Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida review

Introduction

If variety is the spice of life, the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida could be the recipe Alfa needs. Its arrival means you can now choose between the all-electric Junior Elettrica and this petrol-engined version.

It's not just any petrol engine either: Ibrida is Italian for hybrid, and this Junior has mild-hybrid tech. What’s more, you’ll find this setup in a fair few Stellantis rivals, including the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka.

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54kWh Elettrica Veloce SUV 5dr Electric Auto (280 ps)

Expected annual mileage	5000
Term months	24
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Monthly payment	£288.31
Initial payment	£3,459.72

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• Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end

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• Full manufacturer’s warranty
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• Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
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• Road tax included

Underneath, the Junior shares a platform with those models, but Alfa Romeo maintains that its take is more stylish, sportier and better to drive. Is that true? And can it fight off the best small SUVs, including the Ford Puma and Lexus LBX?

Read on to find out – or if you’re ready to go electric, check out our Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica review.

Read more: Complete the What Car? Reliability Survey now and you could win a prize

What's new

- March 2025: Orders open for Junior Ibrida. Just one trim level is available: Ibrida

- February 2025: Junior Ibrida hybrid revealed, with 1.2-litre petrol engine and an electric motor to give 134bhp

- April 2024: Alfa Romeo Milano unveiled, and renamed Junior within days after complaints from the Italian Government

Overview

The Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida is an average small SUV. You could argue that it looks rather sharp and stylish – premium, even – but there’s not a lot of substance beneath to match. The driving experience is a mixed bag in that it’s comfortable but not very fun to drive, and interior quality is barely a cut above cheaper rivals. Consider a Ford Puma if you want something sporty to drive, or the Lexus LBX if luxury is high on your wish list. If you’re set on an Ibrada, we’d stick to the entry-level version to keep the price reasonable.

Our pick

54kWh Elettrica Veloce SUV 5dr Electric Auto (280 ps) review

RRP £42,300

Pros

• Decent acceleration
• Comfortable ride
• Fairly big boot

Cons

• Interior quality could be better
• Jerky automatic gearbox and regenerative braking
• Some rivals have more passenger space

Our pick

54kWh Elettrica Veloce SUV 5dr Electric Auto (280 ps) review

RRP £42,300

Trims available

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Elettrica Veloce

If you’re after the sportiest Junior, top-spec Veloce is the one that you’ll want to go for. Not only does this get the most powerful motor, it also adds a host of performance upgrades including a mechanical limited slip differential and lowered suspension.

Ibrida

The entry-level trim has plenty of equipment, including 18in alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen.

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

How fast is it and which engine is best?

The Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida has a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. It feels punchy, whether you’re nipping around town or getting up to motorway speeds, and the 0-62mph time is competitive with key rivals’.

There’s just the one engine and gearbox available with the Junior, and unfortunately, the six-speed automatic gearbox in question is far from the best we’ve ever tested. It’s often jerky when setting off (especially on an incline).

The Junior will sometimes set off or gently cruise on electric power alone, but by contrast, the fully hybrid Lexus LBX will switch into EV mode more often and for longer stints.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Alfa Romeo is responsible for some fantastic handling cars – the Alfa Romeo Guilia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, to name two – and you’d hope the Junior would continue the form. But in reality, it's not great.

The suspension is quite soft and the front end never feels particularly sharp or eager to turn into corners, and during cornering, there’s noticeable body lean. What’s more, the brake pedal is spongy and tricky to modulate, with the often-inconsistent regenerative braking system only adding to this issue.

By contrast, with its sharper front end, superior grip and playful balance, the Ford Puma is much more confidence inspiring on a twisty road – it’s just more agile and fun to drive.

On the flipside, the Junior’s ride is supple and comfortable – more so than the stiffer Puma. It irons out most bumps well, with only sharp abrasions tripping the Junior up and causing a small thud. For an even smoother ride, check out the Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Roc.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

The Junior is indeed quiet, especially when it’s running on electric power alone – there’s just a faint whine from the electric motor. It’s not that easy to drive smoothly, though.

As mentioned, the gearbox can be jerky, the brake pedal spongy, and the mild hybrid system itself isn’t the most refined either. Combine these traits, and when the engine kicks in, you notice far more vibrations than you do in the Lexus LBX.

“I was disappointed with the Junior’s handling. Isn’t Alfa Romeo a sporty brand?” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The interior looks just as sporty as the exterior, with a high centre console, a prominent start button, and an infotainment screen that’s tilted towards you. You feel quite cocooned.

There are some soft-touch materials on the doors, dashboard and centre console, helping it feel like a step up from the closely related Jeep Avenger and Vauxhall Mokka. On the other hand, there are still plenty of scratchy plastics all over the place.

