Alfa Romeo has just revealed its smallest vehicle, the Milano Junior. It is a compact SUV sitting below the Tonale. The Junior may be the last Alfa to get a petrol engine as future models are planned to be fully electric.
It showcases new design language for the brand as it gears up for a fully electrified range. Junior beats the electric 33 Stradale to go on sale, making it Alfa’s first EV. Design highlights include short overhangs, wide fenders and a tall belt line. Up front it gets a bold new grille with the ‘3+3’ adaptive LED matrix headlights. The rear gets a truncated tail said to be inspired by the Giulia TZ. Alfa has resurrected the Milano badge last used on the 75 in the North American market. It is named after the city in which the brand was founded in 1910.
The Junior uses the Stellantis CMP platform also used by the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600e, Peugeot e-2008, Opel Mokka and others.
There are two versions of electric powertrain named ‘Junior Electtrica’. One is a 115kW electric motor and there’s a higher output 177kW Veloce model. Both are used in front-wheel drive models and are powered by a 54kWh litihum-ion battery. WLTP range is a claimed 410km for the 115kW model. Electric models can fast charge from 10-80 percent in 30 minutes when hooked up to 100kW DC units.
The Petrol model is named Ibrida (Hybrid). It uses a 100kW 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine enhanced by a 48-volt mild hybrid system (a 21kW electric motor). Shifting is done by a six-speed dual-clutch auto with power going to the front wheels. Power is put down with a mechanical self-locking differential.
Driving dynamics have been developed by the team behind the Giulia GTA. Claiming “the lowest weight in the segment and optimal mass distribution” Alfa is talking up the Junior as a leader in driving dynamics in its class. An all-wheel-drive version is planned to arrive later.
The Junior hybrid can drive on electric power alone at speeds up to 150kmp/h, though its range is unclear. There’s no word yet on whether the Junior will get an even sportier quadrifoglio version but Alfa CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has not ruled it out.
Eighteen inch wheels are standard but the Veloce gets 20-inch wheels shod with Michelin Pilot sport EV tyres. Alloys feature a four-spoke design resembling a cloverleaf. Veloce sits 25mm lower than the other models in the range. Front brakes are 380mm with four-piston callipers.
The Alfa scudetto grill is offered in two styles, the left named Leggenda (legend) uses an Alfa Romeo logo last seen on Vintage Alfas like the 6C, and the right example is named Progresso (progress) which features a stylised enlarged version of the Milano cross and Biscione (grass snake).
Inside, Junior gets a 10.25-inch display which sits behind the steering wheel with the classic Alfa deep dials. Another 10.25-inch touch display serves as the central infotainment system controller. There’s a row of real buttons below for some key features like temperature, fan speed and volume. Drive mode is selected with Alfa’s DNA drive selector. It has Dynamic (sport), Natural (normal) and Advanced Efficiency (eco) modes. Like the Veloce’s four-spoke wheels, the air conditioning vents are styled in the shape of the quadrifoglio (four-leaf clover).
The driver and front passenger are kept in place with some well-bolstered Sabelt sport seats trimmed in leather. They feature Alcantara inserts. Other interior items include ambient lighting, aluminium pedals and kick plates, keyless entry, and a hands-free tailgate. The infotainment get a HeyAlfa assistant that uses ChatGPT (A.I.) to answer questions.
The Junior is 4170mm long, 1780mm wide and 1500mm tall. The boot capacity is 400 litres which is claimed to be ‘class-leading’ for the segment.
The Junior is available now to order in Europe kicking off with the ‘Speciale’ launch edition. We expect it to arrive in New Zealand in 2025. Pricing will probably be akin to that of its sister vehicle, the Jeep Avenger at $69,990.
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