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Battery size: 51 kWh
Battery warranty: 8 years/100,000 miles
Range: 255 miles
Charging speed: 100kW
Introduction and model history
The Alfa Romeo Junior is the first electric car from the Italian brand, and it’s also the first to really showcase the brand’s shift towards offering global products. The Junior will go on sale in China, Australia, Mexico and many other places, as well as the UK and Europe, so it needs to appeal to a very broad audience in lots of different markets.
Which may also explain why the styling is perhaps a little divisive for European tastes. The C-shape front lights showcase a modern take on Alfa’s classic three-light signature, and the grille is dominated by the unmistakable ‘V’, but it’s also a rather busy design that some would argue is a long way off the simple, uncomplicated lines of Alfa’s best designs.
I actually don’t mind it; I didn’t like it in the initial pictures when it was released, and even when I was stood next to it I didn’t think it was pretty, but I do like the aggressive stance – and the fact that it’s demonstrably different to any of its rivals. And there are lots of those, by the way.
As a 4.17-metre long compact electric SUV that starts from under £34,000, the Junior will have to take on the Kia EV3, Jeep Avenger, Peugeot E-2008, VW ID.3, MG4, Renault Megane, Hyundai Kona Electric, Renault 4 and plenty more besides.
It will be available with a 48V petrol hybrid engine, which you don't plug in (but which does run on electric power at very low speeds, a bit like a Toyota Prius). We're all about the plug-in cars here at Electrifying, and the pure electric Junior will be offered with a 51kWh battery and a 154bhp electric motor in the Elettrica and Special trims. The Alfa Junior Veloce that we’ve driven is also pure electric and uses the same lithium-ion NMC battery, but being the hot hatch version it gets a whopping 278bhp, its own equipment level and a whole host of performance upgrades to the suspension and steering. It’s best to think of the Veloce as something of a separate entity, really; it is to the standard Alfa Junior models what the GTI is to your normal Golf.
Range, Battery and Charging
The Alfa Junior sits on the same recently updated e-CMP platform as the Jeep Avenger, and also gets the same 51kWh usable li-ion NMC battery (54kWh total capacity). That makes for a WLTP range of 250 miles on the lower-powered Elettrica and Speciale, while the Veloce sacrifices a bit of range in favour of performance, and manages 215 miles.
Our initial test drive was only in the ‘hot’ 278bhp Veloce, and was on a test track and mostly quite fast, so the real range that I was getting was, er, not great! But it also wasn’t in any way representative, and when we had a go in the lower-powered Alfa Junior Speciale on UK roads, we saw a real-world range of around 200 miles despite fairly cold conditions. Efficiency will be helped by the standard, efficiency-boosting heat pump that you get as standard across the Junior range (you'll pay around £1,000 to add a heat pump the Kia EV3 or VW ID.3, so it's a big bonus to have it included on the Alfa).
Having said that, there's no getting away from the fact that the Alfa is short of the range that you can get in a lot of rivals; if you do want longer range, there's always Electrifying's Car of the Year - the Kia EV3 - that you can have for a similar price to the Junior but with an official range of over 370 miles.
Charging speeds in the Junior max out at 100kW, which is on par with most others in the class, and will get a 10-80% charge in around 35- 40 minutes. Plug into a 7kW home charger and you’ll have a full charge in around nine hours.
The CCS and Type 2 chargers that the Junior has in its rear wing (where you’d expect a normal fuel filler to be) are European standard and will be compatible with almost all public chargers in the UK and Western Europe.
Practicality and Boot Space
A 400-litre boot is very decent for a car of this size, and a variable-height boot floor is useful for hiding your cables neatly out of the way (and, if you\re anything like me, stowing hoard of reusable 'bags for life' and other everyday necessities). There’s even a frunk in the Junior, where you can store a single cable if you’re exceptionally good at coiling your cables very neatly. I can tell you now that I’d give up and just throw the cable in the boot, and just keep some de-icer and a scraper in the frunk… Naturally, the rear seat backs split and fold flat in a 60/40 split, and there are two pairs of Isofix fittings.
Rear passenger space is a weak point with the Junior; I can sit comfortably behind myself at a rather average 5' 7", but with bulky car seats or lanky teens back there it could feel quite cramped and there's no doubting that a VW ID.3, Renault Scenic or Kia EV3 offer much better passenger space. There’s no centre armrest, either, which the kids might whinge about - the ungrateful ratbags.
