Elettrica Veloce shines among all the challenges of being brand's first fully electric car.
Whether you are a fan of Alfa Romeo or not, you must that the Italian marque’s products are usually some of the sexiest cars around.
It is almost like the chief designer of every model refuse to reveal a car if the famous Italian “passione” is lacking. And once he is happy, he groups five fingertips together and kisses them proudly before showcasing his masterpiece.
That is exactly how I envisioned the birth of the all-electric Alfa Romeo Junior that we recently had as a house guest. This magnificently curvy crossover isn’t just the best-looking Alfa Romeo in its current portfolio, but one of the most attractive cars full stop.
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Fighting the odds
Yes, I know the Alfisti might not even consider it to be a “real” Alfa in the sense that it shares a platform with fellow Stellantis products like the Peugeot E-2008 and Fiat 600e. And that because it is built in Poland and not Italy Alfa was required to change its name from Milano. Only being offered with an all-electric powertrain will also be frown upon be many of the brand’s loyal followers.
Yet despite all these challenges, the Junior looks like an Alfa Romeo and feels like one too inside. We thought the front end of of top-end Elettrica Veloce’s C-shaped LED headlights which flanks the Progresso grille featuring the brand’s snake and cross are simply stunning. And you kind of get the sense that Michelangelo himself had a hand in sculpting the four-spoke 20-inch allow wheels. matt grey which complements the red front brake callipers just beautifully.
Window-mounted rear door handles mean that the muscular lines flow seamlessly down the sides towards the rear. Here we have a full-width LED taillight sitting prominently on the tailgate displaying Alfa Romeo in the customary cursive writing.
Alfa Romeo Junior stunning inside
The masterful artistry continues on the inside, where some optional goodies made our test an attractive combination of elegance and sportiness. The stunning Sabelt front seats which are part of the Performance Package are finished in a combination of smooth black leather with red contrast stitching, black Alcantara inserts, brushed aluminium elements and the snake and cross logo stitched into the headrest in red.
Lots of Alcantara soft-touch areas also features on the steering wheel, dashboard and door inserts. A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is angled towards the driver. And the digital instrument cluster is set nicely inside a sporty binnacle.
Rear leg and headroom are not great, with the 400-litre boot rather decent.
Apart from the passive safety systems, the Alfa Romeo Junior also feature advanced driver assist systems like lane centring, adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection.
Good electric credentials
It is powered by a 54kWh battery pack and electric motor which produces 207kW of power and 345Nm of torque. It is claimed to reach 100km/h from s standstill in 5.9 seconds and is limited to 200km/h. We did not put either of these claims to the test, but have no reason to doubt them.
Straight off the bat, of course it sounds more like a vacuum cleaner than a V6 Stelvio. Neither can a normal electric car be too dynamic due to its weigh – 1 781kg in this case – and the distribution there off.
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But in saying that, the Alfa Romeo Junior definitely feels more dynamic than your garden variety electric car. It offers three DNA driving modes, Dynamic, Normal and Advanced Efficiency.
Under hard acceleration the instant torque pulls in every direction and requires a firm grip on the steering wheel. Yet the steering is still remarkably light during cornering and begs you the throw it around at every opportunity.
Alfa Romeo Junior does all it can
There are faster electric cars, but usually they tend to feel soulless despite their insane power. But once you get a sense of the Junior’s capabilities while strapped into the simply superb sports seats surrounded by artistic elegance, the sense of “passione” can’t be ignored.
It’s probably because we had too much fun that we couldn’t achieve the claimed consumption of 18.6kWh per 100km. Our enthusiasm meant that consumption of 25kWh wouldn’t even give a range of 200km. But fortunately it charges from 20 to 80% in just 27 minutes at a 100kW DC charger.
The Junior does more right than it does wrong and at R999 900 will always be a left-field choice. But then again, has an Alfa not always been a left-field choice made by the heart and not the head.
Being a heritage brand’s first all-electric can almost be seen as a poisoned chalice. Yet one the Alfa Romeo Junior wears like a seasoned model on the catwalk in Milan.
