It was never going to be an easy car to market to old-school Alfa fans but I think they've nailed it. A true Alfa should have aggressive styling and strong driving dynamics, and this does. Great video as always guys!
Many thanks for this comprehensive and competent report. I see you had a lot of fun driving it 😀 Unfortunately, there are always people who say that at these presentations the invited journalists report favourably on the car so that you can be invited back. Can you say something about that? I'm not accusing you of this opinion of some people, but I'd still be interested to hear what you have to say. Thank you
@@zagatolinoj9991 Thanks for the nice words. I can confirm that we are at no risk of not being invited back if we don't give a positive review, because the manufacturers respect that we have to be independent. A recent example of a car we weren't so keen on was the Honda e:Ny1 (video in our feed). It's proof that we certainly don't hold back if we are not impressed. So when it comes to this Junior, we were as relieved as anybody to see that this Veloce model is a very fun car. All that remains to be seen is if the less sporting Junior variants can retain some of its sparkle. We hope so, and will find out when we driven them later this year 🤞 / Sam
Really enjoyable review- got a strong sense of what it's like behind the wheel, instead of an endless wittering on about electrical gizmos: driving impressions are what interests me. Bravo! I have a 1976 GT Junior so keen to see where Alfa are going! Subscribed.
Hi Gareth, Thank you so much for your kind words and subscribing 🙏 We love diving into the way cars like this feel to drive and sharing it. Love a GT Junior ❤️ One of the greats. P.S Please share with like-minded petrol heads so that we can continue to make content like this. / Jamil
So you know what we think. But do you agree? Can a hot crossover be a true Alfa Romeo, especially if it unlocks the funds to make more exotic models? Let us know what you think and we'll let Alfa know 👍
May have power, but has no Alfa looks, will have no Alfa dynamics. You can clearly see the head designer from Cupra, horrible looking car, bulky front seats stiled in Cubra design. Please get this guy out of Alfa and put back an Italian designer!
Coupe and sedan sales are at all time low no? Alfa Romeo needs to sell crossovers because it’s what the tasteless masses want. Then they’ll likely copy Porsche’s business strategy: sell a lot of crossovers and use the money to make less profitable sports cars for enthusiasts and maintain the brand image. Alfa fans aren’t giving it enough credit. The Junior is an EV crossover yes, but it’s almost the one sports cars lovers would make if they were forced to. AR is meeting Alfa fans halfway with their crossovers, they’re not just lazy badge swaps.
Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed it. We have more films like this coming up so make sure you're subscribed with notifications on. Also, please share with like-minded petrol heads. This helps us to keep making films like these. What would you like to see next? /Jamil
Thank you for your kind words 😁 If you enjoyed this then please like, sub and share to help us keep making these sorts of films. It really goes a long way / Jamil
Top review guys! This car got so much flack when it was launched so it's great to see this and other reviews are all so positive....the looks have definitely grown on me and I hope they finally have a decent seller on their hands like Fiat have with the 500....Just a new Lancia Delta needed now : )
As an old school Alfa owner, it is very hard to warm to these types of cars. But last year I came close to leasing a new EV for the FBT and luxury car tax exemptions (and other tax benefits of leasing) that are available in Australia. I briefly considered the Tonale until learning that the non plug-in hybrid initially available here was not eligible for the main exemptions. The plug-in version should actually qualify, so this review has me thinking it may be time to revisit a novated lease... (This would also probably be my best chance of convincing my missus to like Alfas - as the car would be used by her mostly and she hates my low-riding, much older and very loud ones).
Come to think of it, the Junior might just be the ideal car for an Alfa Romeo enthusiast with family that are not so enthusiastic 🤣 Please let us know if you do find yourself getting a Tonale or Junior. What old school Alfas do you have/have you had? Is that your GTV in your profile picture? /Jamil
@cinch will do. Yep, have a 1981 Alfetta GTV and my daily is a 2002 156 GTA 3.2. Have previously owned two more V6 powered 156s and am perennially on the lookout for a decent 3.0L Alfa 75 (ideally in Potenziata spec).
@@cinch cheers mate. Potenziata was basically the ultimate "final" version of the top-spec Alfa 75 3.0L QV. It had the Digital Motronic fuel injection and engine management system, uprated cams (same as the 164), higher compression ratio at 9.5:1 and 3.73:1 diff ratio instead of the taller 3.55:1. I've got Buckley's of finding one here in Australia - only maybe 50 RHD versions made it Downunder, and no more than a dozen are still on the road here. But I could live with a 2.0L Twin Spark, or the 2.5L V6 too. I don't think any unicorn 1.8L Turbo Evoluzione versions made it here.
@cinch What does “this time it will handle like it should” in reference to the Alfasud? The Sud was one of the finest handling front wheel drive cars of its time and a benchmark. Suggest you go and drive one!
Alfasud ti was my first new car in 1979. To date I've had 12 more Alfas, NONE have handled as well. Im very interested in the Junior, looking forward to driving it.
I sold Giulia 280 PS RWD in June and I’ve just bought Alfa 4C , my 10 year old dream! Next car will be Junior Veloce as a daily car - that’s the plan ;)
I think some of the best marketing for this car was putting it in Assetto Corsa Evo. It's great in the sim. And about as fast as a Golf 8 GTI. But neither the Golf or the Junior are as fun as old 90s cars with a stick shift.
Leaning on voice commands is not a viable substitute for a well thought out user interface. It relies on the voice recognition to be reliable (which it wasn't at the time of review) and not ideal when you're listening to music, having a conversation with a passenger or in the midst of a phone call. Swiping up only works from the very bottom edge of the display which requires too much coordination while driving (horizontal swipes from the edge closest to the driver make more sense) These tweaks can easily be rectified in a software update. /Jamil
Thank you! We've got more Alfa Romeo content on the way so subscribe so you don't miss it. Will be adding to this playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLgf3Zajosh7eCCOG-3bbNBXhiCWkmHUOh /Jamil
Actually looks a little better than I initially thought it to be. But I would wait from a Scudetto kit from Koshi to bring back the classic Alfa grille.