Interior, Design/Styling and Technology
You can feel that the Alfa is a fairly compact car, when you're sat inside. Our test car had no sunroof and felt a touch dark with its charcoal-coloured, part-Alcantara upholstery, although the red contrast stitching all over the place lifts things noticeable, and I absolutely love the slim-rimmed, Alcantara steering wheel; It’s just so tactile and gorgeous, and is one of the key things that makes the Junior Veloce a delight to drive.
The touchscreen system is perfectly decent. The nav map graphics are a bit grainy, but you can access all the system functions easily by prodding through to the ‘application drawer’, and you’ve also got wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air software updates, and much-improved journey-routing that can factor in charging stops.
Motors, Performance and Handling
The Junior Veloce is just brilliant to drive! I could leave it at that, but it’s worth pointing out that it really is quite different to the standard cars. For a start, the 278bhp power output means that it can hit 62mph in 5.9 seconds. More than that, the suspension has different hardware including a mechanical differential, and it’s also 25mm lower than the standard Junior models. There are also hydraulic bump stops that keep the taut suspension from getting crashy and jarring.
It is a fairly stiff-feeling car by the standards of compact crossovers, though, and on scruffy UK roads the ride is a bit bumpy. It settles down on faster roads, though, and the handling is engaging - if scrappy and prone to torque steer in damp conditions. The lower powered Elettrica and Speciale versions both have softer suspension and less power to handle, but they're pleasantly direct and satisfying on a good road, with nicely weighted steering and a well-judged ride comfort. If you're after a hot hatch in a slick, Italian outfit, the Veloce does feels rather special, and is rapid and good fun. But the lower powered models are more affordable yet still great to drive, and have plenty of that Alfa sparkle, so are no doubt the more sensible option.
I also really like the fact that the Junior’s driving modes switch the brake regen’ off altogether in Dynamic mode, so that you rely completely on the old-fashioned brake pedal. It just means that you get more consistent, feelsome brake response, which keeps any fusty old purist car enthusiasts like me very happy. Or, there is a mild, non-intrusive brake regen’ mode in Natural and Active Efficiency modes, or the heavy ‘B’ mode is good for around town – if not quite a full one-pedal mode.
Overall, the Junior is fizzy and interesting to drive, while being easy to live with on a day-to-day basis. So, while there are some ownership aspects where the Junior feels hard to justify against its many rivals, the way it drives - and the way it makes you feel behind the wheel - really isn't one of them.
Running Costs and Pricing
The Alfa Junior Elletrica starts at £33,895, and includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, variable ambient lighting and an efficiency-boosting heat pump. Upgrade to the £35,695 Junior Speciale and you get an electrically adjusted driver's seat with massage function, leather steering wheel, reversing camera and powered bootlid.
While I had a properly great time with the Veloce, the price of £42,295 is perhaps asking… a bit much? I mean, it’s not terrible, given the performance and equipment you get, which includes impressive, part-suede Corsa Sabelt race seats and bespoke style upgrades, not to mention very significant power and suspension upgrades. But it's still quite a lot of cash for a small hatchback-SUV crossover, and the range of 215 miles starts to feel a touch limiting next to alternatives like the MG4 XPower – even if the MG isn’t a patch on the Alfa to drive.
Hey ho. The standard equipment levels are really generous across the Junior range, and the PCP finance deals are really competitive. Alfa is already offering zero-interest deals, if you can provide a decent deposit, and even with a very modest deposit you can get the entry-level electric Alfa Junior from under £350 per month. There's also currently an offer for three years of servicing for £99, which is a no-brainer, and you get a free home charger thrown in, too. So while list prices look a bit teeth-sucking, the Alfa stacks up well when you factor in monthly costs and offers.
As you'd expect, the battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles, and your battery will be refurbished or replaced under that warranty if it drops to below 70% of the as-new capacity within that eight-year period. You can watch our video about battery longevity (and why you needn't be worried about it), right here.
Verdict
D’you know what? I’m so giddy with joy that the Veloce is so much fun, and that the more modest Junior models also have real lustre to the dynamics, interior finish and style. Alfa has always been a brand that sells on emotion, and the Junior does have that spark of joy. That sense of not being one of the crowd, even while it is also a sensible hatchback with great equipment levels and finance offers. The difficulty is that list prices may put people off, and with others offering longer range for similar money, the Junior is a car that you have to want, if you're to justify it. If you do want it, though, it's good to know that it's competitive on many of the key fronts, is fun to drive and easy to live with. With all that in its favour, and when it looks this dashing (especially in that red...) it's easy to see why you might go with your heart a bit more than your head, and find your way into the Alfa.
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