Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida long term test: report 2
Our chief photographer wanted an economical car that he'd enjoy racking up miles in, and that won't shirk a bit of hard work...
The car Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer
Why it’s here To find out if this small SUV is as practical and easy to live with as it is full of italian brio
Needs to Be comfortable on motorway trips, entertaining on country roads, frugal everywhere and practical all the time
Mileage 1986 List price £33,295 Best Price £27,499 Price as tested £33,295 Official economy 57.6mpg Test economy 57.6mpg
14 September 2025 – Making myself at home
Buying a new home is very exciting, but getting established within it comes next, and that's what I've been doing with my Alfa Romeo Junior.
I'm looking forward to putting its supposedly sporting handling to the test when my duties as chief photographer at What Car? take me on rural roads. However, my relationship with the Junior will be heavily dictated by what it does to keep me comfy as the miles roll by.
When I bumped my head upon getting into it for the first time, it came as an immediate reminder that this is a lower-slung machine than I've been used to recently, and certainly after the much bigger Skoda Kodiaq I was previously running. Still, that means – even by small SUV standards – the Junior is very easy to step into, and I found plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and seat (electric on the driver's side) so I could set up a viable driving position.
It was a while before I made anything but a short local trip in the Junior; but happily, on my return from my first long motorway trip, I was free of aches and pains. I had noticed a few things, though.
The driving position didn't seem as comfortable as it had been in the Skoda Kamiq I ran some time ago – a car of a similar size and outline. While that car places you similarly close to the ground, in the Junior, my knees are raised higher than my hips, with a less comfortable posture as the outcome. I reckon the Juniors seats could do with a little more contouring and side bolstering, too, to better support my frame.
The electrically adjustable lumbar support is welcome, though, and I tend to keep it in its firmest setting. Plus, as an extension of this, there's a massage feature that has the lumbar support moving up and down, in and out, in a cycle to soothe my back. It's a not unpleasant sensation, but in no way vigorous, and its medical benefit is dubious – it certainly doesn't "get its knuckles in" like the massaging seats of a Mercedes S-Class do.
Still, anything that helps prevent my spine setting solid on a long trip is welcome, and the mechanism reverts to my preferred lumbar support setting when not in massage mode. I reckon I'll settle in just fine.
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