Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica review

"There’s no such thing as bad publicity," said showman PT Barnum – a sentiment echoed by Alfa Romeo’s head of PR as the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica was launched after a bit of a gaffe over its name.

Why? Well, the Junior – which is Alfa Romeo’s first electric SUV – had been unveiled a few months earlier, but as the Alfa Romeo Milano. It was renamed the Junior after the Italian government objected to a car built in Poland being named after the city of Milan.

The Junior name refers back to the 1966 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior – an attainable and fun compact car – and that’s what Alfa hopes its new Junior will be seen as. 

The Elettrica version we're reviewing here is sold alongside a mild-hybrid version, the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida. It brings the Junior into line with its Stellantis stablemates – the Fiat 600e, Jeep Avenger Electric, Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric – all of which have petrol-powered equivalents.

So is the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica the best of the bunch or would we recommend a different small electric SUV? Read on to find out...

The all-electric Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica comes with the same 50.8kWh (usable capacity) battery as the Jeep Avenger Electric, Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric but unique to the Junior is the option to upgrade to a more powerful electric motor.

Most Juniors get a familiar 154bhp set-up, which gives you an official 0-62mph sprint time of nine seconds. That’s respectable acceleration and enough for the real world, but slower than a Ford Puma Gen-E and way behind the Smart #1 Pro and Mini Cooper E Electric. It feels it, too, building up speed more casually when you put your foot down.

If punchy is what you’re after, you’ll want to go for the range-topping Veloce. That version has been re-engineered to "feel like an Alfa Romeo" and gets 278bhp, cutting the 0-62mph time to 6.0 seconds.

Better still, it gets a mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) to maximise traction, a faster steering rack, 25mm lower suspension, a wider track (the distance between the wheels left to right), stiffer front and rear anti-roll bars to limit body lean, bigger brake discs and 20in alloy wheels. Like all Juniors, it has front-wheel drive (four-wheel drive isn't an option).

The result is a car that is genuinely joyous to drive. Indeed, it only takes a few moments to realise that Alfa Romeo has put serious work into how the Junior Elettrica handles. As you turn in to a corner, you find that the steering is quick, direct and well-weighted, allowing you to place the nose right where you want it.

Unlike in most electric SUVs, there’s a good sense of connection with the front wheels. As you accelerate hard out of a low-speed corner, the steering wheel gently writhes in your hands letting you know that the differential is working away to help put its power down cleanly. Thankfully, it’s not so aggressive that you have to wrestle the wheel to keep it pointing in the direction you want it.

The sports-oriented suspension deals with crests and bumps with a fluency and finesse that's usually reserved for the best sports saloons. Body lean is progressive and well-contained, and if you find the front end pushing wide, you can simply correct your line with a quick lift of the accelerator. That’s not the kind of driving dynamics we’d typically expect from a small electric SUV yet Alfa has delivered. 

The good news is that lower-powered Junior Elettricas are pretty fun and sharp to drive too. They manage body lean well and the steering is more accurate than on an equivalent Jeep Avenger Electric, Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric or Volvo EX30. It’s just that the Veloce takes the fun to another level.

Like other Alfa Romeo models, the Junior gets switchable "DNA" drive modes – Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency – which allow you to adjust the weight of the steering and the accelerator response. 

In the Veloce, they also change the brake feel. That's quite useful because the regenerative braking system doesn’t blend in with the regular friction brakes very well when driving in Efficiency and Natural mode, making coming to a smooth stop quite a challenge.

In the Veloce’s Dynamic mode, regen braking is dropped in favour of full mechanical braking. The result is a pedal that doesn’t have much initial bite but responds faithfully and consistently to your inputs. The lack of regen could, in certain driving conditions, reduce efficiency, but losing a few miles of range in return for a smoother driving experience seems like a good deal to us.

Speaking of range, the 154bhp versions can officially manage up to 255 miles. That’s comfortably further than entry-level versions of the Mini Cooper Electric, Smart #1 and Volvo EX30 – which all cost about the same as the cheapest Junior Elettrica. However, it’s less than you’ll get from a Cooper SE or #1 Pro+, which line up in price with the mid-spec Junior.

The more powerful Veloce reduces the official range to 207 miles, which is less than all its rivals, including the Cupra Born VZ (372 miles).

The Junior Elettrica's lack of range is disappointing but then there are also quieter rivals to take over a long-distance. Road noise is well contained in most versions of the Junior but there’s quite a lot of wind noise filtering through around the doors. Meanwhile, the Veloce's larger 20in wheels and stiffer suspension generate a bit of a thump when dealing with potholes and ridges. 

Regular versions of the Junior Elettrica ride well, soaking up imperfections far better than the Ford Puma Gen-E but not quite as supple as an EX30. The stiffened-up Veloce does compromise on ride comfort, especially at speed down a country road, but there’s still less pitching and jostling in your seat than you'll feel in a Mini Aceman.

"The Junior Elettrica really is great to drive but the brake pedal definitely lessens the experience slightly. I found that in some driving modes it lacked feel and was inconsistent with the regen braking." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Every Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica comes with comfy and supportive seats. You get a good amount of front-seat adjustment in all versions – manual in the entry-level Junior model and electric in the mid-spec Speciale and the top-spec Veloce. The Speciale gets adjustable lumbar support and has a massage function.

