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By Jonathan Crouch

Alfa Romeo starts its EV mission with this car, the Junior. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 42

Alfa Romeo's first EV, the Junior, brings a sporty vibe to the bulging segment for lower mid-sized electrified crossovers. Shared Stellantis Group underpinnings have been given the Milanese maker's evocative spin here - and you might really like the aspirational end result.

Backgroundword count: 190

'Electric according to Alfa Romeo'; what might that mean? We have our initial answer with this car, the marque's very first EV, the Junior. It was born in controversy, the name changed from 'Milano' a week after launch, following complaints from government officials that a moniker designating Italy second city was inappropriate for a car assembled in Poland. This model couldn't be more significant, the first design created in the brand's ambitious 'Zero-to-Zero' mission, which targets the marque to go from no EVs to 100% Zero-Emission sales by 2027. That still looks a far-off target; even the Junior can also be had with a fossil-fuelled Hybrid powerplant, though it launched in the UK in the summer of 2024 as an EV. The brand likes to see this car as a 'spiritual successor' to its old Giulietta and Mito compact hatchbacks 'to attract a new generation of Alfisti'. And its mission is apparently to help the brand 'go from exclusive to inclusive'; rough translation - the typical current Alfa buyer is over 50 and a petrol head. That can't continue. Is the Junior the car to break that trend? Let's see.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 403

Both this Junior model's most direct Stellantis Group cousins, the Jeep Avenger and the Fiat 600, were launched as EVs, with 1.2-litre Hybrid petrol power following shortly after. That trend has again been replicated again here - there's a combustion 'Ibrida' version as well as the 'Elettrica' EV - which was predictable given that the market still isn't quite ready to be completely electric. Whether it's ready for this Alfa EV will be interesting to see. To be honest, there's not much that's particularly 'Alfa'-like about the entry-level Junior 'Elettrica', which gets the usual Stellantis Group set-up that sees a 156hp motor energised by 54kWh battery, delivering range in this case rated at up to 255 miles. There's the brand's usual DNA driving mode system (the letters standing for 'Dynamic', 'Natural' and 'Advanced efficiency' settings). And the e-CMP2 platform all Juniors are based on is based around a wider track than you'd see it use with another equivalent Stellantis brand model - for more engaging handling. But any remaining true 'Alfisti' prepared to take this step with the Milanese maker into a new fully-electrified future will prefer to target the version of this car the company seems to have specifically put most of its efforts into, using engineers who'd previously worked on the Giulia GTA super saloon. The sportier Junior 'Elettrica Veloce' variant uses the same battery as the base model, but gets a front-mounted 280hp motor borrowed from the Abarth 600e hot hatch. And much is shared with that shopping rocket because this 'Veloce' version gets a bespoke chassis calibration with a Torsen mechanical differential, different front and rear anti-roll bars, a faster steering rack and stiffer suspension that lowers the ride height by 25mm. The 20-inch wheels also have bigger brakes, with 380mm discs at the front. Range is limited to 215 miles. Later in production, expect to see a twin motor model join this variant featuring the AWD system first developed for the Jeep Avenger 4xe. Earlier we mentioned the Hybrid version of this Junior - the Junior 'Ibrida'. It uses the same 48V 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol powertrain we've seen on multiple Stellantis Group models, which develops 136bhp and features a 28bhp electric motor built into a 6-speed dual clutch auto gearbox. This variant can use EV propulsion only at low city speeds or when parking. Later, a Q4 AWD version will be offered for sale in other markets.

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