Alfa Romeo Junior 115kW Elettrica Speciale 54kWh 5dr Auto

Ten Second Review

Alfa Romeo's first EV, the Junior, brings a sporty vibe to the bulging segment for lower mid-sized electrified crossovers. Shared Stellantis Group underpinnings have been given the Milanese maker's evocative spin here - and you might really like the aspirational end result.

Background

'Electric according to Alfa Romeo'; what might that mean? We have our initial answer with this car, the marque's very first EV, the Junior. It was born in controversy, the name changed from 'Milano' a week after launch, following complaints from government officials that a moniker designating Italy second city was inappropriate for a car assembled in Poland. This model couldn't be more significant, the first design created in the brand's ambitious 'Zero-to-Zero' mission, which targets the marque to go from no EVs to 100% Zero-Emission sales by 2027. That still looks a far-off target; even the Junior can also be had with a fossil-fuelled Hybrid powerplant, though it launched in the UK in the summer of 2024 as an EV. The brand likes to see this car as a 'spiritual successor' to its old Giulietta and Mito compact hatchbacks 'to attract a new generation of Alfisti'. And its mission is apparently to help the brand 'go from exclusive to inclusive'; rough translation - the typical current Alfa buyer is over 50 and a petrol head. That can't continue. Is the Junior the car to break that trend? Let's see.

Driving Experience

Both this Junior model's most direct Stellantis Group cousins, the Jeep Avenger and the Fiat 600, were launched as EVs, with 1.2-litre Hybrid petrol power following shortly after. That trend has again been replicated again here - there's a combustion 'Ibrida' version as well as the 'Elettrica' EV - which was predictable given that the market still isn't quite ready to be completely electric. Whether it's ready for this Alfa EV will be interesting to see. To be honest, there's not much that's particularly 'Alfa'-like about the entry-level Junior 'Elettrica', which gets the usual Stellantis Group set-up that sees a 156hp motor energised by 54kWh battery, delivering range in this case rated at up to 255 miles. There's the brand's usual DNA driving mode system (the letters standing for 'Dynamic', 'Natural' and 'Advanced efficiency' settings). And the e-CMP2 platform all Juniors are based on is based around a wider track than you'd see it use with another equivalent Stellantis brand model - for more engaging handling. But any remaining true 'Alfisti' prepared to take this step with the Milanese maker into a new fully-electrified future will prefer to target the version of this car the company seems to have specifically put most of its efforts into, using engineers who'd previously worked on the Giulia GTA super saloon. The sportier Junior 'Elettrica Veloce' variant uses the same battery as the base model, but gets a front-mounted 280hp motor borrowed from the Abarth 600e hot hatch. And much is shared with that shopping rocket because this 'Veloce' version gets a bespoke chassis calibration with a Torsen mechanical differential, different front and rear anti-roll bars, a faster steering rack and stiffer suspension that lowers the ride height by 25mm. The 20-inch wheels also have bigger brakes, with 380mm discs at the front. Range is limited to 215 miles. Later in production, expect to see a twin motor model join this variant featuring the AWD system first developed for the Jeep Avenger 4xe. Earlier we mentioned the Hybrid version of this Junior - the Junior 'Ibrida'. It uses the same 48V 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol powertrain we've seen on multiple Stellantis Group models, which develops 136bhp and features a 28bhp electric motor built into a 6-speed dual clutch auto gearbox. This variant can use EV propulsion only at low city speeds or when parking. Later, a Q4 AWD version will be offered for sale in other markets.