Looks like a great EV , it seems to handle exactly as you would expect for an Alfa . Well done Alfa Romeo ( could do with 60kw battery ) but would probably compromise that hot hatch handling .
@@cinch I have own many Alfa Romeos, and currently I have a Giulia Competizione, a Giulietta Veloce, and a 147 GTA. I am an Alfa Romeo fan. I will sell my Giulietta and 147 within one or two years, and yes, I consider to buy a Junior Veloce as it's seems really nice to drive, to replace my Giulietta and 147. But I will keep my Giulia a very long time.
Oh dear Alfa. Sat in one the other day. Doesn't feel like an Alfa at all (I'm a Giulia owner). Very soft seating (no front seat lateral support) and cheap scratchy wheelie bin plastics on the door cards. RWD and/ or FWD with 2.0 Turbo ICE. It may stand a chance for high sales volumes with ICE hybrid. Looks very French to me with regard to exterior styling.
sharing a platform with vauxhall and peugeot thats not an alfa at all,its the same story with renault/ nissan and the vw groups brands.. all platform sharing, however untill stelantis got there hands on alfaromeo/fiat and the french PSA group we did have some individuality now its copy paste.
@@darthgardnereven the mighty BMW and Toyota shares parts across their models. Nobody complained when Alfa was sharing bits with dodge and Ferrari. So there's no such thing as a car that doesn't share bits with other cars in the assembly line. It's just the best way to run a business without going bankrupt very fast. We all wish our cars would be bespoke, but I doubt you would be able to spend over $1million to have a car that isn't like any other.
As much as we like RWD Alfas (like this amazing Giulia Quadrifoglio ruclips.net/video/vmim2Z_QHZo/видео.htmlsi=CsyoKIHWKWPUXm-9) we didn't feel the need for RWD. It wasn't prone to understeer and had great balance. It's actually better for being FWD as the packaging allows for a class leading 400L boot. / Jamil
Alfa Romeo driver tester suggest to have a rigid rear bridge instead of multilink to give this car a oversteer feeling that overcome understeer one adding torsen lock diff to complete the task. It's like old FWD drive old Alfa Romeo 155, i owned 2 of them, just raise up trhottle weight move in front and the back end of the car immediately react sliding on the rear...
Alfa is doing everything they can to distant the the Alfa owners away from the company . Have Ev , but offer a lower version with a 1750 engine and a 6 speed manual for the Alfisti
From what we can tell Alfa takes great care to nurture its relationship with fans of the brand. This EV variant of the Junior is proof that a Alfa Romeo can still create fun and charismatic cars into the electric age /Jamil
Given the lifespan of modern cars I suspect that the Junior might be at a disadvantage when trying to reach those sales numbers, unless it is somehow in production for 18 years. / Jamil
Even though some Alfa Romeos share components with other brands within Stellantis, such as Peugeot, they were designed to be used across those brands from the planning stages rather than repurposing and rebadging. And thanks to economies of scale, they can make higher quality components at a lower cost so all the cars are better for it and the savings are passed onto customers. But I understand your scepticism given that other manufacturers have shamelessly swapped just badges on cars or made minor improvements. /Jamil
@@cinch all we will ever require is for Alfa / Stellantis to just keep to their DNA, and never try and pull another "Tonale" over the eyes of anyone! Keep up with your good material!
Most selling Junior will be mild hybrid with 1.3 - 3 cylinder CRAP engine from Peugeot/Citroen...pure electric will/is expensive as most electric cars thus it will sell in promiles...
Hi Wayne, thank you for the feedback! It really helps us to justify making more films like this if you could subscribe and share with like-minded petrol heads (and it also means that you won't miss our next Alfa film which has A LOT of petrol and tyre burning 👀) /Jamil
Why are they doing this style of wheel in 4 spokes? Looks like some goofy temu version of the traditional teledial wheel. Not to mention they look too big, like clown shoes, and also rubber bands for tyres.
Gotta say, it looks better in the metal especially the colours as they transition. I reckon it'll be looked back on fondly. I'd normally be adverse to rubber band tyres but the ride quality wasn't terrible and it really shows off those brake calipers so its easy to forgive /Jamil
Alfa Romeo is known for its engines not an electric motor from China. Why are car channels featuring electric cars when the public do not want them, categorically not at all.
£42,295 for the top spec Veloce trim that drives this well, has Sabelt seats and a class leading boot. That's a great deal even if you don't consider that it's £23,000 cheaper than the Hyundai IONIQ 5N which it's gunning for. / Jamil
We'd love for Alfa Romeo to bring back the Spider convertibles but the likelihood of them returning probably hinges on the success of the Junior / Jamil
50kw useable battery, no Blade battery, even with best management this is no better than the stellantis models which are poor. This is no good for 2024 😢
The blade batteries, despite its merits, are heavier because of their design. That would have taken away from the Junior's relatively light weight feeling and great balance. I know this isn't scientific but we were punting it into every corner, lap-after lap and it still wasn't depleted so it's not terrible. We'll report on real world usage and range later this year so make sure you're subscribed for that. /Jamil
Not sure why they are not putting a slightly bigger battery in it. Such at 60kWh. This Stellantis “54kWh or 51 kWh useable” battery is a bit boring and real world range not quite enough.
