Alfa Romeo Junior Electric Review & Prices

The Junior is Alfa Romeo’s first fully-electric car, and instead of developing something from the ground up it’s used the same set of components as other vehicles from the Stellantis Group - the Peugeot E-2008, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Citroen e-C4 to name a few.

That means that the Junior is quite a lot like a boring person who’s made their new designer coat their entire personality. Sure, it looks great, but you don’t need to scratch too far past the glamorous surface to find that the reality is much more dull and worthy.

That doesn’t mean that the Alfa Romeo Junior is a bad car - far from it. It feels very similar to the aforementioned Peugeot, Vauxhall and Citroen - and as a small, electric SUV its alternatives are as far-ranging as the Kia Niro EV, Volvo EX30, Renault Scenic, Mini Countryman Electric and even the Tesla Model Y.

The Junior had quite a fraught conception, as its original name - Milano - was deemed unacceptable by the Italian government due to the car being built in a factory in Poland. It wears its Italian roots proudly, though, with Alfa’s classic emblem being blown up to fill the entirety of the shield-shaped ‘grille’ at the front.

Alfa Romeo Junior: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 207 - 255 miles
Efficiency: 4.0 - 5.0 mi/kWh
Battery size: 51kWh
Max charge speed: 100kW
Charge time AC: 7hr 15m 0 - 100%
Charge time DC: 30 minutes 20 - 80%
Charge port location: Left side rear
Power outputs: 156 - 280hp

It’s flanked by distinct ‘nostrils’ and striking LED daytime running lights, giving the Junior a very recognisable front end. The rear is interesting too, with a truncated shape and downward-sloping taillights. And Alfa Romeo has never been a company to shy away from attractive wheel designs, either.

Unfortunately the Junior’s interior doesn’t have the same wow factor as the outside. In fact, it feels quite cheap and nasty in places, with lots of parts-bin switchgear that you’ll recognise from any modern Peugeot, Citroen or Vauxhall.

It’s not hugely spacious for passengers, either, though the 400-litre boot is a good size and beats the e-C4 (380 litres) and Volvo EX30 (318 litres). The Niro EV and Scenic are bigger still, though.

There are two models to choose from - the standard, or the Veloce. The normal cars get a 156hp motor which offers pretty leisurely performance and a range of 255 miles. The Veloce gets a 280hp motor and some chassis upgrades to improve both straight-line performance and cornering, but at the expense of range which tumbles to 207 miles officially.

To drive, the Junior is a lot like its platform-mates. It’s not particularly quick (in standard form) and rides bumps pretty comfortably, but won’t excite you in the corners. And that feels like a shame for an Alfa Romeo.

Keep reading for our full review, or check out our best Alfa Romeo Junior Electric deals here. You can also see our best Alfa Romeo deals on other models, or find a used Alfa Romeo for sale here. And remember Carwow can even help you sell your old car through our network of trusted dealers.

The Alfa Junior range kicks off at just under £34,000, which makes it pricier to buy than the Citroen e-C4 or Vauxhall Mokka Electric but cheaper than the DS 3 E-Tense or Peugeot E-2008. All of these cars share technology, batteries and motors, so the Alfa takes up its position as the middle child.

An MG4 EV offers more range for less money but otherwise the Alfa seems like reasonable value for the performance you get. However, a Volvo EX30 or Kia Niro EV have more range and more power for not much more money.

The Junior Veloce is good fun, but the standard model is a bit of a snoozefest on a good road

In town

The Junior feels pretty well identical to a Peugeot E-2008 when it comes to driving. That’s not a bad thing around town, though. The throttle is nicely progressive - not always a given on electric cars, which can feel quite hyperactive - and the steering is sharp and accurate.

Visibility out of the front is good, though the rear pillars are very thick and the rear window quite narrow so you don’t get the best view out of the rear. The Junior rides low-speed bumps quite firmly, leading to a bit of bouncing around at town speeds - but that’s the case with lots of other small EVs, especially ones on large alloy wheels.

On the motorway

If you were expecting an Alfa Romeo to be the last word in straight-line performance, befitting of the firm’s glorious motorsport history… you’ll be disappointed. The Junior’s 156hp feels pretty sluggish on the motorway, and you’ll need to more or less floor it on sliproads or during overtakes.

While there’s plenty of power low down, over about 50mph it soon begins to tail off. A Volvo EX30 or Kia Niro EV have more generous power outputs, and feel more at home on the motorway as a result. That’s not helped by the fact the Junior limits overall power output to around 110hp in ‘Natural’ mode - if you want the full 156hp, you need to be in ‘Dynamic’ mode. In 'Eco', you get a paltry 82hp.

The Junior’s ride smooths out at high speeds, so it’s quite comfortable, and it’s not too noisy either. The standard adaptive cruise control works pretty well, too, so it should be quite relaxing when you’re doing a long stint behind the wheel. Or as long as the Junior’s circa-200 mile real-world range will allow.

On a twisty road

A twisting road really shows up the regular Junior’s most disappointing aspects. It’s perfectly safe, stable and neutral on a good road, but there’s almost zero fun to be had in chasing corners - and that’s just not what an Alfa Romeo should be about.

Remote-feeling steering, not very much power in reserve and unnervingly spongy brakes means you’re unlikely to find yourself tempted to take the fun B-road home. It’s a real shame when you think that Alfa’s other cars - particularly the Giulia and Stelvio - excel in this area.