The Peugeot 2008 feels a touch more premium, but for a truly plush interior, you’ll want the Audi Q2 or Lexus LBX. Those two cars also feature better build quality. Sure, we never came across loose pieces of trim or anything like that in the Junior Ibrada, but it just doesn’t feel as tightly screwed together.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

You can position the driver’s seat quite low down in the Junior, again, adding to the interior’s sporty feel. Go for the optional Sport Pack and the supportive Sabelt-branded seats only add to that feel.

Your view to the front and sides are good, but over-the-shoulder visibility is restricted by a raised window line and chunky rear pillars.

Thankfully, every Junior comes with rear sensors to make parking easier. A rear-view camera comes as part of the optional Technology Pack.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Every Junior Ibrida has a 10.3in touchscreen. The graphics are reasonably crisp and the screen is helpfully angled towards the driver. That said, it’s also positioned quite low down – it’s not in your eyeline – and it can be a bit slow to respond to prods.

You can get around the basic software by using the standard-fit Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, thankfully.

"Manoeuvring in the Junior Ibrida can be a tad unnerving because the thick rear pillars almost entirely block the view over your shoulder. You might want to add the optional Technology pack so you get blind-spot monitoring." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

How much space does it have for people?

Even if you’re 6ft tall you’ll have no issues when sitting up front in the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida. Indeed, you’ll have plenty of head and leg room, and enough shoulder room that you won’t be rubbing up against your front seat passenger.

That said, it feels more confined than the Peugeot 2008, which feels more open and airy in comparison. The Vauxhall Mokka is about on a par with the Junior, and its design makes it feel quite claustrophobic for even shorter people.

Taller folk will find space in the rear quite tight, with the Ibrida offering less head and leg room than most rivals. Indeed, if you want a car you can regularly fit people into the back of, you'll be better off trying a Skoda Kamiq or Volkswagen T-Roc.

How much room does it have for luggage?

The Junior Ibrida misses out on the handy front boot you’ll find beneath the bonnet of the Junior Elettrica. However, it does get 15 litres more boot space to make up for that. Its overall capacity is 415 litres.

That’s more than the petrol Jeep Avenger but slightly less than a Peugeot 2008 or VW T-Roc. Even so, it should still be more than enough space to carry several carry-on suitcases.

For instances where you need more space, you can split the Junior Ibrida’s rear seats 60/40 and fold them flat. That’s fairly par for the course in the small SUV class but it’s a shame the Ibrida doesn’t have a ski hatch like the T-Roc does.

"Interestingly, with the sportier seats installed I found that I had more knee room while sitting in the back of the Junior Ibrida. The reason is the large cut-outs in the seat backs." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

As a cash purchase, the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida slightly undercuts premium rivals like the Audi Q2 and Lexus LBX. It’s also cheaper to buy than the VW T-Roc.

However, there are plenty of cheaper options within the small SUV class, like the Ford Puma, Jeep Avenger and Skoda Kamiq.

The Junior Ibrida is predicted to hold on to its value pretty well, depreciating more slowly than all its rivals. That can have an impact on how much you pay on PCP finance, helping to lower monthly payments.

Being a mild hybrid, you’d expect better than average fuel economy, and you’d be right. Officially, the Ibrida does up to 59mpg and its low CO2 emissions are almost on a par with the Toyota Yaris Cross. If you're looking for a company car, you'll find that the Junior Ibrida attracts fairly low BIK tax payments – though not as low as an electric SUV (such as the Junior Elettrica).

Entry-level Junior Ibridas get 18in wheels, keyless start and a synthetic leather steering wheel. The Ti then adds the (fittingly named) Ti pack, which gets you heated front seats, a massage function for the driver and a black painted exterior body kit. The Sport Speciale tops the range and has the Technology Pack as standard, a black roof and ‘Sport Speciale’ badging.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

The Junior was absent from our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, but Alfa Romeo as a brand came 17th out of 30 manufacturers featured – a decent result. It placed above Renault and Volvo but below Kia, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

You get a three-year, unlimited-mileage standard warranty with the Junior.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

Euro NCAP has yet to test the Junior for safety, but you can be safe in the knowledge that it comes with a good amount of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and traffic-sign recognition. You can add blind-spot monitoring, lane-assist and traffic-jam assist by selecting the optional Technology Pack.

"The Sport Pack is tempting, especially for those fantastic seats. But I’d be hesitant to pay the premium." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buy it if…

- You like sporty styling, inside and out
- You’re after better-than-average acceleration
- You appreciate a compliant ride

Don’t buy it if...

- You’re looking for Giulia-rivalling handling
- You want a spacious interior
- You want the best value-for-money small SUV

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