Alfa Romeo Junior Review 2024

For couples and young families who don’t want to sacrifice driving enjoyment but require a little more space and ease of access than is typical with a small hatchback, the Alfa Romeo Junior Electtrica is a sound option.  

As with all cars with a purely electric drive system, it’s better-suited to those who can charge-up conveniently overnight at home in order to benefit from the low running costs EVs can provide. It’s more than possible to live with an EV without a home charger but it’s more expensive and potentially time consuming to do so. 

Despite its generous levels of equipment and upmarket brand name, its price ensures it strikes a chord both with those looking for value for money and for something beyond the usual mainstream choices. 

For the time being there’s a choice of two power levels with the fully electric Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica.  

At the top of the range is the 280, available exclusively in Veloce specification and aimed squarely at those moving up from a small, high-performance hatchback. However, the motor that will suit the majority of buyers — and which Alfa Romeo expects to account for 90% of Junior Elettrica sales — is the 156. 

Two versions of the lower-powered edition are available: the entry level Junior Elettrica 156 and the plusher, pricier Junior Elettrica 156 Speciale. The cheaper one is loaded with the kind of equipment that Alfa Romeo expects most buyers will want without it feeling like a budget choice and we’re inclined to agree with that assessment. 

Plus, a series of well-appointed option packs are available to give all of the models more of a luxurious or sporty feel to suits buyers’ individual tastes. 

From summer 2025 a mild hybrid petrol-engined version will be available, sold as the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida. 

Given the electrical drive system beneath the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is shared with others in the Stellantis empire, it’s not a surprise to discover that much of the hardware is interchangeable with the DS 3 E-Tense, Fiat 600e, Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric. 

Other small SUVs available in EV form include the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV3, with another soon to join their ranks in the shape of the Ford Puma Gen-E. 

Like the Alfa Romeo, some have upmarket brand aspirations despite their diminutive sizes, such as the MINI Aceman, Smart #1 and Volvo EX30. 

Let’s be candid, here: even those devoted to the brand would argue that it has a strong reputation for interior quality and robustness, although things have improved significantly with the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio.  

They are far more expensive than the Junior Elettrica, of course, so one might expect to find evidence of cost-savings here and flimsiness there. Sure, one of the test cars we tried did have a section around the centre console that had come loose, but it’s impossible to tell if it was due to a quality glitch or because it’d been manhandled badly. 

Generally speaking, every other aspect of the interior did feel like it was well screwed together and tight. What was more obvious was the baffling array of different grades and finishes of plastic the dashboard is assembled from. Depending on your perspective, it’s likely to be eye-catching or messy with no middle ground. 

Some cheaper, disappointingly finished plastics can be found here and there, notably the sun visors — perhaps Alfa Romeo’s view is they’ll remain unused and untouched in Britain. 

Infotainment-wise, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica’s 10.25-inch touchscreen has decently sharp graphics, models fitted with in-built navigation will appreciate the Google Maps-aping presentation and it seemed sufficiently responsive to gentle finger-prodding. 

Some functions can be accessed by virtual shortcut buttons at the sides, but these can be configured to vanish for a wider view of the mapping. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available with a wireless connection, although if you want to charge your phone without a cable you’ll need to splash out on the optional Technology Pack at £2200. Otherwise it’s a USB-A for all versions barring the Speciale which has a USB-C socket. 

We liked how the section of dashboard the touchscreen is part of is angled aggressively towards the driver, although it’s a shame it couldn’t have been mounted higher — swapping positions with the air-vents, for instance. Where it is means it’s just beyond the edge of taller drivers’ peripheral vision, meaning extra milliseconds where their eyes are off the road. 

It’s a similar situation with the instrument screen directly ahead of the driver — it’s also a 10.25-inch panel but it’s aspect ratio makes it narrow, limiting the height of the dials displayed upon it. The fonts are also scaled appropriately, making it tricky to glance at quickly. Usefully, the speed is shown in a larger scale at the top-centre of the screen. 

We’ve not yet had sufficient opportunity to sample the audio system properly, but it’s worth noting that only the Junior Elettrica Speciale comes with a six-speaker system. If you wish to upgrade the other versions from their four-speaker arrangement, again you’ll need to spend money on that Technology Package. 

At 4173mm long and 1981mm wide, inclusive of door mirrors, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica has a similar-sized footprint to most small hatchbacks — for those familiar with its previous smaller models, it’s in between the Mito and Giulietta in this regard. 

It’s only really in terms of height its SUV-ness is apparent at 1532mm, yet despite looking lower and sleeker, it’s a tad larger in every dimension than the Jeep Avenger it’s built alongside. 

For those in the well-bolstered front seats, there’s a fine amount of room. Despite it seeming cosy, you’re not that cramped. There’s a good range of adjustment for the seats, electrically operated and with a massage function on the driver’s side of all except the entry-level Junior Elettrica. As the wheel doesn’t extend backwards as much as would be ideal, taller drivers may feel they’re stretching or sitting more upright than they’d rather. 

