suspension to thump, it's an intrusion that you hear more than you feel.

The Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce comes with a racy set of semi-bucket Sabelt front seats with integrated head restraints.

The driver’s seat is fully electric and allows you to sit reasonably low behind the steering wheel for a sporty feel. We found that the huge side bolsters do a great job of keeping you held in place through quick corners but the base of the seats are quite hard and there is no adjustable lumbar support, so expect a little bit of back stiffness on long journeys.

Visibility to the front and to the sides is good, which is handy when negotiating junctions, but over-the-shoulder visibility is somewhat hampered by a rising window line and chunky rear pillars. Final specifications are yet to be confirmed, but we can tell you that entry-level cars will get rear parking sensors as standard while the Junior Speciale Elettrica launch edition will also benefit from a rear-view camera. 

Moving back inside, the majority of the Junior’s interior functions are controlled via a 10.25in central infotainment screen (which is angled towards the driver) and a 10.25in digital driver’s display. It’s not the most impressive system, with slow response times and a basic layout, but you can at least bypass Alfa Romeo's software and use your phone’s instead thanks to standard-fit Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

More successful is the bank of physical climate controls below the screen, which are easier and less distracting to use than the touchscreen-based buttons in the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30. 

In terms of interior quality, the Junior is a bit of a let-down compared to its closest rivals. While we love the leather and suede-covered Sabelt seats and the suede inserts on the dashboard (standard on the Veloce, or part of the Sport pack on lesser models), almost every other material you regularly come into contact with is a form of hard plastic.

The Alfa Romeo Junior doesn't feel as open or airy as a Cupra Born or Volvo EX30, but even tall passengers will find plenty of head room and decent leg room.

There’s also a reasonable amount of storage space, including a well-sized glovebox, a couple of good-sized door bins and a surprisingly large storage tray at the bottom of the dash (this can take a hefty wallet or a large smartphone, and you’ll find a wireless charging pad there on Veloce models). 

Things are much tighter in the back – especially if you’re more than six-feet tall. But on the plus side, the sports seats on the Veloce models have heavily carved-out seat backs, which does help with knee room. If you often carry adults in the back we’d recommend taking a look at the EX30 instead. Not only does it have more legroom, but middle seat passengers don’t have to straddle a large central tunnel like they do in the Junior. 

It’s a shame the Junior doesn’t offer sliding or reclining rear seats. They're split 60/40 rather than the more versatile 40/20/40, limiting your options when you have passengers and luggage to fit onboard. There’s also no ski flap to allow you to carry long items with a couple of rear passengers sitting in comfort.

The boot, meanwhile, is reasonably sized by class standards. It is a touch bigger than what you get in a Born, Jeep Avenger Electric or Smart #1 so there should be enough room for the weekly shop or several carry-on suitcases. It also comes with a height-adjustable boot floor that allows you to separate the space into two compartments. Better yet, if you open the bonnet you’ll find a neat little compartment that has been designed to house the Junior's charging cable.

The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica’s pricing is closely matched with that of the Smart #1. It's not a bargain-basement option like an MG4 hatchback, then, but nor is it as expensive as an equivalent Cupra Born. Entry-level models also undercut the Jeep Avenger Electric quite significantly, which is perhaps somewhat surprising when you consider that Alfa Romeo is one of the more premium brands in the Stellantis family. 

Alfa has yet to confirm full specifications, but entry-level Elettrica cars come 18in alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and climate control, and there are plenty of option packs so you can add one or two more luxuries without stepping up to the next trim level.

Upgrading to mid-rung Speciale ‘launch edition’ will get you tinted rear windows, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, plus metal ‘sports pedals’ and kick plates. But we suspect the one to go for will be the Veloce with its plethora of mechanical upgrades and added luxuries such as its 20in diamond cut alloy wheels, contrast roof and Corsa Sabelt seats. 

All electric Juniors come with a battery heat pump for more efficient warming of the interior. Charging speeds are not particularly quick, with all versions offering a maximum charging rate of 100kW – that's some way behind a #1 (150kW) or Born VZ (185kW). This means a 10-80% top-up of the Junior Elettrica's battery should take around 25 minutes with a suitably powerful public charger.

The Junior is too new to have featured in our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey but Alfa Romeo as a brand performed pretty terribly finishing in 31st place out of 32 manufacturers.

There was no Euro NCAP safety rating for the model at the time of writing, but the Junior comes with plenty of safety aids as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection.

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