Design and Build

As an Alfa should, the Junior has a bit of pavement presence, though everything you can't see is pretty familiar Stellantis Group fare. Primarily the e-CMP2 platform, which allows for dimensions pretty typical for the kind of compact SUV this is, 4.17m long, 1.5m high and 1.78m wide. As you'd expect, lots of the usual brand styling cues feature - including C-shaped SZ-inspired ultra-slim '3+3' headlights, and of course the usual triangular Alfa 'scudetto' shield grille. A cut-off 'coda tronica' tail references the classic Giulia T2 and there are minimal overhangs, strong wheel arches and big 20-inch wheels. The shared engineering is equally well disguised inside in the driver-focused cockpit with its telescopic cowled instrument panel and 'cloverleaf'-style air vents. The screen tech will be more familiar to Stellantis Group model regulars, a pair of 10.25-inch displays, respectively for the instruments and the infotainment. The latter set-up uses the usual tile-based widget arrangement, with cloud navigation and over-the-air updates. Back seat space isn't especially generous, not helped by the stylised centre tunnel and the thick plastic-backed front sports seats. But headroom is better than you might expect given the swept-back roofline. Boot space is fine too, rated at 400-litres, thanks to extra rear overhang length. There's an adjustable height floor and, in the EV version, storage for cables beneath the bonnet.

Market and Model

The Milanese maker is keen to point out its unique positioning in the market - "we're the only brand able to sell a car at 2 million euros and 30,000 euros" Alfa boss Jean-Phillipe Imparato boasted at the launch of this car. Pricing for the standard 156hp EV version starts with the 'Elettrica' model at just under £34,000. There's a mid-range 'Speciale' version at just under £36,000. version real 'Alfisti' customers will want though, is the high performance Junior 'Elettrica Veloce', with its more powerful 280hp motor. One of those was priced from launch at £42,295. Across the range, Alfa is offering a choice of three optional trim packs. The 'Technology' pack includes matrix-LED headlights, navigation and a powered tailgate with gesture control. The 'Premium' pack gives you an updated interior finish, plus a driver seat with electric adjustment and a massage function. The 'Sport' pack, gives you exterior styling tweaks, plus Sabelt sports seats with alcantara upholstery. From launch, to fit between the base and 'Veloce' Elettrica variants, the brand is offering a fully-loaded 154bhp 'Elettrica Speciale' limited edition model, which borrows many of the key features from these three packs and included 18-inch alloy wheels, red paint, unique upholstery, 8-colour ambient lighting, keyless entry and a leather-covered steering wheel. That's priced from just under £36,000.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the driving range figure from the 54kWh battery (51kWh usable) in our driving section - 255 miles for the base 'Elettrica' and 215 miles for the more powerful 'Elettrica Veloce' version. These aren't anywhere near class-leading and, as with any EV, will obviously rise in urban driving conditions. The battery can charge at up to 100kW (again, not anywhere near class-leading) and can recharge from 10-80% in under 30 minutes via a 100kW cable when hooked up to a suitably rapid charger. Just 3 minutes on such a fast charger would add 80 miles of range and 24 minutes could get the battery from 20 to 80%. For home use, an 11kW AC charger is also included, allowing for faster three-phase charging, if your house has access to that. Energy efficiency is rated at around 5.0 miles per kWh. As with other Alfas, depreciation values will be aided by this model's 'NFT' (or 'Non-Fungible Token') technology, which backs up the car's service history (stuff like maintenance records and battery pack condition) in a cloud, out of the vehicle. This means that no one should touch your car without it showing on the NFT record. Alfas claims that this makes it much harder to forge the vehicle's records, which in turn ought to preserve residuals. Unfortunately though, the standard warranty offering remains the usual unremarkable three year / 60,000 mile package. There's a separate eight year / 93,000 mile battery warranty.

Summary

It's a hard thing to translate Alfa Romeo values into this electrified era - we saw that with the Plug-in Hybrid Tonale. But this Junior makes a decent attempt to do just that - and quite effectively disguises its generic Stellantis Group engineering. Which is just as well given the importance of this car to the brand; it could end up accounting for over 40% of the company's sales. The hastily added replacement name of this model is borrowed from the 1966 GT 1300 Junior version of the Giulia, just one of the cues intended to allow this car to trade on its maker's famous history. In reality though, the Junior shares nothing with Alfa's past; that's the whole point. Whether the result is a dilation or an expansion in brand values will be up to you to decide.