Alfa Romeo Junior review: Italian charm with all-electric sensibilities and a compact crossover body

Things at Alfa Romeo have become quite exciting as of late: After revealing the 33 Stradale in 2023, the firm has also recently presented the Cuorerosso 2+2 coupe. 

Both these cars look more at home racking miles on the Nardo circuit than they do parked in a multi-storey carpark.

This Junior that you see in the photos is a little different from these two. It’s a compact crossover, for starters. And then there’s the fact that it also arrives here in Singapore with a more sensible output of 100kW (134bhp).

Will fans of the brand warm up to this more practically minded and all-electric Alfa Romeo?

A new look

First things first. Those familiar with cars such as the Tonale and Giulia will note that Alfa Romeo’s design philosophy has seen a bit of a shakeup with this new Junior.

This car’s headlights still get three defined LED elements each, but these lights also now adopt a more geometric design than those of the firm’s previous cars. 

More emphasis is also placed on the central shield on the nose of this Junior, although Singapore-market cars will instead feature a central ‘grille’ that comes complete with the Alfa Romeo wordmark in a classy typeface.

A similar badge is utilised at the rear of this Junior, which sits neatly under a blacked-out element that houses the taillights and is said to take inspiration from the rear of the Giulia TZ.

It’s an undoubtedly pretty thing, even if the Junior’s creases and lines don’t quite match the elegance of the models that came before.

A designer space

Step inside and things stay just as exciting. Yes, the drive mode selector, gear selector and engine start button all won’t be alien to anyone coming from any of the Stellantis Group’s more affordable products (or commercial vehicles), and hard plastics abound in this cabin. Material use here could certainly use an upgrade.

But there’s a certain charm to how everything is laid out. All the driving controls are precisely where you’d expect them to be and there’s no ugly infotainment screen that sticks out of the dashboard. 

Instead, the 10.25-inch unit rests neatly below the air-conditioning vents so your attention stays where it needs to be when you’re on the move — on what’s going on outside the windscreen.

This infotainment unit took me quite a bit of getting used to — but only because its layout is rather unfamiliar. 

Spend a bit of time with it and you’ll note that it not only offers plenty of customisation options but also an appealing choice of colours.

Responsiveness when you’re using Android Auto needs to be looked at though. The lack of an obvious ‘back’ button and the placement of the ‘home’ button between the air-conditioning vents is also an unusual choice.

Still, the seats adorably feature the brand’s snake and cross logo on their headrests and backs. These also strike a nice balance between comfort and support all while effectively expelling heat. 

My passenger additionally didn’t seem to be able to stop yapping on about how pretty the illuminated vents at either side of the dashboard were.

Head room at the rear is decent for such a compact car, but many will find leg and knee room still outright stingy.

A drive that charms

But I suspect these things should be trivial for those already serious about putting aside some money for an Alfa Romeo. After all, this is a brand with a long lineage of charming and capable coupes and an illustrious motorsport pedigree. 

Have any of these translated into an entertaining drive for this new Junior?

Not quite. Get moving in this Junior and the first thing that you notice is the light steering and lack of resistance from the brake pedal. These are easy to get used to, of course, but aren’t the hallmarks of a car that is set up for precise control from the driver.

Not offering an option to alter the level of regenerative braking deployed is also an unusual choice.

So, think of this Junior as more of a regular inner-city commuter that simply seeks to bring that lovely Italian styling to a modern audience. And it really doesn’t disappoint when viewed as such.

Cabin isolation from noise is hard to fault, and the ride quality here is commendable. The Alfa Romeo Junior gently crests bumps without transmitting any of the road’s sharp edges into the cabin. And once you get up to speed there’s also a commendable composure to affairs.

Our weekend with the car also saw it returning an average energy economy of 7.0km/kWh, just a touch better than its official consumption rate of 6.7km/kWh. Expect to come just shy of 400km between charging sessions.

But should you?

So, is this now the car for those looking for all the heritage and charm that is associated with owning an Alfa Romeo? If these points pair well for you with the sensibility that comes with a small electric crossover this might just be the car for you.

Now, there’s no denying that at $235,888, this Alfa Romeo Junior comes at a steep price. Options such as the Volvo EX30 will come with more practical features such as an electric driver’s seat and a larger infotainment screen. 

And there’s also the Zeekr X to consider, which, at $209,999, undercuts this Alfa Romeo by a fair bit (all prices as of Oct 27, inclusive of COE).

But if you’re swayed by the style of this Junior, there’s really little else worth thinking about, save for just how good it (and you) will look when you walk away from it in your multi-storey carpark.

[[nid:749647]]

This article was first published in sgCarMart.