Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida long-term test: report 3
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 2727 List price £33,295 Best Price £27,499 Price as tested £33,295 Official economy 57.6mpg Test economy 57.6mpg
4 October 2025 – Alfa Romeo is on a roll
The wind in my hair, the roar of wheels against Tarmac, the sensation of cornering as quickly as my balance would allow… yes, it’s a long time since I last went roller skating, and it’s not something I’m inclined to do again at this stage in life. Fortunately, my Alfa Romeo Junior Ibreda provides some of the same thrills.
Living, as I do, in Greater London, the Junior has reminded me how free and at ease you can feel when behind the wheel of a small, nimble car. Indeed, compared with the whale that was the Skoda Kodiaq I ran previously, the Junior is a minnow.
True, before I moved up to that seven-seater, I ran a Skoda Kamiq (a small SUV like the Junior), but the Junior also feels much more agile than that. Urban roundabouts, congested streets and tight car parks can be tackled with real confidence when you instinctively know where your car’s extremities are, and the Junior feels like an extension of me – a bit like roller skates used to, come to think of it.
Those compact dimensions are also very handy when parking on the road outside my house, and this means I’m as cheery when I put the car away for the night as when I slip behind the wheel at the beginning of the day.
The Junior has genuinely got me looking forward to urban driving; it’s no longer a chore to be endured before I reach more enjoyable roads. And some of this joy comes courtesy of the mild hybrid electrical assistance that boosts the Ibreda’s 1.2-litre petrol engine; it gives a little extra shove when pulling away, so the Junior always feels eager.
Best of all, the fun continues once we’re out on the open road; the Junior’s small footprint means that even narrow country lanes give me plenty of space, so I can pick my ideal line through corners. Meanwhile, the steering is much pointier and more responsive than it was in my Kamiq.
The Junior even makes quite a good noise, with a much sportier growl than I expected coming from its engine and exhaust pipe. It’s a proper little roller skate, then, but with much less risk of Frank Spencer-style mishaps.
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