The new Alfa Romeo Junior crossover SUV was unveiled here by Irish importers Gowan Auto on Valentine’s Day this year, surely a good omen for a car launch with all that love around. The car is the first 100 per cent electric model from the Italian brand that marked its 115th anniversary in June of this year. The Irish distributor believes it will capture the hearts of drivers who crave style, performance, and innovation — an accurate summary of the new model, which is certainly one of the most stylish cars on our roads.
It looks premium and sporty, especially in the vibrant Brera Red exterior colour that refers to a specific shade of red used by the brand for their Brera 2+2 coupe, and contrasting black roof and pillars. The front end is quite aggressive looking with the special Scudetto V-Shield standing out on the grille. LED Matrix headlights provide superior illumination for enhanced visibility on the road, and gorgeous Petal 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels certainly added to the overall look. Sleek black LED taillights and the black spoiler ensure the rear design looks almost as good as the front. Rear door handles come integrated into the black C-pillars and, in a nod to icons of its past, the laser-etched ‘Biscione’ grass snake also features on the C-pillars. The front registration plate has been repositioned to the centre of the car to comply with new EU pedestrian safety regulations.
The beautifully designed and mostly dark cabin with the wrap-around dash cocoons you nicely. The sunroof certainly helps lift the dark look. My mid-spec Speciale trim was equipped with some extra special features like the luxurious suede/leather Sabelt bucket sports seats that hold you in snugly while offering good back support, have integrated headrests, and some open areas. They were part of the Performance interior pack, as was the leather-wrapped steering wheel. My driver’s seat had 6-way power adjustments. Front seats can be heated.
The recessed 10.25-inch instrument cluster offers intuitive information and customisable controls, while the same-sized touchscreen, located lower on the dash than in many other cars and angled slightly towards the driver, provides a smartphone-like user experience and is fully customisable to match your preferences.
The transmission selector on the centre console is similar to that used by Peugeot, as both brands are part of the Stellantis Group. The Start/Stop engine button is here also, along with a wireless charging pad and two USB ports.
Tall people will find the rear on the tight side, especially with a similarly sized person seated in front, and there’s a tunnel on the rear floor to manoeuvre feet around. Rear storage is very limited with no pockets on front seat backs and there are no rear door bins, but you do get a Type C USB.
The boot features a hands-free power tailgate; luggage space of 400 litres can expand to 1,280 litres with the rear seats folded down. The high floor offers three levels of versatility, and you can store the charging cables beneath the floor.
Features included sports pedals, a small but high-definition rear-view camera and a 6-speaker sound system, blind-spot detection, and all-around parking sensors.
The onboard technology included adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, and traffic sign information.
Trims are Elettrica, Elettrica Speciale and Veloce. All use the same 54kWh battery.
Two power variants are offered: the 156hp with a claimed range of up to 410km WLTP and peak torque of 260Nm, and the high-powered 280hp Veloce with 345Nm torque is capable of doing from 0-100km/h in 5.9 secs, but has a lower range of just 322km. My car was the Elettrica Speciale 156hp version, with a claimed power consumption of 15.3kWh/100km and road tax of €120. The urban electric range is around 574km. Drive modes are Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency.
AC charging from 0-100pc takes 5hrs 45mins; DC fast charging from 20-80pc is 24 minutes.
The Junior Speciale was a pure joy to drive with instant torque. While it excelled on motorway driving, it was also very well behaved in urban driving. I found the ride on the firm side, but never uncomfortable. Steering was direct and well balanced, and little road noise came through with the car’s good insulation.
The Alfa Romeo Junior is a thrilling fusion of innovation and performance, faithful to the sporty Alfa Romeo DNA.
The Junior electric entry price is from €41,083; my Speciale from €38,950; 280hp from €51,405. Prices include SEAI grant and VRT relief. The Junior Ibrida petrol hybrid version retails at €34,995 (no grants available).