Even though some Alfa Romeos share components with other brands within Stellantis, such as Peugeot, they were designed to be used across those brands from the planning stages rather than repurposing and rebadging. And thanks to economies of scale, they can make higher quality components at a lower cost so all the cars are better for it and the savings are passed onto customers. But I understand your scepticism given that other manufacturers have shamelessly swapped just badges on cars or made minor improvements. /Jamil
@@cinch at the core of Stellantis are the brands of Peugeot, Citroen and even FIAT, products that have “economies of scale” inherent in their build quality since the old PSA formation. Granted FIAT came later, but they had their own culture of cost cutting production values. I suspect that you comment is far more relevant to VAG - Volkswagen Audi Group - who share their DNA for production values amongst product renowned for being in the higher echelons of the vehicle quality production, being cascaded amongst their other brands, including Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Skoda. Stellantis is far from achieving their ambition of becoming another, successful, VAG vehicle manufacturer - very far away indeed. Still, it is good to have ambition.
For sure. It'll be up against the much crowded compact SUV segment of which there's a lot of compelling options, especially with the new electric Ford Puma Gen-E /Jamil
The question is not if its really an Alfa Romeo the way it drives. It Just does not look as an Alfa Romeo, Who says is a good looking car does not understand nothing about the brand. Alfa Romeo was always about clean lines in very sportive looks. This looks like a renault in the front and Peugeot in thw back, only the wheels and the interior looks like a real Alfa.
On paper a good driver’s car but I would still be wary about buying an Alfa Romeo. Not only because of their poor reliability record but I am not a huge fan of Stellantis basing their EVs on conventional ICE platforms. Good performance but until the Govt clarifies the luxury car VED situation for car’s costing over £40k the price is too high to take the risk of paying an extra £410 pa for 5 years.
This is probably going to fail because of the low range. Come on Alfa give us a true 300 miles range and im there! I love my Stelvio and for me to go electric i need much more range
The Alfasud was much better handling than any car in its class with unique engineering in its class with a front flat 4 boxer engine layout, overseen by ex porsche engineer. The new Alfa Romeo Junior is a me too product, with similar engineering layout to any number of EVs,. but more importantly sitting on a non Alfa Romeo only platform shared with the Jeeep Avenger/Fiat 600e; its hybrid version uses a Peugeot engine; This car is nothing to do with Alfa Romeo in my eyes and also has ugly bodywork. Alfa Romeos died in 1986 when Fiat took it over after an illustrious history where for good or bad their cars were designed ground up by Alfa Romeo with Alfa Romeo design/engineering philosophy and innovative and class leading engines and it is these cars that made the car famous. Latterly the ex Ferrari engineers designed Giulia QV has also garnered much praise built on a premium platform, along with the the Stelvio
Thanks for the comment. We're going to try and right our wrongs with the Alfasud by driving one for an upcoming review, to talk about a legend of the past. We just need to source a car first 🤞
As a true Alfisti I can't say anything else than: I'm disappointed. Again. First Stelvio of which was more or less of a shock for me. Of course I didn't know so much worse was about to come: Tonale. An Alfa of which is not an Alfa at all. I admit I had bad expectations when Stellantis started but I have to say it's been a lot worse than I had expected. I remember I said to my son "I hope they won't ruin Alfa" and of course they did. So very sad to see how Stellantis treats the old and traditional labels. I used to love Citroën a lot and now it's been destroyed. Then went Lancia and now Alfa. If the manufacturer hates these labels why just stop making them and focus on those they like?
Disappointed? How so? They've made a really good car here that's fun to drive and has Alfa's great styling. We urge you to try one out when you can because it'll make you have a good giggle. But if it's still not your cup of tea we've got just the video for you ruclips.net/video/wlzd5MZc_Mk/видео.htmlsi=FrEOPhyzPaLlPlMY /Jamil
This is not a real Alfa, it is a sporty-dressed Peugeot 2008. Alfa Romeo died with Marchionne; Stellantis will rebadge Peugeots' cars with the Alfa logo. Poor Alfa
Hi Biaigio, Did you watch the film? We came to the conclusion that the Junior drives like an Alfa Romeo should, even if it shares a lot of components with Stellantis cars. / Jamil
We're hoping to get our hands on one in the UK soon so we can see how great it is on British B-roads. Subscribe so that you don't miss that film when it drops. /Jamil
It's silly to rag on this car because it shares a motor or parts with other Stellantis stuff. Nobody was complaining when it had Ferrari parts . A bit idiotic. Every car on the planet shares bits with other cars. Even the ultra luxurious Rolls Royce has the same parts you'd find in a 1 series or mini Cooper. Toyota shares the same engines across all it's cars. We all wish the cars we like would have bespoke parts. But then again how many of us can realistically afford a $1 million car? If people paying $500k for Royces or Bentleys don't mind them having bits from cheaper cars. What makes people think they're so special for driving a $30,000 car? I love Alfas, but that doesn't mean I'm special. The engineering that goes onto these cars to make them unique, despite a shared platform is pretty cool. Soon people will start complaining 50% percent of websites are made from wordpress. Good lord, you all need to chill or don't ever buy a car, because they all share bits, with another cheaper brand. Even the $1 million Straedale has a lowly Nettuno engine from Maserati.
This car is matchless within the competition - more precisely the competition beats it's ass in every way. Junior doesn't have attributes to have good sales: 1/ looks? No thank you i would take lexus or cupra, even Volvo ex30 looks better 2/ engines? 1.2 puretech or electric crap - no thank you! 3/ reliability? Like above - Good luck with unreliable 1.2 puretech (going back to roots I guess), or go with electric crap engines which are much less popular 4/ price? For this price it gives only one advantage - driving experience and only in top version 😂 which can be not enough to compete with others. Competition has lower prices. 5/ Driving? If other cars can offer 80-90% of the fun and have attributes from above I would take them instead. To sum up as stelvio user - #leave_next_stelvio_alone #shame_on_you_for_renault_captur_headlights_and_mitsubishi_asx_scudetto #not_buying_this_crap
In 1962 my father bought a Giulia TI which as a nineteen year old I was allowed to drive occasionally. The car developed only 91bhp from its 1600 cc engine but had beautifully balanced handling and, a rarity in those days, a very slick 5 speed gearbox. Later on I hankered after an Alfasud but ended up buying a Citroën GS estate which was more suitable for my work as a farm vet. Now in my dotage I have a Guilietta 150 bhp Multiair. The Junior has to go some to match the two Alfas that I have experienced in my life. The 280bhp version of the Junior is no doubt a very good car but is too expensive for me, let’s hope the less powerful all electric version retains the same chassis mods that distinguish it from its Stellantis stablemates. PS Most of my cars have been Saabs 99, 900 and finally 9000.
