Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce 2024 review – a driver’s EV on a budget

The Alfa Romeo Junior’s last-minute name change debacle is certainly humourous and plays into the firm’s stereotype well, but this needn’t be all the model is about. Launched as the marque’s very first all-electric vehicle, it plays a crucial role in kick starting its EV offensive, and on first impressions it’s set to do a very good job.

Available in two pure electric forms at launch, Alfa Romeo says the Junior targets Mito and Giulietta buyers and new drivers with its combination of a small footprint, sharp styling and practicality. While we can’t see a £34,000 EV being the usual choice for a new driver, the vision is clear. To find out if an EV can muster that trademark Alfa character, we get behind the wheel of the entry-level Junior Elettrica Speciale on Lincolnshire’s roads, and sample the hot Veloce around a sodden karting circuit…

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Powertrain and technical highlights

At the core of the Alfa Romeo Junior is a 54kWh battery pack (51kWh useable), sending power to a front-mounted electric motor in both variants. There’s no word yet on if a more potent all-wheel drive ‘Quadrifoglio’ model might be in the pipeline, but if the Veloce is anything to go by, this is something we’d like to see.

The entry-level Elettrica (and Elettrica Speciale launch edition we tested) make do with 154bhp and 191lb ft of torque, but jump up to the Veloce and things get a little more serious. While far from the headline figures we see from some EVs in 2024, a brand new in-house developed motor develops 276bhp and 254lb ft of torque, giving the range-topper almost twice the power of the model beneath it.

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While many single-motor EVs opt for rear-drive power, the Junior has to manage this increased output through the front wheels only. To manage its potency, Alfa Romeo has fitted a Torsen limited-slip differential as standard on the Veloce, making it the first front-wheel drive EV to do so.

Unlike most new EVs in 2024, the Junior is set to target even more of the market with the introduction of a hybrid variant in mid-2025.

Performance and 0-62 time

Given its modest numbers, it should come as no surprise that the standard car isn’t the most potent of EVs. Out on the road, acceleration is just as smooth and instantaneous as you’d expect from an electric motor, but pull fades quickly after the 40mph mark – 0-62mph comes in a leisurely 9sec. Throttle mapping is consistent and easy to judge though, with the trademark Alfa Romeo DNA modes allowing for subtle changes in response.

Move to the Veloce and the situation is different, with almost twice the output giving it a 77bhp/ton power-to-weight advantage at 177bhp/ton. Throttle mapping is just as well judged as in the entry-level car, but the Junior now feels like a true performance model, pushing you into your seat from a roll. A 5.9sec 0-62mph time won’t break any records but does make it hot hatch quick, with a 124mph top speed some way ahead of the 93mph Elettrica. Switch to Dynamic mode and the Veloce is noticeably sharper on the throttle, allowing you to take advantage of that limited-slip differential on corner exit.

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Ride and handling

Based on the same e-CMP platform as the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e, the standard Junior struggles to deal with the off-camber sections and imperfections of Lincolnshire’s roads. It lurches and leans on the very worst surfaces, with its 1545kg weight making itself known. Spring rate is on the slow side given its target market, but damping struggles to prevent smaller imperfections from entering the cabin, even on chunky 55-profile tyres. 

Designed to be the driver’s choice of the range, the Junior Veloce drops ride height by 25mm, applies more focussed and (slightly) wider 225-section Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres to a set of 20-inch wheels, and a host of chassis changes. The result is best in class dynamics and engagement, according to Alfa Romeo, and while our time in the Veloce was limited to a karting circuit, it seems that could well be the case.

While rivals such as the MG4 and Cupra Born tip the scales at c1800kg, the Junior Veloce is said to weigh 1560kg (15kg more than the standard car), one of the lowest figures in its class. A combination of this and the use of a proper limited-slip differential help make the Veloce a truly entertaining offering, with a responsive front end, good composure and driving characteristics more like a good hot hatch than an electric crossover. The front end is easy to place even in this strange scenario, with the Junior inspiring confidence to push on from the get-go.

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There’s enough feedback through the wheel and seat to gauge the purchase of those front tyres, but outright steering feel is lacking in all of its modes. Switch to dynamic mode and the controls do tighten up, with increased response making it that bit more engaging.

Even in sodden conditions on a tight karting circuit, the differential helps extract the most from the Junior’s 276bhp output, allowing for early power application and preventing the front end from washing out wide. It’s considerably less reluctant to roll on turn in than the standard car too, which is great on a smooth circuit, but combined with 20-inch wheels and lower 40-profile tyres, might not make for a comfortable ride on UK roads. 