The Veloce is also available with optional semi-bucket Sabelt front seats. They really suit that version's sporty feel, with huge side bolsters that do a great job of holding you in place through quick corners. Our only demerit is that the seat base is quite hard and you lose out on the adjustable lumbar support.

You sit quite low down in the Junior but visibility to the front and the sides is good, which is handy when negotiating junctions. On the minus side, over-the-shoulder visibility is really restricted by the rising window line and chunky rear pillars. Thankfully, every Junior comes with rear parking sensors to make parking easier, and Speciale adds a rear-view camera.

Most of the Junior’s interior functions are controlled using the 10.3in infotainment touchscreen, which is angled towards the driver. It’s not the most impressive system, with slow response times and a basic lay-out, but you can at least bypass the Alfa Romeo software and use your phone apps instead, thanks to standard-fit Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

More successful is the bank of physical climate controls below the screen, which are easier and less distracting to use than the touchscreen-based buttons in the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30. The Junior also has a 10.3in digital driver’s display.

In terms of interior quality, the Junior Elettrica is a bit of a let-down compared with its closest rivals. While we love the leather and suede-covered Sabelt seats and the suede inserts on the dashboard (standard on the Veloce, or part of the Sport pack on other models), almost every other material you regularly come into contact with is a form of hard plastic.

"You don’t get built-in sat-nav with the entry-level Alfa Romeo Junior but I didn't find that a problem because of the wireless smartphone mirroring." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica doesn't feel as open or airy inside as a Cupra Born or Volvo EX30 but in the front seats even tall occupants will find plenty of head room and decent leg room.

There’s also a reasonable amount of storage space, including a couple of good-sized door bins and a surprisingly large storage tray at the bottom of the dash. The tray takes a hefty wallet or a large smartphone, and on Veloce models it includes a wireless phone-charging pad.

Compared with most electric SUVs, space in the back of the Junior Elettrica is cramped, with limited head and leg room – especially if you’re more than 6ft tall. On the plus side, the sports seats on the Veloce models have heavily carved-out seat backs, which does help with knee room behind them.

If you often carry adults in the back, we’d recommend taking a look at the Volvo EX30 instead. It has more leg room and – unlike in the Junior – there's no bulge in the floor in front of the middle back seat to get in the way of a passenger's feet.

It’s a shame the Junior Elettrica doesn’t offer sliding or reclining rear seats. They're split 60/40 rather than the more versatile 40/20/40, limiting your options when you have passengers and luggage to fit in. There’s no ski hatch to allow you to carry long items with a couple of rear passengers sitting in comfort.

The boot is a reasonably good size by small electric SUV standards, with 400 litres of storage volume. That's more boot space than you get in the Cupra Born, Jeep Avenger Electric and Smart #1 so there should be enough room for your weekly shopping or several carry-on suitcases.

A Ford Puma Gen-E has an even bigger boot, as well as a large storage well under the boot floor. The Junior Elettrica's boot floor is height-adjustable, allowing you to separate the space into two compartments. As an optional extra you can pay to fit a small storage box for cables under the bonnet.

"I found the neat little compartment under the Junior's bonnet really handy. It's not huge but it is big enough to store the charging cables and saves you space in the boot." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica’s pricing is about the same as for an entry-level Volvo EX30, meaning it costs slightly more than a Ford Puma Gen-E, Jeep Avenger Electric and Smart #1 – which isn’t hugely surprising given that Alfa Romeo is one of the more premium brands in the Stellantis family. Even so the Junior does manage to undercut the Cupra Born.

Better still, the Junior Elettrica is predicted to lose its value more slowly than most of those rivals, helping to keep PCP finance rates competitive. You can make sure you get the best price by checking our New Car Deals pages.

Whichever trim you go for, you’ll be happy to know that it’ll be well-equipped, with even the entry-level Junior coming with 18in alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and climate control. There are plenty of option packs so you can add one or two more luxuries without stepping up to the next trim level.

Upgrading to mid-rung Speciale will get you tinted rear windows, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, metal sports pedals and kickplates, an electric tailgate and a six-speaker stereo (upgraded from four speakers). On top of that, you also add a built-in sat-nav app as part of the infotainment system and electrically adjustable seats.

A special-edition Intensa trim arrived later in 2025 with gold-coloured exterior highlights on the wheels and side skirts, and some suede-like Alcantara material on the seats and steering wheel.

Still, we think the version to go for is the Veloce, with its plethora of mechanical upgrades and added luxuries such as its 20in diamond-cut alloy wheels, contrast roof and optional Sabelt sports seats.

All Junior Elettricas come with an EV heat pump for more efficient warming of the interior. Charging speeds are not particularly quick, with all versions offering a maximum charging rate of 100kW – that's the same as a Puma Gen-E but some way behind the Smart #1 Pro (130kW) and Cupra Born VZ (185kW). A 10-80% top-up of the Junior's battery should take around 25 minutes with a suitably powerful public EV charger.

The Junior is too new to have featured in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Alfa Romeo as a brand performed pretty terribly, finishing in 30th place out of 31 manufacturers (above only MG). You get a three-year, unlimited-mileage standard warranty with the Junior Elettrica.

There was no Euro NCAP safety rating for the model at the time of writing, but the Junior comes with plenty of safety aids as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection.

"I'm impressed with the level of standard equipment in all versions of the Junior, but it's hard to resist the top-spec Veloce because of its extra performance tech." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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