If EVs aren't your thing, there's petrol variants of the Junior still available. They probably won't handle as well as the Electric Veloce model but we're going to find out soon! /Jamil
Where are the Alfa purists when it comes to buying the cars? Oh yh loud people on the internet maybe aren’t new car buyers. This is what the market is buying
If our government was really concerned about emissions, environment,carbon footprint and the climate hoax there woulld be a rollout of cheap affordable electric cars 42 grand is ridiculous still ill stick the petrol for now
@@cinch hmmm I’m still not convinced tbh. The price of new cars spiralling out of control. If governments want us to buy EV’s then manufacturers need to bring prices down. £43k for a snazzy Vauxhall Mokka sized car? Come on. Presumably that’s even before options, on road charges, etc? Eye watering prices I’m afraid. As we see, the second hand value of EV’s are plummeting so who’d buy this brand new?? Cars don’t make financial sense, EV’s less so.
The base (Electtrica) model starts at £33,895 (which is already more premium and better looking than the Vauxhall Mokka). The top trim level Veloce (the one we tested) comes in at under £43,000 with the bespoke performance components such as the Torsen LSD, 280HP motor, uprated dampers, springs and performance tyres. So it's actually a pretty good deal. There are more flawed performance hot hatches that cost more than this. / Jamil
@@cinch I mean with all due respect, just under £43k for a small crossover isn’t really a good deal. Most of us mere mortals don’t have £43k to spend on a small car. PCP deals won’t be that competitive since residual values on EV’s are falling quicker than a baby grand from the Empire State Building. I’m not just highlighting this car, even a Yaris or Jazz are both coming in at just under £30k! £30k for a supermini, really?? Manufacturers are actually taking the consumer for a ride, hope you like the pun 😉 Beautiful as the Alfa is, a good it is not.
We've just reviewed the more affordable version of this car, the Junior Speciale. Our video's here: ruclips.net/video/hUS2H8U4Txg/видео.html
It was never going to be an easy car to market to old-school Alfa fans but I think they've nailed it. A true Alfa should have aggressive styling and strong driving dynamics, and this does. Great video as always guys!
Thanks, Ben! We agree. Although we have also put in the request for a V6 Quadrifoglio, just because...
Many thanks for this comprehensive and competent report. I see you had a lot of fun driving it 😀
Unfortunately, there are always people who say that at these presentations the invited journalists report favourably on the car so that you can be invited back. Can you say something about that? I'm not accusing you of this opinion of some people, but I'd still be interested to hear what you have to say.
Thank you
@@zagatolinoj9991 Thanks for the nice words. I can confirm that we are at no risk of not being invited back if we don't give a positive review, because the manufacturers respect that we have to be independent. A recent example of a car we weren't so keen on was the Honda e:Ny1 (video in our feed). It's proof that we certainly don't hold back if we are not impressed. So when it comes to this Junior, we were as relieved as anybody to see that this Veloce model is a very fun car. All that remains to be seen is if the less sporting Junior variants can retain some of its sparkle. We hope so, and will find out when we driven them later this year 🤞
/ Sam
Thank you Ben!
This goes to show that platform sharing doesn't make each derivative model predictably the same
You are def not a real alfista if you say something like this
Them wheels look incredible. I love this car and I really didn’t think I would
Absolutely love the wheel design. Very unique.
Me too! Shows off the brakes quite well. Worth displaying
/Jamil
Really enjoyable review- got a strong sense of what it's like behind the wheel, instead of an endless wittering on about electrical gizmos: driving impressions are what interests me. Bravo! I have a 1976 GT Junior so keen to see where Alfa are going! Subscribed.
Hi Gareth,
Thank you so much for your kind words and subscribing 🙏 We love diving into the way cars like this feel to drive and sharing it.
Love a GT Junior ❤️ One of the greats.
P.S Please share with like-minded petrol heads so that we can continue to make content like this.
/ Jamil
This was an absolute blast to film! It made me feel so much safer knowing that the car won't understeer into me 🤣
This will be my next car.
Great camera angles and graphics! Makes a big difference when there are so many videos on this car by other reviewers 😬
Thank you so much for your kind words! We try to stand out visually and go into depth with the driving so it means a lot 🙏
Thank you so much! We'll continue to deliver. Make sure you're subscribed for when we take it to the next level 👀
So you know what we think. But do you agree? Can a hot crossover be a true Alfa Romeo, especially if it unlocks the funds to make more exotic models? Let us know what you think and we'll let Alfa know 👍
I think yes! The car looks like it’s handling very well and you can have some fun it it! But I prefer RWD 😁
Don't blame you. Thankfully Alfa still make a very fun RWD super saloon
/Jamil
Questa auto è tutto fuorchè una Alfa Romeo.
May have power, but has no Alfa looks, will have no Alfa dynamics. You can clearly see the head designer from Cupra, horrible looking car, bulky front seats stiled in Cubra design. Please get this guy out of Alfa and put back an Italian designer!
Zanax qq1 Luke 😅11qiiii
Great video and overall impressed with this car, especially being a crossover 😎
Thank you for your kind words!