Smaller cars tend to compromise on interior space somewhere and it’s usually the backseat that’s the victim, a case in point here. It’s fine for those up to their early teens and the additional elevation is a boon when installing and removing child car seats, with Isofix mounting points in the outer positions, but taller folk won’t be keen on linger journeys back there. 

Lift the tailgate — electrically on the Speciale model — to reveal a 400-litre boot space, which is 45 litres more than the aforementioned Jeep manages. As the Junior Elettrica’s a taller car, the loading lip is fairly high, but not excessively so.  

Its rear seats split/fold 60:40 fashion and although they don’t lie completely flat, there’s enough of a continuous surface to slide longer items along without too much difficulty. When just the Alfa Romeo’s two front seats are in use there’s 1265 litres of space available, trumping the Avenger’s 1252-litre capacity. 

Other storage areas, some with lids, are dotted about the cabin. They’re useful to have, but none of them are especially cavernous or fitted with clever touches.  

If you fancy a dedicated space to store your Type 2 charging cable, there’s a dealer-fit option — not an item installed at the factory — of a lidded, plastic tray that sits atop the electric motor. It does the job, but at £325 it’s a hard accessory to justify going for. 

At 4173mm long and 1981mm wide, inclusive of door mirrors, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica has a similar-sized footprint to most small hatchbacks — for those familiar with its previous smaller models, it’s in between the Mito and Giulietta in this regard. 

It’s only really in terms of height its SUV-ness is apparent at 1532mm, yet despite looking lower and sleeker, it’s a tad larger in every dimension than the Jeep Avenger it’s built alongside. 

For those in the well-bolstered front seats, there’s a fine amount of room. Despite it seeming cosy, you’re not that cramped. There’s a good range of adjustment for the seats, electrically operated and with a massage function on the driver’s side of all except the entry-level Junior Elettrica. As the wheel doesn’t extend backwards as much as would be ideal, taller drivers may feel they’re stretching or sitting more upright than they’d rather. 

Smaller cars tend to compromise on interior space somewhere and it’s usually the backseat that’s the victim, a case in point here. It’s fine for those up to their early teens and the additional elevation is a boon when installing and removing child car seats, with Isofix mounting points in the outer positions, but taller folk won’t be keen on linger journeys back there. 

Lift the tailgate — electrically on the Speciale model — to reveal a 400-litre boot space, which is 45 litres more than the aforementioned Jeep manages. As the Junior Elettrica’s a taller car, the loading lip is fairly high, but not excessively so.  

Its rear seats split/fold 60:40 fashion and although they don’t lie completely flat, there’s enough of a continuous surface to slide longer items along without too much difficulty. When just the Alfa Romeo’s two front seats are in use there’s 1265 litres of space available, trumping the Avenger’s 1252-litre capacity. 

Other storage areas, some with lids, are dotted about the cabin. They’re useful to have, but none of them are especially cavernous or fitted with clever touches.  

If you fancy a dedicated space to store your Type 2 charging cable, there’s a dealer-fit option — not an item installed at the factory — of a lidded, plastic tray that sits atop the electric motor. It does the job, but at £325 it’s a hard accessory to justify going for. 
 

As its name implies, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is an EV-only small SUV, at least until summer 2025. 

Whichever of the two power choices available you opt for, the electric motor is located under the bonnet, with drive being sent to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission that you drive as you would an automatic.  

The vast majority of buyers will plump for the Junior Elettrica 156, the number representing its power output in metric horsepower (hp or PS), which equates to 154bhp.  

Top speed is electronically limited to 93mph, while the 0-62mph acceleration benchmark takes 9.0 seconds. For reference, both the Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger, which are manufactured alongside the Alfa Romeo, post identical figures, so there’s no apparent performance advantage when buying the Junior Elettrica. 

That aside, its performance is delivered in a refined, smooth manner, feeling sufficiently brisk when you need to overtake or dart into a gap in traffic, without any neck-jarring thrust as you surge forwards. 

Exclusively for the Veloce version is the beefier 280 version. Presumably a little licence has been used here as converting its power output from the quoted 207kW results in 281hp or 278bhp. Whichever the number, this is quite a sum for a small car weighing 1560kg, but as yet details are limited while everything is still being signed off by legislators. 

What we can confirm is that its capped top speed has been increased to 124mph. 

Joining the range in mid-2025 is the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida. Your grasp of basic Italian is half-right in that does mean ‘hybrid’, but it will be the mild hybrid system, complete with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and six-speed dual-clutch automatic, familiar from a slew of Stellantis models, that’s fitted here. 

Under the WLTP testing regime, in the combined cycle the quoted maximum range for the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica 156 is as high as 255 miles thanks to its 54kWh battery. 

While it’s not a headline-grabbing figure in its own right, it’s marginally higher than the claimed figures of all the other small electric SUVs from Stellantis and at the price of the entry-level model, it's ahead of all of its current rivals, barring one. 

