The Alfa Romeo Junior series has always been a sporting icon for the Alfa Romeo enthusiast. It stood for pure efficiency, with a somewhat smaller engine and less power, but had the same undiluted sportiness as its faster and bigger brothers in the Alfa range.

So when Stellantis launches today’s Junior again for its Alfa Romeo brand, we expect something special indeed, and we were very keen to drive for you the Alfa Junior Ibrida, which has a 1,2 litre 3 cylinder turbo under the hood and enjoys a 48 volt mild hybrid system. Does this Junoir retain the unmistakable Alfa Romeo thoroughbred qualities with a drivetrain and platform, which it has in common with its many sisters in the Stellantis group?

With this Junior, Stellantis aims also at efficiency and some degree of practicality and comfort, as it wants to attract a wider range of young customers to the iconic Milanese brand. We will find out in this test whether this new Junior fulfills all these high expectations…

Hans Knol ten Bensel.

Sporty looks…

When approaching the new Alfa Junior we are seduced by its good proportions. The front grille has character, the led headlights accentuate things further and the air inlets add an agressive touch. The car looks good from the side, the rear end with its peculiar headlight shapes is somehow a departure from the typical Alfa styling language, and shows us that Alfa is also entering a new era.

But there are Alfa styling icons which remain, like the wheel alloys with circular spokes, which suit the car very well.

The cockpit has also much Alfa Character, although aficionados will miss the typical large gear-change paddles on both sides of the steering wheel column, but then again, the smaller paddles indicate that this Alfa has somehow a different mission, and indeed this Junior wants also to convince the Alfa driver with somewhat different qualities.

But we liked very much here again the digital instrumentation, the 10 inch large central touchscreen which is set in a stylish cluster directed towards the driver, with below it a leaner centre console, which houses the Stellantis-typical drive selector, contributing to an air of sportiness with a large circular start/stop button towering above it.

The illuminated ventilation openings adorned with the Alfa symbol also add character. We liked the color pattern of the seats, with a large central red stripe, which gives the distinct optical illusion of a glowing ribbon. The seating position is rather deep, which again accentuates the thoroughbred panache of this Alfa. Note that the seats have heating and massage functions, a distinct plus..

Everything is well finished, some harder plastics are found, but the panel surfaces of the dashboard still exude a distinct premium feeling. The ergonomics are beyond reproach, and below the central touchscreen one finds still a row of “analog” touch buttons for ventilation with, last but not least, the volume control of the radio…

 

Performance and handling: the DNA of a true Alfa.

The Junior uses a 48V mild-hybrid system that combines a 1.2-litre three-cylinder Miller cycle petrol engine,with variable-geometry turbo and distribution chain for maximum reliability. The electrical component consists of a 48-volt lithium-ion battery and a 21-kW electric motor built into the 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which works together with the inverter and transmission control unit to ensure maximum efficiency.  The total power output of the system driving the front wheels is 134bhp, enabling acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in 8.9 seconds.

Indeed, performance leaves nothing to be desired, and thanks to the support of the electric motor the acceleration from standstill is smooth and powerful. The changes of the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission are silky smooth under spirited acceleration, and indeed we found the whole drive-train behaving wonderfully when your right foot is somewhat heavier and you engage in a more spirited driving style.

The engineers have worked beautifully to give the 3 cylinder 1,2 litre unit, which is also found in many Stellantis models, this typical Alfa growl, reminiscent of the classic weber carburetted Veloce’s from the sixties and seventies. We just loved it.

So acceleration pleasure is to be had, and this is paired with a low fuel consumption which the classic Alfa’s never had to this extent. Yes, when cruising leasurely and avoiding high revs and (very) brutal accelerations, it is very well possible to achieve average consumptions in the 5-6 litre range, and even less.

The Ibrida is a so-called mild hybrid, this means that the electric motor, which is integrated in the transmission, has 28 HP, and the battery is also rather small with a gross capacity of 0,89 kW/h. But it does the job of giving that extra E-power smoothness and delivering E-propulsion at crawling speeds typical for start/stop situations.

The Ibrida is of course an excellent long distance motorway cruiser, with a top speed of a good 206 km/h. But it is also very much in its element on winding roads, and is both agile and completely predictable in its handling. So is this Junior an Alfa which can be driven with verve? Yes indeed, and it brings joy to motoring…

Practical and well equipped…

The luggage space is standard a good 415 liters, up to a maximum of 1218 liters. Of course Android Auto and Apple Car Play is provided, and the safety features as standard include level 2 autonomous driving, connected navigation, 180° rear camera, a handsfree electric tailgate, and a keyless system with proximity access technology as standard.

Conclusion

Is the Junior offering an attractive proposition for the die-hard aficionados of the brand? Yes it does, for us it breathes the DNA of a true Alfa. On the other hand, it offers ease of driving in town, practical everyday docility and last but not least excellent fuel economy and energy efficiency..

There are still more powerful versions, like the 280 HP Junior 280 Veloce all electric version, which  weighs only 1,590 kg. It emits also a typical “Alfa Sound” during acceleration, it appears. We are very keen to lay a hand on this throughbred EV-bomb in the not too distant future…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographers’ notes: for the photos here we used again our Panasonic Lumix with its Leica 25-400 mm zoom lens. Early spring wheather warranted good light conditions, which allowed a low ISO and smaller apertures, enhancing sharpness and detail.