Alfa Junior Ibrida excites with Italian flair

Alfa Romeo ignited passion among motoring enthusiasts when it introduced the new Junior fully electric SUV/crossover on Valentine’s Day this year.

The electrified model was designed to inspire a new generation of drivers with its unmistakable Italian flair, cutting-edge technology and offering a thrilling performance. Still, you miss the legendary ‘song' of past Alfa Romeo engines.

A petrol-hybrid Alfa Romeo Junior named Ibrida (meaning hybrid in Italian) has since joined the line-up priced the same as the electric version.

‘Junior’ is built on the same Stellantis platform as are many Citroen, Fiat, Opel and Jeep models.

My review car looked swell in an exterior colour that resembled a deep-sea green. The small and interestingly designed 17-inch alloy wheels added to the car’s overall style.

The Ibrida has a slightly different grille than the BEV version, with the iconic Scudetto V-Shield featuring Alfa Romeo lettering taking pride of place. Still, to my mind, it doesn’t stand out enough, as the slanted grey letters merge into the dark background. The same applies to the name on the rear. A bit of chrome wouldn’t go astray, as the only brightwork on the exterior is the twin exhaust pipes at the rear. Rear doors handles are located high on side doors, and there’s a big rear wiper.

The cabin is beautifully designed and mostly quite dark. Interior trims are in blue. The dash is busy with lots of features, especially the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, angled towards the driver for easy viewing. It comes standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. Thankfully, you don’t have to go through screen menus for all controls, as there are physical buttons and knobs below for volume, climate control settings, air conditioning, and defrosting the windscreen or rear window. There’s a separate, same-size customisable digital instrument cluster ahead of the steering wheel.

There are two C-type USB ports, one on either side of the wireless phone charging pad. We are very familiar, and like, the switch-type transmission selector on the central console, along with the drive mode switch for Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency modes, and the electric handbrake.

The big three-spoke synthetic-leather steering wheel controls include voice control and a volume button.

Sporty front seats with a massage function were well bolstered and looked good in dark and red fabric. The driver’s seat has six-way manual adjustments, the front passenger’s four-way adjustments.

Cubbies are a divided glovebox, large door bins (none in the rear) and two deep cupholders; the slidable front armrest has a deep space.

Three adults could be a bit cramped for space in the rear for long trips, especially if seated behind tall people in front, but two adults and a child would fit fine for long journeys. The middle seat back is fixed, so there’s no arm rest, but you have pockets on the backs of the front seats and a USB port.

My car had a power tailgate, a height-adjustable floor and 415 litres of luggage space that can expand to 1,280 litres with rear seats folded.

Many of the features come in optional packs. The Technology Pack includes traffic sign information, Adaptive Cruise Control and Traffic Jam Assist, auto folding/heated/power door mirrors, Blind Spot Detection, hands-free power liftgate, LED Matrix Projector headlamps, the charging pad and USB ports, and all-round parking sensors.

The Premium Pack (€3,000) added the adjustable three-level cargo floor, a black-painted body kit, sports pedal, premium heated seats, and power adjustments.

The Junior Ibrida hybrid powertrain combines a 1.2 three-cylinder engine delivering 136hp and 230Nm of torque with a 48-volt electric motor and a smooth six-speed DCT automatic transmission. The Ibrida hybrid can be driven around town in electric mode for 50% of the time.

I found the steering nicely weighted and responsive, and there was plenty of oomph from the familiar 1.2 engine; the car handled beautifully, also with good grip when cornering, all of which contributed to my enjoyment of driving. This gorgeous car can accelerate from 0-100km/h in a respectable 8.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 205km/h. An e-Boost function provides extra performance and power during acceleration. It's economical too, with a combined fuel consumption of around 4.8 L/100kms and road tax of €180.

Thickish B-Pillars somewhat impede over-the-shoulder and rear visibility due to the high rear window line.

Euro NCAP hasn’t yet tested the Junior Ibrida hybrid, so no safety ratings are available.

PRICES: from €34,995: my car as tested €42,595.