Alfa Romeo Junior review: Stylish and sporty electric SUV is a winner

The Alfa Romeo Junior could be a surprise gamechanger for this famously passionate Italian brand. The very first all-electric Alfa hits the bullseye in so many ways.

It’s a small SUV, for starters – one of the most popular types of new car right now. And it’s also a really great-looking one, with distinctive and sporty styling that’s guaranteed to turn heads. It’s authentically Alfa, from its big wheels, to its large and distinctive grille.

The interior is appealing too. The cowled instruments hark back to the firm’s famous 1960s sports cars, and it’s equipped with all the essentials, including a comprehensive touchscreen that even features built-in ChatGPT. Rear seat space could be better, but it’s still no worse than many other cars in this sector.

Best of all, the Alfa Romeo Junior is a spirited car to drive, particularly the surprisingly sporty Veloce range-topper. Alfa Romeo’s first electric car is thoroughly convincing, and we’re sure it will help convince many to make the switch into their first electric car.

The Alfa Romeo Junior was showcased to the press in Italy, in top-spec Veloce guise. Soon, we’ll be driving the more mainstream models here in the UK to see what the rest of the range is like.

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Independent rating: 8/10

The Alfa Romeo Junior is offered with a single 54kWh battery option. This is the newer design from parent company Stellantis, and it delivers a range of up to 255 miles. It’s a notably efficient battery, averaging more than four miles per kWh of charge, although a slightly faster rapid-charge rate would be nice. It takes just under half an hour to go from 20 to 80 per cent.

The core Alfa Romeo Junior motor, used in Elettrica and Speciale models, is a 156PS setup, driving the front wheels. Even this has sprightly 0-62mph performance in 9.0 seconds. Because it has lots of pulling power, it feels even quicker.

The range-topping Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce has a thrilling power boost to 240PS. This gives 0-62mph performance in just 6.0 seconds – that’s as fast as a powerful petrol-powered hot hatch. The range does drop as a result though, to 215 miles.

Up to now, the only drives have been on the sporty Veloce, which has 25mm lower suspension than the standard Alfa Romeo Junior, along with bigger 20-inch alloys and a clever Torsen front differential. It’s extremely good fun and genuinely entertaining. We look forward to trying the regular cars here in the UK soon.

The Alfa Romeo Junior’s interior is as exciting as the exterior. The sporty cowled instruments are a brilliant retro touch, while the digital display below is thoroughly contemporary. We love the sporty steering wheel, and even entry-level Elettrica gets sporty hip-hugging seats – complete with fantastic ribbed upholstery that has the Alfa Romeo logo embossed on the backrest.

It feels great to sit in, enhanced by the higher seating position of a small SUV, and those in the front can delight in all the stylish design details. Space for adults is a bit tighter in the rear, but this is par for the course in this sector – and it’s still going to be roomier than a comparable supermini.

The Alfa Romeo Junior also has a surprisingly large 400-litre boot, which expands to 1,265 litres with the rear seats folded. It’s easy to use and the practical shape should make living with this electric Alfa a breeze. Speciale and Veloce models get an electric tailgate as standard.

It’s also worth noting that Veloce models get custom Corsa Sabelt front seats trimmed in black and red leather and suede. They are simply brilliant.

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Alongside the configurable 10.25in digital driver’s display, all Alfa Romeo Juniors have an additional 10.25in touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. In regular cars, this has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with Speciale versions adding sat nav, plus a 180-degree parking camera to enhance the standard rear parking sensors.

Other standard tech in all Alfa Romeo Juniors includes keyless go, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, rain-sensing wipers and the Alfa Romeo Connected Services suite of connectivity tech. Notably, every Junior has a standard heat pump, which will help with winter battery efficiency.

The entry-level Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica has a rather mean-sounding four-speaker stereo. It’s worth upgrading to Speciale for its six-speaker system. Alfa Romeo has not yet announced a premium audio upgrade for the Junior.

The Alfa Romeo Junior is keenly priced compared to some of its more established rivals, surprisingly. It starts from just £33,895 for the Elettrica version, which still includes stylish 18in alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment, keyless entry and that ultra-stylish interior.

The Alfa Romeo Junior Speciale gets even more standard kit for £35,695, and we’re sure many will find the £1,800 price jump somewhat of a no-brainer. The powerful Veloce range-topper is pricier, at over £42,000, but it’s likely that enthusiasts will still be drawn to it.

As mentioned, thanks to its modern and efficient battery design, the Alfa Romeo Junior is surprisingly efficient, averaging more than four miles for every kWh of electricity. This will do wonders for running costs. Strong retained values should keep PCP payments competitive, and we await with interest insurance ratings for the new Alfa Romeo Junior.

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The Alfa Romeo Junior can rapid-charge at a rate of up to 100kW, taking it from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in 27 minutes.

Alfa Romeo Junior prices start from £33,895. For such a sporty-looking and well-equipped electric SUV, this strikes us as pretty good value.

The Alfa Romeo Junior has an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty.

The idea of a (relatively) affordable Alfa Romeo has long held plenty of promise, but in recent years hasn’t quite lived up to reality. Will the new Alfa Romeo Junior be a modern-day successor to the beloved 1970s Alfasud?