The Veloce does claw some points back, as it has significantly more power as well as a limited-slip differential which means it can corner much faster. It really pulls the front end in if you apply the power in a tight turn, and it has lower, stiffer suspension plus wider tyres to make for a much more dynamic experience. We’ve only tested this on a tight karting track so far, but we’re sure it’ll be much more fun than the standard model when you get to a fun stretch of tarmac.

Reasonable space for the car’s size, but alternatives have bigger boots and more spacious rear seats

The Junior’s front seats are pretty comfortable, especially in the Veloce model where you get really supportive sports seats. But even the standard models hold you quite well in the corners, and have plenty of adjustment for drivers of all sizes.

Storage spaces are about average. There are decent door bins, capacious cupholders and a wireless phone charging pad with space around it for odds and ends from your pockets. The glovebox is tiny, though, as it has to share space with the fuse box.

Space in the back seats

Knee-room for rear passengers isn’t brilliant. A six-foot passenger will fit behind a similarly-sized driver, but you wouldn’t want to carry anybody much taller than that for a long period. Headroom isn’t amazing either.

Rear passengers get a couple of USB ports, but that’s about it - there’s no centre armrest and no door bins for storage. While you can carry three across the rear, the centre seat is set higher than the other two and the cabin’s quite narrow, so there isn’t a lot of shoulder room for adults. There’s also a hump in the floor, limiting space for their feet.

You get ISOFIX points on both outer rear seats, and installing a child seat isn’t too difficult as the doors open quite wide.

Boot space

With 400 litres of space, the Junior has a little more room than a Citroen e-C4 (380 litres) or a Volvo EX30 (318 litres). A Peugeot E-2008 or Kia Niro EV have more room, though, with 434 and 475 litres respectively.

The Alfa’s boot has a flat floor and no loading lip, and the seats fold flat easily in a 60:40 split leaving a nice flat loading area. There’s also an adjustable boot floor, which you can lower to give more space - but it’d be easier to leave it in its higher position so you get a storage space underneath it for cables.

There is a frunk, of sorts, but it’s very shallow and only suited to cable storage. You’ll have to coil it up quite carefully to fit, so we suspect most owners will simply sling it in the boot instead.

Infotainment system works well, but the interior feels cheap and there are too many buttons recognisable from Peugeots, Citroens and Vauxhalls

The Junior’s interior doesn’t feel particularly special, which again is a shame. You don’t have to be particularly eagle-eyed to spot that almost every switch is shared with the Peugeot E-2008, and those that aren’t are borrowed from the Fiat 600 instead. The starter button, gear selector and drive mode switch should all feel special in a car designed for keen drivers, and they simply don’t. The latter is also placed really far back on the centre console, so it’s a stretch to reach it.

While Veloce models get a big swathe of Alcantara across the dashboard to feel more premium, the regular car gets cheap-feeling artificial leather instead. It also gets a hard plastic dash top and door cards - not very premium. A Peugeot E-2008 feels much posher inside, with higher-quality materials.

The Junior also inherits its infotainment system from other Stellantis cars, but this isn’t a bad thing as it brings a sharp widescreen display that’s quite responsive. The interface isn’t always the easiest to navigate but you can customise your homescreen easily to make sure you always have a shortcut to the place you want to go. And it’s good that Alfa has fitted a strip of physical climate control switches, so that you don’t have to fiddle about in the touchscreen simply to adjust the temperature.

The regular Alfa Romeo Junior has an official range of up to 255 miles. From our experience with other cars that use this battery and motor combination, we’d say that around 200 miles of real-world driving is a good estimate - one that’ll obviously go down if you’re too liberal with the application of your right foot.

That’s not too bad considering the Junior has quite a modest-sized battery, and reflects good efficiency and reduced running costs. If you need to go further, though, there’s no option for a larger-battery model like you get with some alternatives - so you’ll have to look to something like a Volvo EX30 Extended Range, an MG4 Long Range, or a Kia Niro EV - all of which will comfortably do over 250 miles in the real world.

It's worth noting that Alfa includes a heat pump as standard, which is a nice touch - it should mean range doesn't dip too badly in cold weather. This can be an optional extra even on some premium models.

The Veloce has a claimed range of 207 miles, reflecting its higher performance. We haven’t driven this model on the road yet but we’d estimate around 160 miles to be achievable - watch this space.

With a maximum charge rate of 100kW, Alfa claims you can top up the Junior’s battery from 20 - 80% in around 30 minutes. That’s about par for the course with cars of this size. As a fully electric car the Junior is very cost-effective for company car tax, and it doesn’t pay any road tax or London Congestion Charge until 2025.

Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the Alfa Romeo Junior yet, nor has it tested the electric versions of any of its sister cars. The Peugeot 2008, Vauxhall Mokka, Citroen C4 and DS 3 have all been tested in their petrol forms between 2019 and 2022, and scored four stars, which is an acceptable if not outstanding result.

The Junior gets a full suite of safety systems as standard, of course, and even the driver attention monitor and lane-keeping aids aren’t too obtrusive. However, it’s easy to set up a shortcut to turn them all off at the start of your drive, which is what we’d be doing.

The Junior is obviously too new to have any reliability data. Alfa Romeo scored a respectable mid-table 13th out of 32 brands in the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, and the Junior’s sister vehicles have been out for some years now with no major issues reported. Warranty cover is a fairly standard-for-the-industry three years, with the first two being unlimited mileage. The battery itself is covered by a separate eight-year/100,000 mile warranty, which is pretty standard too - but adds a layer of reassurance if you’re worried about the longevity of an electric car.