It really exceeded expectations. Hopefully this means we get to see more cars like this.
/Jamil
Coupe and sedan sales are at all time low no? Alfa Romeo needs to sell crossovers because it’s what the tasteless masses want. Then they’ll likely copy Porsche’s business strategy: sell a lot of crossovers and use the money to make less profitable sports cars for enthusiasts and maintain the brand image. Alfa fans aren’t giving it enough credit. The Junior is an EV crossover yes, but it’s almost the one sports cars lovers would make if they were forced to. AR is meeting Alfa fans halfway with their crossovers, they’re not just lazy badge swaps.
Nicely done guys !
Thank you Peter! It was great to see you again 😊
/ Jamil
£45k.. not a chance.
I used to adore my Alfas but £45k is mental.
Thanks for a excellent review. 👍🏻
nice review, first time in this channel. really enjoyed.
Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed it. We have more films like this coming up so make sure you're subscribed with notifications on. Also, please share with like-minded petrol heads. This helps us to keep making films like these. What would you like to see next?
/Jamil
Amazing car beautiful
First time I’ve watched one of your videos. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you for your kind words 😁 If you enjoyed this then please like, sub and share to help us keep making these sorts of films. It really goes a long way
/ Jamil
Done. Really enjoyed your style.
Really appreciate that dude 🙏
/Jamil
❤❤❤good statement: A No Excuses Alfa!!!❤❤❤😊
It is one of the most beautiful cars in the world and I love Alfa Romeo because it is an elegant car with taste and appearance.😊😊😊
Gotta hand it to the design department. They don't miss
/Jamil
У тебя явно проблемы со вкусом. Что касается самого автомобиля. Это уродливый выкидыш от Альфы. Разочарован
It's a baby Alfa!
Top review guys! This car got so much flack when it was launched so it's great to see this and other reviews are all so positive....the looks have definitely grown on me and I hope they finally have a decent seller on their hands like Fiat have with the 500....Just a new Lancia Delta needed now : )
Thank you for the kind feedback! The car certainly deserves the praise
/Jamil
14:20 Back in it's days the Alfasud handled pretty damn good. It's actual problem was that it was a bit ...um... oxidation-sensitive.
🤔 we should try to get our hands on one that's still on one piece
/Jamil
As an old school Alfa owner, it is very hard to warm to these types of cars. But last year I came close to leasing a new EV for the FBT and luxury car tax exemptions (and other tax benefits of leasing) that are available in Australia. I briefly considered the Tonale until learning that the non plug-in hybrid initially available here was not eligible for the main exemptions. The plug-in version should actually qualify, so this review has me thinking it may be time to revisit a novated lease... (This would also probably be my best chance of convincing my missus to like Alfas - as the car would be used by her mostly and she hates my low-riding, much older and very loud ones).
Come to think of it, the Junior might just be the ideal car for an Alfa Romeo enthusiast with family that are not so enthusiastic 🤣 Please let us know if you do find yourself getting a Tonale or Junior.
What old school Alfas do you have/have you had? Is that your GTV in your profile picture?
/Jamil
@cinch will do. Yep, have a 1981 Alfetta GTV and my daily is a 2002 156 GTA 3.2. Have previously owned two more V6 powered 156s and am perennially on the lookout for a decent 3.0L Alfa 75 (ideally in Potenziata spec).
Absolute hero! Respect for keeping these on the road and driving them daily.
Oooh. What comes with the Potenziata spec?
/Jamil
@@cinch cheers mate. Potenziata was basically the ultimate "final" version of the top-spec Alfa 75 3.0L QV. It had the Digital Motronic fuel injection and engine management system, uprated cams (same as the 164), higher compression ratio at 9.5:1 and 3.73:1 diff ratio instead of the taller 3.55:1. I've got Buckley's of finding one here in Australia - only maybe 50 RHD versions made it Downunder, and no more than a dozen are still on the road here. But I could live with a 2.0L Twin Spark, or the 2.5L V6 too. I don't think any unicorn 1.8L Turbo Evoluzione versions made it here.
@cinch What does “this time it will handle like it should” in reference to the Alfasud? The Sud was one of the finest handling front wheel drive cars of its time and a benchmark. Suggest you go and drive one!
You know what, that's not a bad idea. Working on it
/ Jamil
alfa invented the segment of hot hatchbak with Alfasud TI !
Alfasud ti was my first new car in 1979. To date I've had 12 more Alfas, NONE have handled as well. Im very interested in the Junior, looking forward to driving it.
Great review, love the videography especially - keep up the good work!
Thank you for the kind words Sharoon! 🙏
/Jamil
Double espresso 😂Love that!
When in Italy, eh 🤣🤣🤣
/ Jamil
I sold Giulia 280 PS RWD in June and I’ve just bought Alfa 4C , my 10 year old dream!
Next car will be Junior Veloce as a daily car - that’s the plan ;)
Congratulations on the Alfa 4C!
Please tell us about your experience with it so far? Is it what you hoped it would be?
/Jamil
@@cinch I have to bring her from Germany first but I will let you know;)
Looking forward to hearing about your experience
I think some of the best marketing for this car was putting it in Assetto Corsa Evo. It's great in the sim. And about as fast as a Golf 8 GTI. But neither the Golf or the Junior are as fun as old 90s cars with a stick shift.
Bring this to the USA 🇺🇸
Leaning on voice commands is not a viable substitute for a well thought out user interface. It relies on the voice recognition to be reliable (which it wasn't at the time of review) and not ideal when you're listening to music, having a conversation with a passenger or in the midst of a phone call.
Swiping up only works from the very bottom edge of the display which requires too much coordination while driving (horizontal swipes from the edge closest to the driver make more sense)
These tweaks can easily be rectified in a software update.
/Jamil
Great review!