That’ll be the Kia EV3 which in its least-expensive form costs £900 less than the Alfa Romeo, but has a 4.3kWh larger battery — and 48hp more power — with a claimed driving range of 270 miles between recharges. 

As it’s still awaiting final homologation, no driving range figures are yet available for the Junior Elettrica 280. However, as it has significantly more power and performance than the 156 models, with no increase in its battery capacity, it will be reduced significantly. 

Buyers expect EVs to be smooth, quiet and refined and in those regards the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is no different, regardless of the sporty overtones associated with its manufacturer. 

While there’s a useful change in the pitch of the faux motor sound piped through the speakers as speed increases, there’s no gimmicky external amplifier such as that fitted to the Abarth 500e. 
 

Despite the Alfa Romeo’s relatively bluff nose shape, there was little wind noise to be heard at higher speeds, while sounds generated by the tyres and suspension movement were of a degree to help keep you attuned to what was going on beneath you without becoming tiresome.  

While the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica has yet to be sampled by the bodywork-bending safety experts at Euro NCAP, the closely related Jeep Avenger has been tested recently accumulating three stars. While achieving five stars with a small car is harder with the organisation’s latest, trickier tests, Alfa Romeo will be disappointed if its score is lower than four. 

What might cause it an issue in achieving that is that there’s a disparity between the standard safety kit depending on trim level.  

All versions have today’s usual array of electronic crash-mitigation kit including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and vulnerable road user recognition, e-Call to ring the emergency services automatically in the event of an accident, automatic LED head and tail lights, automatic wipers and rear parking sensors. 

If you want your Junior Elettrica to come with a lane-centring and traffic jam assist upgrade for the adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, traffic sign recognition and a reversing camera then you’ll either have to chose the 156 Speciale or spend £2200 on the Technology Pack.  

That sounds excessive at first, but it also includes all-round parking sensors, LED matrix headlights and other kit that’s found on the Speciale. That model has its own Technology Pack costing £1350, to take into account the equipment it has already. 

Given how new the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is, it’s impossible to have a handle on how reliable it will be.  

On the positive side, electric cars have fewer moving components, so theoretically there’s less to go wrong than with a typical petrol or diesel car. 

Less rosy is that in the most recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, of the 29 brands listed, Alfa Romeo’s Stellantis stablemates didn’t perform well overall — Peugeot was 24th, Citroen occupied 26th spot and bringing up the rear in last place was Vauxhall.  

Hyundai and Kia, which both make excellent alternatives to the Junior Elettrica nabbed 7th and 8th spots. 

Insurance group ratings for the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica have yet to be announced. 

Thanks to being an EV, the good news is that VED road tax is free. The bad news is that’s only until 1 April 2025 when the exemption for electric cars comes to an end. 

Also ending on the same date is the exemption that EVs costing in excess of the premium rate of tax that’s payable from years two through to five for models costing over £40,000. At the moment, only the fastest Junior Elettrica 280 Veloce exceeds that figure. 

As referenced above, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is a well-equipped small SUV, which goes a long way to making the entry-level version — which does without a trim level name — the pick of the range. 

Among the standard features of the entry-level Junior Elettrica, you will find 18-inch Aero diamond-cut alloy wheels, automatic LED head and tail lights which sync with the automatic wipers and rear parking sensors. 

Once inside you’ll see the pair of 10.25-inch screens, DAB radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, ambient lighting, front and rear electric windows, automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, an electric parking brake with auto-hold, fabric upholstery and a synthetic leather steering wheel. 

If you decide Speciale is the one for you, it additionally features 18-inch Petali diamond-cut alloy wheels, a sports styling kit, keyless entry, dark-tinted rear privacy glass, a reversing camera, an in-built navigation system, a six-speaker audio upgrade, lane centring and traffic jam assist for the adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, traffic sign recognition, upgraded front seats with heating and massage functions including electrical adjustment on the driver’s side, a leather steering wheel, sports pedals, door sill kick plates and an electric tailgate. 

Only available with the most powerful motor is the Veloce which uses the entry-level Junior Elettrica as its starting point and adds 20-inch Venti diamond-cut alloy wheels, grippier high performance tyres, red front brake callipers, sports suspension lowered by 25mm, a contrasting black roof, dark-tinted rear privacy glass, upgraded front sports seats with heating and massage function, plus electrical adjustment on the driver’s side, a leather steering wheel, sports pedals and door sill kick plates. 

Further personalisation is available courtesy of some option bundles, the exact make-up of which depends upon the version they’ve been added to.  

In broad brushstroke terms, the Premium Pack elevates the entry-level’s spec to nearer that of the Speciale. The Sport Pack majors heavily on Alcantara fake suede interior trimmings and front sports seats produced by Sabelt. Within the Technology Pack are LED matrix headlights, a wireless smartphone charging pad and all-round parking sensors.