Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida long-term test
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 10,300 List price £33,295 Target Price £27,499 Price as tested £33,295 Dealer price now £28,768 Private price now £21,870 Official fuel consumption 57.6.mpg Test fuel consumption 47.1mpg Running costs (excluding depreciation) Petrol £1262
11 February 2026 – Arrivederci amico mio
Your fridge, your boiler, your internet router; they all live in the background, quietly doing their jobs. You can basically take them for granted most of the time. And if celebrating the same thing about my Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, it really isn’t.
My photographic duties for What Car? take me all over the country, but the Junior never let me down. Without a second thought, I could load it up and get to where I needed to quickly, comfortably and efficiently. And yet on the right road, it could also light up my day in a way that showed it was far more than just an appliance.
I’m going to miss the Junior, then. I started out wondering whether it might be a bit more about style than substance. After all, it has quite a lot of the former – to the extent that I often felt rather too dowdy to be seen in it. And, of course, there was the question in my mind of whether it’s a real Alfa Romeo, given that it shares oily bits with the Vauxhall Mokka.
The British brand has very different associations from its Italian cousin within the Stellantis family. However, it works the other way, too; a Vauxhall has to excel when it comes to everyday usability, and the Mokka passed that desirable trait to the Junior, which has been very easy to live with as well as great fun to drive.
For one thing, I enjoyed its compact dimensions. Combined with the excellent forward visibility (thanks to a deep windscreen with narrow pillars), I could always judge where the Junior’s front corners were, making tight urban channels a breeze to navigate. And while the view over my shoulder wasn’t quite as hot, due to the broad rear pillars, that was overcome by the rear parking camera when I found myself in a tight spot.
My poor old Junior hasn’t exactly lived a life of glamour. In fact, such has been the cargo it’s typically carried, it served as more of a van than a car. My more valuable, fragile apparatus (cameras and lenses in their bags) always went in the boot, while my bulky tripods, reflectors and other awkwardly spindly bits and bobs typically went across the back seat. That, of course, turned it into a two-seater, but splitting the load like this made everything easily accessible.
If you’re not a photographer, though, I could see the Junior slotting into family life pretty easily. The boot is actually a good size; at 415 litres, it’s slightly bigger than that of the related Jeep Avenger, and a lot bigger than the Mokka’s. And while basketball players won’t be falling over themselves for a seat in the back, the Junior would be fine for a pair of children to travel in until they’re deep into their teens.
Then there’s the efficiency. When I turned in my fuel expenses every month, I was struck by how sensible the numbers were, and it all comes down to the Junior’s mild hybrid system, which helps the 1.2-litre petrol engine with some of the heavy lifting. In fact, it’s a win-win; not only has the Junior averaged 47mpg during my time with it, but the electric boost when pulling away makes it feel much nippier than you might expect for such an economical car. Not so long ago, its 8.9sec 0-62mph time wouldn’t have disgraced a hot hatch.
But what about other costs? Well, admittedly my eyes watered a little when I looked at our online valuations page, and saw that a dealer would give me less than £20k for my six month-old, 10,000-mile Junior. But then I remembered that my car was fitted with lots of desirable option packs. A quick browse of the classifieds then revealed that cars specced like mine are on for closer to £29k.
True, that’s still a reasonable saving over new, but you’d miss out on the chance of speccing to your own taste. If I were to do that again with a Junior, I wouldn’t make a single change. It's definitely not style over substance; more wholesome ingredients presented with panache.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Read more on our long-term Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida >>
Read about more long-term test cars >>
Buy a new car with What Car?
Like the sound of the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida?
If so, check out our New Car Deals pages to see how much you could save on an Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida .
We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.