Thank you! We've got more Alfa Romeo content on the way so subscribe so you don't miss it. Will be adding to this playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLgf3Zajosh7eCCOG-3bbNBXhiCWkmHUOh
/Jamil
It’s interesting how much better this seems than the lacklustre Tonale…
Actually looks a little better than I initially thought it to be. But I would wait from a Scudetto kit from Koshi to bring back the classic Alfa grille.
We were pleasantly surprised at how much better it looked in the metal. Definitely worth checking it out when you can
/ Jamil
Looks like a great EV , it seems to handle exactly as you would expect for an Alfa . Well done Alfa Romeo ( could do with 60kw battery ) but would probably compromise that hot hatch handling .
what about long term reliability ?
Excellent review. The Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce is a good surprise for an EV, and it seems it's a true Alfa Romeo.
Thank you for your kind words!
Would you consider a Junior Veloce? or do you have a preference to one of Alfa's other cars?
/Jamil
@@cinch I have own many Alfa Romeos, and currently I have a Giulia Competizione, a Giulietta Veloce, and a 147 GTA. I am an Alfa Romeo fan. I will sell my Giulietta and 147 within one or two years, and yes, I consider to buy a Junior Veloce as it's seems really nice to drive, to replace my Giulietta and 147. But I will keep my Giulia a very long time.
Wow that's quite a collection! I love the Giulia as well. What attracts you to the brand?
/ Jamil
Thank you!
Nice car
You're welcome! Looking for more thoroughly tested Alfa Romeo reviews? ruclips.net/video/vmim2Z_QHZo/видео.htmlsi=lVmrQyu4GMU8YrwS
Oh dear Alfa. Sat in one the other day. Doesn't feel like an Alfa at all (I'm a Giulia owner). Very soft seating (no front seat lateral support) and cheap scratchy wheelie bin plastics on the door cards. RWD and/ or FWD with 2.0 Turbo ICE. It may stand a chance for high sales volumes with ICE hybrid. Looks very French to me with regard to exterior styling.
sharing a platform with vauxhall and peugeot thats not an alfa at all,its the same story with renault/ nissan and the vw groups brands.. all platform sharing, however untill stelantis got there hands on alfaromeo/fiat and the french PSA group we did have some individuality now its copy paste.
@@darthgardnereven the mighty BMW and Toyota shares parts across their models. Nobody complained when Alfa was sharing bits with dodge and Ferrari. So there's no such thing as a car that doesn't share bits with other cars in the assembly line. It's just the best way to run a business without going bankrupt very fast.
We all wish our cars would be bespoke, but I doubt you would be able to spend over $1million to have a car that isn't like any other.
My Next Car ❤
Love the car and I must admit you are a brilliant presenter honestly first class.
Thank you, Michael! We’ve plenty more exciting videos to come so don’t forget to subscribe to see them first 😀
I'm not stupid enough to pay that much money for an electric car, I'd definitely rather go to Volkswagen and get a new Golf
I'm not stupid enough to pay that much money for a new Golf. I'll get a used Focus RS for 10,000 less with 75 more HP.
I'd buy two
...
Wow! How would you spec them?
/Jamil
my next car !
Woo! Be sure to let us know when you get the car and tell us how it is.
/Jamil
nah i will keep my giulietta diesel
I want one - with RWD and an LFP battery!
As much as we like RWD Alfas (like this amazing Giulia Quadrifoglio ruclips.net/video/vmim2Z_QHZo/видео.htmlsi=CsyoKIHWKWPUXm-9) we didn't feel the need for RWD.
It wasn't prone to understeer and had great balance. It's actually better for being FWD as the packaging allows for a class leading 400L boot.
/ Jamil
@@cinch - good points - thanks!
Glad to help :)
/ Jamil
Alfa Romeo driver tester suggest to have a rigid rear bridge instead of multilink to give this car a oversteer feeling that overcome understeer one adding torsen lock diff to complete the task. It's like old FWD drive old Alfa Romeo 155, i owned 2 of them, just raise up trhottle weight move in front and the back end of the car immediately react sliding on the rear...
@@sibbolo9204I have a 156 and with fresh rubber up front it rotates just like a rwd. Clever Italians!
Nice but should have done a engined version. This will be worth 20k in 2 years because it’s electric
But what a brilliant second-hand buy it’ll make. We can’t wait until examples land on cinch 👌
Not sure which is better, those wheels or that coffee pun
Gotta be the pun, right? Even if those wheels are stunning 😆
It can only be a real Alfa is it breaks down a lot & costs you a lot to keep it on the road 🎉
We like to stay hopeful that your statement isn't true for the Junior because we like it a lot
/Jamil
Una maravilla italiana
Alfa is doing everything they can to distant the the Alfa owners away from the company . Have Ev , but offer a lower version with a 1750 engine and a 6 speed manual for the Alfisti
From what we can tell Alfa takes great care to nurture its relationship with fans of the brand. This EV variant of the Junior is proof that a Alfa Romeo can still create fun and charismatic cars into the electric age
/Jamil
Nobody buys manuals. Not even enthusiasts buy manuals for daily drivers. I think manuals are suited for the more niche performance focused cars.
@@jomo2483 that what Alfa needs to be, and needs to care to the Alfisti. Not everyone wants manual, but have at least option model
that is your personal opinion wich does not reflect reality.
@@jomo2483 I just did. In fact I changed a fancy petrol hybrid to a diesel manual. Haven't regretted a minute.
Nice 🚗😊😊
Where is the petrol version of this?
We're hoping to get our hands on one of those when they become available in the UK. Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss it.
/Jamil
Believe 1.1million Alfa Sud’s were sold in its life. Can’t see Junior doing anything close to the Sud.
Given the lifespan of modern cars I suspect that the Junior might be at a disadvantage when trying to reach those sales numbers, unless it is somehow in production for 18 years.
