New Alfa Romeo Junior is a Tiny EV That We Won’t Get in Canada
Alfa Romeo’s first electric vehicle, which was unveiled last week as the Milano, will actually be called Junior after the Italian government came out saying that a product manufactured in Poland could not legally go by the name Milano.
Alfa Romeo has used the Junior moniker since 1966 with the GT 1300 Junior. Now, it’s being applied to a new, battery-powered crossover that shares much of its identity with the Jeep Avenger. Just like the latter, it won’t be sold in North America. Why? Simply because it could never match comparably priced models in terms of size or capability.
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Standing just 4.17 metres long, 1.78 metres wide and 1.5 metres tall, the Alfa Romeo Junior is more like a glorified hatchback, halfway between a Hyundai Venue and the outgoing MINI Countryman. The trunk can fit no more than 400 litres of cargo—nowhere close to what Canadians typically look for in a utility vehicle.
That being said, the exterior design is attractive and distinctive enough. Check out the unique signature for the headlights and taillights, plus the Visconti serpent (representing half of the Alfa Romeo badge) incorporated into the front grille and rear pillars.
When it comes to performance, the single electric motor generates a modest 154 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque in base trim. The sportier Veloce model bumps output to 237 horsepower. In both cases, power is sent to the front wheels only. Alternatively, Alfa Romeo offers a hybrid variant with available all-wheel drive but just 134 horsepower.
As for the 54kWh battery, it is said to enable up to 410 km of range based on the WLTP standard used overseas—likely less than 350 km if it were offered in Canada. When plugged into a 100kW DC fast charger, the battery can go from a 10-80 percent charge in under 30 minutes.
Remember, Stellantis has committed to making Alfa Romeo an EV-only car brand in North America, Europe and China by 2027. This plan includes electric replacements for the Stelvio and Giulia. In the meantime, the Italian brand is banking heavily on the new Tonale crossover, which is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain allowing 53 km of zero-emission driving.