The Junior’s brakes are the only letdown, as while linear, a vague, long pedal on both the Elettrica and Veloce make it difficult to gauge stopping power. As always with EVs, blending regenerative braking with friction brakes is a difficult task, but Alfa Romeo has some work to do here. 

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MPG and running costs

The Junior Elettrica manages a WLTP combined range of 255 miles in its most efficient form, with an efficiency figure of 4.2mi/kWh recorded on our mixed 30-mile test. For perspective, the Mini Cooper Electric and Cupra Born manage claimed ranges of 249 miles and 264 miles respectively.

Alfa Romeo has said it specifically ‘chose not to overpower’ the Veloce to keep weight to a minimum, but engineers might also have had range in mind. There’s no official range for the Veloce just yet, but combining the same 54kWh (51kWh useable) battery pack as the standard car with a much more powerful 276bhp motor is only going to do one thing. Expect a range of no more than 200 miles in normal driving.

Interior and tech

If you’ve spent any time in a recent Stellantis product, you’ll be familiar with much of the Junior’s interior. The gear selector and various buttons and switches are all shared with models on the e-CMP platform, which should come as no surprise. The benefit of this is that they all work well and feel solid.

Build quality is strong in the test cars we spent time in, with no squeaks or rattles and touch points all reassuringly solid. Road noise is on the high side, but with a (relatively) low starting price and no combustion engine to mask it, this is to be expected.

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The Junior features some unique touches inside to set it apart from the rest, with the air vents tastefully illuminated with a discreet backlight and the surround for the driver’s display designed to reference twin analogue dials – as is a theme throughout the cabin, even these feature ambient lighting, with a soft light tucked within the structure to highlight the shape of the surround.

The Speciale we tested features numerous materials throughout, with a wetsuit-like material applied to the dashboard and centre console alongside satin chrome, piano black and hard plastic trim – the latter is mostly limited to the door cards. Not much changes for the Veloce, but tick the options and you’ll receive more supportive sport seats in Alcantara, along with a few other touches. 

Overall ergonomics are good, with real buttons on the steering wheel and even a dedicated row of physical buttons and knobs for vital climate control functions and volume. The useable display area for the central infotainment is quite small, and with it mounted low in the cabin, it can be a little awkward to read at times. 

Alfa Romeo says the Junior can accommodate a family, and while I can (just) fit behind the driver’s seat in my ideal position, there’s not a huge amount of space. The driving position is a touch too high for my liking and while it does provide a sense of sportiness, the high scuttle won’t be for some. The Junior does feature more storage space than some offerings though, with a useable glovebox and a space under the bonnet to store charging cables (not a given in all EVs). 

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Design

If you’re looking for a crossover, the Junior is one of the sharpest looking on the market – designed by the team behind the stunning 33 Stradale, this shouldn’t be a surprise. In a world where most cars are larger in reality than you expect, it’s refreshing to find that the Junior feels as compact as it should.

That trademark Alfa Romeo Scudetto grille makes it instantly identifiable out on the road, with slim, aggressive headlights and a large, full width lower intake giving it some real purpose. While perhaps a little tall, the Junior looks just as sharp from the rear, with the dark rear light element part of the aero design, and a contrasting black lower section reducing visual mass. 

The range-topping Veloce features the same bumpers as the entry-level model, but a 25mm drop in ride height, increase in wheel size and change to suspension geometry all combine to give it a far more purposeful appearance. The large teledial-esque wheels are striking in person, but the large openings do expose the comparatively miniscule brakes behind them.

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Price and rivals

The Junior range begins with the entry-level Elettrica at £33,895, with the identically-powerful Elettrica Speciale commanding a small premium at £35,695. At the top of the range is our model of choice, the Veloce, with almost twice the power of the alternatives and a higher £42,295 price point.

The Cupra Born is the closest match on paper, with the standard car starting from £36,475, before rising to £39,205 for the most powerful variant. This car is still no match for the Veloce, though, producing 228bhp to the Alfa's 276bhp. Range is on the Cupra's side though, with the entry-level car boasting a 264-mile range, the more powerful 228bhp version 260 miles, and the upgraded battery variant lifting this number to 341 miles. There's also the MG4 which starts from a class-leading £26,995, but even the 429bhp XPower variant (£36,495) lacks the dynamic finesse of the Junior Veloce.

The order books are already open for the entry-level Elettrica and Elettrica Speciale, with Veloce available to order before the end of the year. 

Alfa Romeo Junior specs