/ Jamil
The black looks very nice and less expensive than Hyundai???? You’re getting an Alfa less expensive than Hyundai!!!
It's nuts! Incredible value for money.
So Alfa is back to the pre Giulia years. Platform and powertrain sharing. And its an EV = end of Alfa
Even though some Alfa Romeos share components with other brands within Stellantis, such as Peugeot, they were designed to be used across those brands from the planning stages rather than repurposing and rebadging. And thanks to economies of scale, they can make higher quality components at a lower cost so all the cars are better for it and the savings are passed onto customers. But I understand your scepticism given that other manufacturers have shamelessly swapped just badges on cars or made minor improvements.
/Jamil
So happy to see Alfa made a good car for all. I won't touch a Hyundai PERIOD. Alfa Romeo All the way.
What draws you to Alfa Romeo?
/ Jamil
It's a shame Alfa won't bring this to the USA.
Yeah it is a shame. I wonder why it's not officially available in the USA. If you really want one you've only got to wait 25 years 🙃🙃🙃
/ Jamil
With a 4 cilinder petrol engine, it might be quite a nice little crossover. 😑 I can't belive I said "nice little crossover".
We'll try to get our hands on one when they come to the UK and will report back
@@cinch I'll hit the bell icon.
Music to our ears! Thank you
😄
/Jamil
42 keep it
The height of that bonnet is ridiculous.......
Just bring the Hybrid Junior to South Africa! We may "neva" go electrical as there are too many petrol heads!
We're eager to try out the Hybrid when it comes to our shores. What would you like to know about it?
/Jamil
@@cinch all we will ever require is for Alfa / Stellantis to just keep to their DNA, and never try and pull another "Tonale" over the eyes of anyone! Keep up with your good material!
Thank you! 😊
Pleasantly surprised that this isn't just a rebadged Vauxhall Mokka *cough* Opel *cough*
Most selling Junior will be mild hybrid with 1.3 - 3 cylinder CRAP engine from Peugeot/Citroen...pure electric will/is expensive as most electric cars thus it will sell in promiles...
I’ll take the petrol I think the petrol will sell amazingly
Can't wait to get our hands on the petrol hybrid models and see how they do on UK roads
/ Jamil
@@cinch can’t wait to see and keep up the amazing work !
Hi Wayne,
thank you for the feedback! It really helps us to justify making more films like this if you could subscribe and share with like-minded petrol heads (and it also means that you won't miss our next Alfa film which has A LOT of petrol and tyre burning 👀)
/Jamil
Why are they doing this style of wheel in 4 spokes? Looks like some goofy temu version of the traditional teledial wheel. Not to mention they look too big, like clown shoes, and also rubber bands for tyres.
Gotta say, it looks better in the metal especially the colours as they transition. I reckon it'll be looked back on fondly. I'd normally be adverse to rubber band tyres but the ride quality wasn't terrible and it really shows off those brake calipers so its easy to forgive
/Jamil
Alfa Romeo is known for its engines not an electric motor from China. Why are car channels featuring electric cars when the public do not want them, categorically not at all.
Another expensive EV SUV that we don't need. Really? How about a convertible that we can actually enjoy.
£42,295 for the top spec Veloce trim that drives this well, has Sabelt seats and a class leading boot. That's a great deal even if you don't consider that it's £23,000 cheaper than the Hyundai IONIQ 5N which it's gunning for.
/ Jamil
We'd love for Alfa Romeo to bring back the Spider convertibles but the likelihood of them returning probably hinges on the success of the Junior
/ Jamil
@@cinch Unfortunately, that's what they said about their other SUV's.
3rd times the charm 🫰
/Jamil
50kw useable battery, no Blade battery, even with best management this is no better than the stellantis models which are poor. This is no good for 2024 😢
The blade batteries, despite its merits, are heavier because of their design. That would have taken away from the Junior's relatively light weight feeling and great balance.
I know this isn't scientific but we were punting it into every corner, lap-after lap and it still wasn't depleted so it's not terrible. We'll report on real world usage and range later this year so make sure you're subscribed for that.
/Jamil
Not sure why they are not putting a slightly bigger battery in it. Such at 60kWh. This Stellantis “54kWh or 51 kWh useable” battery is a bit boring and real world range not quite enough.
what is wrong with plastic? Plastic is a very strong and expensive material. I hate cheap cloth.
Solo con motore alfa romeo
Anche se è un motore Alfa Electric?
/Jamil
Another badging exercise from Stellantis.
No thank you!
Even though some Alfa Romeos share components with other brands within Stellantis, such as Peugeot, they were designed to be used across those brands from the planning stages rather than repurposing and rebadging. And thanks to economies of scale, they can make higher quality components at a lower cost so all the cars are better for it and the savings are passed onto customers. But I understand your scepticism given that other manufacturers have shamelessly swapped just badges on cars or made minor improvements.
/Jamil
@@cinch at the core of Stellantis are the brands of Peugeot, Citroen and even FIAT, products that have “economies of scale” inherent in their build quality since the old PSA formation. Granted FIAT came later, but they had their own culture of cost cutting production values.
I suspect that you comment is far more relevant to VAG - Volkswagen Audi Group - who share their DNA for production values amongst product renowned for being in the higher echelons of the vehicle quality production, being cascaded amongst their other brands, including Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Skoda.
Stellantis is far from achieving their ambition of becoming another, successful, VAG vehicle manufacturer - very far away indeed.
Still, it is good to have ambition.
It is a very good presentation of the car. It could be even better if there were more footage from outside the car when he is talking
Thank you for your feedback. Will take this into account 🙂
/ Jamil
The only thing missing is a sunroof.
It’s not to compete on the big suv market anyway, for that Alfa has Stelvio.
