New Alfa Romeo Junior: the baby electric SUV formerly known as Milano

On April 10 2024 Alfa Romeo unveiled its newest offering, the Milano. Five days later, the Italian brand had bowed to pressure from the Italian government and renamed the Milano as the Alfa Romeo Junior, resurrecting a classic name from Alfa's past in the process. A legal storm had blown-up over the Milano being named after Milan but built in Poland and Alfa's executives thought a name change would be the path of less resistance. 

Designed mainly as an electric car, the small SUV will also be available in mild-hybrid petrol form and sits below the Tonale on the Alfa SUV range. Alfa Romeo says the Junior is meant to bring loyalists of previous compact models like the Giulietta and Mito back to the brand while also attracting new customers in the competitive compact electric SUV sector.

Designed by Alfa Romeo Centro Stile, the Junior maintains many of the elements familiar from Alfa Romeos of the past while incorporating modern from the current range. The Alfa Romeo Junior features slim headlights and a unique 'shield grille' embedded with the Alfa Romeo logo, while its bold lines, pronounced wheel arches and short tail add a muscular look. Being based on the same eCMP platform as Stellantis group small SUV models such as the Jeep Avenger and Vauxhall Mokka Electric, it is no surprise that the Junior is similar in size to these cars. It is only a few centimetres longer than both and pretty much the same size as the Fiat 600e.

The Italian brand is doing more to persuade buyers to get into the electric versions of the Junior , as all these so called Elettrica models come with a free wallbox and a Free2move charge card. This card will allow access to at least 600,000 EV charging sites across Europe.

Built on the Stellantis eCMP platform, the Junior will be available in both electric and mild-hybrid variants. The electric Junior Elettrica models, feature a 54kWh battery with an estimated range of up to 254 miles (410km) and rapid charging capabilities. Power variants range from 154 to 237 bhp for the Veloce, with the latter expected to be a similar setup to one in the Abarth 600e that’s due out soon.

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The Veloce will come with a host of toys to try and make the car feel more dynamic on the road. A Torsen differential at the rear of the car will be accompanied by a wider track than we’ve seen used on this platform previously. The ride height of the Junior Veloce is decreased by 25mm and the chassis set-up is custom made for this model. To top it off, 20-inch alloys reminiscent of the old Alfa Romeo ‘cookie cutter’ wheels cover up the big brake discs which measure 380mm at the front.

The Junior Ibrida incorporates hybrid technology with a 134bhp 48-volt setup that combines a 1.2-litre engine with an electric motor which Alfa claims will let the car run 50% of the time on electric power in cities and towns. Potential all-wheel drive options are said to be coming too but technical details for this variant are yet to be fully disclosed. The signs are that the 4x4 Junior will take parts from the Stellantis parts bin, sharing elements with the likes of the Jeep Renegade 4xe. 

Inside, the Junior stays true to the design language of the larger Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV while maintaining elements from the Stellantis’s e-CMP2 hardware. A driver-focused layout with features such as the 10.25 digital TFT screen and a customisable touchscreen system tilted towards the driver. It is clear to see that while a lot of the technology has been shared the intention is that the inside of the Junior still feels like an Alfa, details like the ‘cloverleaf’ air vents, a pronounced cowl and the curved dials show that some real thought has gone into this.

There will be a launch edition of the Junior named the Speciale. This will offer typical Alfa Romeo red paint, an interior finish individual to this model, 18-inch wheels and ambient lighting on top of a generous basic specification.

While we haven't even touched the car yet we can safely assume that it should have enough room for a family. Other models based on the same platform offer plenty of space despite their compact size and Alfa Romeo has stated that the Junior has 400 litres of boot space plus various cubby holes around the car for storage.

The first Alfa Romeo Juniors should land on UK soil in the last quarter of this year but there has been no indication of how much they will cost. With the Jeep Avenger starting at £34,800 we would expect that the standard Alfa Romeo Milano Elettrica should come in a touch more than the £35,000 with the Veloce pushing past £40,000. With orders starting this summer we shouldn't have to wait too long for our answer.