Can this little Alfa improve from its very rough start in life?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the front and straight away we can see that this is different to other Alfa Romeo’s from the past. They have moved the number plate to the centre. Sadly, this had to be done because of legal reasons. Anyway, looking past that we get the usual Alfa Romeo grill up top but on the electric models, yes the Alfa Romeo is the first All Electric model, it is covered up with an Alfa Romeo motif which at first does look odd, but you will get used to it. The headlights also have a unique design to them, having 3 separate LED Daytime Running Lights, to show 3 lights like the older Alfa Romeos. There is also a black panel to make them look like a boomerang style which again I do quite like. Moving lower down we get a big central air vent like what we find on the other Alfa Romeos, and this ties the car is very nicely with the rest of the range. We also get some fake side vents at the front too.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and this is where we can se a bit of Stellantis start to show, specifically the door handle and door mirrors. This is no surprise to be honest as Alfa Romeo is owned by Stellantis which own Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Vauxhall, DS, Citroen and Peugeot and many more brands too. along the side we get some hidden door handles on the back to give the car a sleek and premium look, we also get this shiny mat grey affect cladding along the side too which makes it look premium but also budget at the same time which I do quite like. The wheels are also interesting and modern to look at and, on this model, have a little red stripe on it.
Exterior – Rear
Now, moving round to the back and I am trying to see where Alfa Romeo is going with this. We get this big black bar that droops either side like it has a big sad lip on the back. It is definitely unique and modern looking but it won’t be to everyone’s taste to start with. This black bar houses your taillights which again have this 3-line setup just like the front and they are sleek enough to look modern. We also get the Alfa Romeo script on the back too. what we don’t get though is the Junior name which is rare to see on cars. We get more of this plastic on the back as well as some more red highlights too. right, lets have a look at what engine options and electric options you can have with the new Alfa Romeo Junior.
Car and engine specs and price
So, the engine range of the new Alfa Romeo Junior consists of a petrol mild hybrid engine and 3 electric motor options. Lets start with the petrol mild hybrid option. This uses the new Stellantis 1.2 litre turbo unit producing 134 bhp. it also has a 28 bhp electric motor integrated into the new 6 speed automatic gearbox and this means this car can travel up to 50% of the time on electric only around town which is quite good. 0-62 is delt within 8.5 seconds which again isn’t that bad. So, now lets have a look at the electric options. All of the options have a 54-kWh battery pack and this can be charged at 100 kW which is exactly like the Jeep Avenger, Vauxhall Mokka, Peugeot E-2008 and the Citroen E-C4. Also like those cars is the base model on the Junior. This means you get a 154 bhp motor setup giving this car 255 miles of electric only driving and a 0-62 time of 9 seconds which is decent for the size of car. Now the next option is a new motor setup. This has a 237 bhp motor mounted on the front wheels, most likely shared with the new Abarth 600e. this cuts the 0-62 time down to 7 seconds and drops the range to 215 miles. Finally, the top of the range model is also a new motor now with 278 bhp. this is still a front mounted motor, but the Alfa has a bespoke chassis calibration that includes a torsen mechanical differential. It also reduces the weight down to just 1,590 kg which is very low for an electric car. This option reduces the 0-62 time down to 5.9 seconds and the electric only range is about 210 miles. Which for the performance you are getting it isn’t that bad. Now at the moment you can only get the electric version of the Alfa Romeo Junior in the UK as well as the basic motor setup which is a shame, but we do expect the range to grow with the other motor and engine options very soon. The price of the new Alfa Romeo Junior starts at £33,895. Right lets have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new Alfa Romeo Junior and I am sad to say, we have a Peugeot parts bin. Right, lets go. Peugeot indicator stalks, gear selector, start stop button, parking brake, drive mode select, steering wheel controls, window switches and even the new infotainment system. Right the infotainment system isn’t that bad and it is easy to use and has Alfa Romeo graphics on it so I can forgive that. We do also have some climate control switches too so its not all on the infotainment system. The instrument cluster is also quite good but it does look like its been fitted in a surround which im not quite sure of. The new steering wheel I do quite like though and the buttons do feel premium enough. Talking of premium feels, the door card does feel quite cheap but the plastics on top of the dash isn’t that bad and the materials on the dash do feel quite premium. the feel is also driver orientated too which I do like. The centre console is also quite slim and sporty looking and finally these seats are some of the sportiest seats that I have ever seen. They are comfy yet supportive. The overall feel inside then isn’t that bad and does feel like a true Alfa Romeo and if you didn’t know that it had Peugeot equipment in it, it would feel like its worth every penny inside. Lets have a look at what its like in the back.
Practicality
So, once you get in the back past the small doors which is a typical Stellantis trait, legroom isn’t that bad because of the style of the seats, and I must say they have been styled aggressively too. Headroom is decent too but what isn’t is the storage. Or should I say lack of it. You don’t get an arm rest and you also don’t get any door pockets either which is a big shame if you have kids in the back considering this is supposed to be a family car. You also don’t get any rear air vents or heated rear seats either. What you do get though is 1 USB C port. Yeah. You will have the kids arguing over that. Anyway, let’s have a look at what the boot is like on the Alfa Romeo Junior.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot to the new Alfa Romeo Junior and you are welcomed to 400 litres with the seats up. This isn’t that bad and is decent comparted to its rivals. With the seats down this increases to 1,265 litres.
Summary
So, in summary then what is the Alfa Romeo Junior truly like. Well, the drive is just like any other Alfa Romeo and really you wouldn’t know that it is a Stellantis car underneath especially if you go for the more powerful motor options. This is a truly unique car that should be considered if you want a small premium electric car.
Exterior 4/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 13/15
Model | Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica 280 Veloce |
Engine | 54kWh Battery Pack, Single Motor, 237bhp, 0-62 = 7.0 Seconds, 215 Mile Range, Front Wheel Drive |
Transmission | Single Speed Electric Motor |
Price | £42,295 |
On Sale | Now |
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