The Junior is Alfa’s first mass-produced electric vehicle, but is it any good? Jack Evans finds out.
What is it?
Alfa Romeo, like so many other brands, is on a path towards electrification. It’s part of the wider Stellantis group, which means that it – alongside brands such as Vauxhall and Peugeot – is committed to producing more battery-powered vehicles than before.
But for Alfa Romeo, that poses an even greater problem. The Italian firm has been behind some of the most iconic petrol-powered cars ever made, so how do you go about transferring that passion and flair into a battery-powered vehicle? It all starts with the Junior – the car that we’re looking at here.
What’s new?
You may remember that the Junior had a slightly difficult start to life. Alfa launched its new EV as ‘Milano’ before a backlash from the Italian government – the Junior isn’t made in Italy, after all, but in Poland – forced it to rethink the name. Now, we have the Junior.
New name in place, the Junior sits on a platform which is shared with all manner of Stellantis-made EVs, such as the Peugeot e-2008, Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger. Differentiating it is tricky, therefore, but it’s what is needed to help the Junior to stand out.
What’s under the bonnet?
As standard, the Junior comes equipped with a single electric motor which produces 154bhp and 260Nm of torque. This equates to a 0-60mph time of 8.8 seconds and flat-out the Junior will manage a top speed of 150mph. Range-wise, Alfa claims that you should get 250 miles between top-ups, while 100kW charging capacity could see a 20 to 80 per cent charge finished in around half an hour.
You can also get the Junior with a more powerful electric setup in the range-topping Veloce model. Here, you get 278bhp and a revised suspension system though this car’s range does drop back to 215 miles.
What’s it like to drive?
There’s a typical Alfa alertness to the steering that you get from the Junior; it’s a car which does feel lighter than you may expect while simultaneously handling corners in a composed and assured manner. As with many EVs the Junior struggles at the low-speed experience, with potholes and road imperfections sending spikes and shudders through the car. At greater speeds, it’s nicely settled, however. The performance that you get from the electric motor is decent enough too, though heavy presses of the accelerator can sometimes lead the front wheels to go ‘light’ as they scrabble for grip.
The brakes do let the side down. Whereas the steering has some pleasant sharpness to it, the brakes offer little in the way of feel and – at times – don’t seem to be bringing the car to a stop as effectively as you’d like. Some extra bite from the brakes would be much appreciated, that’s for sure.
How does it look?
There’s no mistaking the Junior as a car from any other brand but Alfa Romeo. The Italian firm has done a great job of infusing this model with plenty of its design hallmarks, with the large ‘shield’ grille making an instant impression.
It feels as though the design is less successful at the rear, mind you, but that’s down to personal preference. Finished in ‘Brera Red’ our test car certainly looked the part and gave a good indication that Alfa will be able to transfer its historically good-looking designs onto its new EVs.
What’s it like inside?
There’s a mixed bag of approaches inside the cabin of the Junior. For starters, the seating position is reasonably high, but you do have a decent view out of the front of the car. Material-wise the Junior does have some harsher feeling plastics here and there, and the dark interior of the car can feel a little oppressive at times – particularly due to the wide use of black materials and accents.
Rear-seat space isn’t too bad but it’s not as roomy as cars like the Kia EV3, mainly due to the Junior’s large central tunnel hump at the back. In terms of boot space, the Junior offers up 400 litres – and though that’s more than you’ll get from a Volvo EX30, is less than you’ll find in the mechanically-similar Peugeot e-3008 which has 434 litres of boot space.
What’s the spec like?
Prices for the Alfa Romeo Junior start from £33,895, with base cars coming well equipped. In fact, all models get diamond-cut 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch infotainment system and a main instrument cluster of the same size. You also get an efficiency-booting heat pump as standard – something which is left out of the included equipment on many EVs at this price point.
Step up to Speciale trim like our test car and you’ll find the price rise to £35,695 while adding premium six-way power-adjustable and heated front seats, and a greater suite of driver assistance systems such as lane centring assistance and an upgraded automatic emergency braking setup. In truth, the basic specification fits the bill – it’s still got all of the features that most drivers would need.
Verdict
The Alfa Romeo Junior is a great start for this Italian brand in the EV world. It’s got looking and has enough dynamic poise to differentiate itself from the other cars within the Stellantis group with which it shares a platform.
It’d be nice if the interior shared some of the flair of the exterior – and we’d appreciate some extra bite from the brake pedal – but keep to lower specifications and the Junior could prove to be an enticing option. It’s certainly one of the best from the current crop of Stellantis EVs.
Facts at a glance
- Model as tested: Alfa Romeo Junior Eletrica Speciale
- Price: £38,245
- Engine: Single electric motor
- Power: 154bhp
- Torque: 260Nm
- Max speed: 150mph
- 0-60mph: 8.8 seconds seconds
- MPG: NA
- Emissions: 0g/km
- Range: 250 miles
- Maximum charging speed: 100kW