For sure. It'll be up against the much crowded compact SUV segment of which there's a lot of compelling options, especially with the new electric Ford Puma Gen-E
/Jamil
The question is not if its really an Alfa Romeo the way it drives. It Just does not look as an Alfa Romeo, Who says is a good looking car does not understand nothing about the brand. Alfa Romeo was always about clean lines in very sportive looks. This looks like a renault in the front and Peugeot in thw back, only the wheels and the interior looks like a real Alfa.
On paper a good driver’s car but I would still be wary about buying an Alfa Romeo. Not only because of their poor reliability record but I am not a huge fan of Stellantis basing their EVs on conventional ICE platforms. Good performance but until the Govt clarifies the luxury car VED situation for car’s costing over £40k the price is too high to take the risk of paying an extra £410 pa for 5 years.
This is probably going to fail because of the low range. Come on Alfa give us a true 300 miles range and im there! I love my Stelvio and for me to go electric i need much more range
The Alfasud was much better handling than any car in its class with unique engineering in its class with a front flat 4 boxer engine layout, overseen by ex porsche engineer. The new Alfa Romeo Junior is a me too product, with similar engineering layout to any number of EVs,. but more importantly sitting on a non Alfa Romeo only platform shared with the Jeeep Avenger/Fiat 600e; its hybrid version uses a Peugeot engine; This car is nothing to do with Alfa Romeo in my eyes and also has ugly bodywork. Alfa Romeos died in 1986 when Fiat took it over after an illustrious history where for good or bad their cars were designed ground up by Alfa Romeo with Alfa Romeo design/engineering philosophy and innovative and class leading engines and it is these cars that made the car famous. Latterly the ex Ferrari engineers designed Giulia QV has also garnered much praise built on a premium platform, along with the the Stelvio
Thanks for the comment. We're going to try and right our wrongs with the Alfasud by driving one for an upcoming review, to talk about a legend of the past. We just need to source a car first 🤞
Looks like a Renault 😅
Alright Nathan, we're working on it for ya! LETS GOOOO!
/Jamil
As a true Alfisti I can't say anything else than: I'm disappointed. Again. First Stelvio of which was more or less of a shock for me. Of course I didn't know so much worse was about to come: Tonale. An Alfa of which is not an Alfa at all. I admit I had bad expectations when Stellantis started but I have to say it's been a lot worse than I had expected. I remember I said to my son "I hope they won't ruin Alfa" and of course they did. So very sad to see how Stellantis treats the old and traditional labels. I used to love Citroën a lot and now it's been destroyed. Then went Lancia and now Alfa. If the manufacturer hates these labels why just stop making them and focus on those they like?
Disappointed? How so? They've made a really good car here that's fun to drive and has Alfa's great styling. We urge you to try one out when you can because it'll make you have a good giggle. But if it's still not your cup of tea we've got just the video for you ruclips.net/video/wlzd5MZc_Mk/видео.htmlsi=FrEOPhyzPaLlPlMY
/Jamil
This is not a real Alfa, it is a sporty-dressed Peugeot 2008. Alfa Romeo died with Marchionne; Stellantis will rebadge Peugeots' cars with the Alfa logo. Poor Alfa
Hi Biaigio,
Did you watch the film? We came to the conclusion that the Junior drives like an Alfa Romeo should, even if it shares a lot of components with Stellantis cars.
/ Jamil
It'll break and cost too much to fix in true Alfa style 😂
Yeah looks like a great car.
We're hoping to get our hands on one in the UK soon so we can see how great it is on British B-roads. Subscribe so that you don't miss that film when it drops.
/Jamil
It's silly to rag on this car because it shares a motor or parts with other Stellantis stuff. Nobody was complaining when it had Ferrari parts . A bit idiotic.
Every car on the planet shares bits with other cars. Even the ultra luxurious Rolls Royce has the same parts you'd find in a 1 series or mini Cooper. Toyota shares the same engines across all it's cars.
We all wish the cars we like would have bespoke parts. But then again how many of us can realistically afford a $1 million car?
If people paying $500k for Royces or Bentleys don't mind them having bits from cheaper cars. What makes people think they're so special for driving a $30,000 car?
I love Alfas, but that doesn't mean I'm special. The engineering that goes onto these cars to make them unique, despite a shared platform is pretty cool.
Soon people will start complaining 50% percent of websites are made from wordpress.
Good lord, you all need to chill or don't ever buy a car, because they all share bits, with another cheaper brand. Even the $1 million Straedale has a lowly Nettuno engine from Maserati.
it's an Alpha, not an Alfa
Bellissima ❤❤❤
This car is matchless within the competition - more precisely the competition beats it's ass in every way. Junior doesn't have attributes to have good sales:
1/ looks? No thank you i would take lexus or cupra, even Volvo ex30 looks better
2/ engines? 1.2 puretech or electric crap - no thank you!
3/ reliability? Like above - Good luck with unreliable 1.2 puretech (going back to roots I guess), or go with electric crap engines which are much less popular
4/ price? For this price it gives only one advantage - driving experience and only in top version 😂 which can be not enough to compete with others. Competition has lower prices.
5/ Driving? If other cars can offer 80-90% of the fun and have attributes from above I would take them instead.
To sum up as stelvio user - #leave_next_stelvio_alone #shame_on_you_for_renault_captur_headlights_and_mitsubishi_asx_scudetto
#not_buying_this_crap
Glad you mentioned the Volvo EX30. We drove one and compared it to the Junior so make sure you're subscribed and notified for that.
/ Jamil
Second hand Better Value EV?!?
(not in this century)🙏
It saves you from taking the hit on the initial depression
/ Jamil
@@cinch with second hand batteries, too? No, thanks…..
What's wrong with second hand car batteries?
/Jamil
@@cinch matter of opinion, obviousely.
In 1962 my father bought a Giulia TI which as a nineteen year old I was allowed to drive occasionally. The car developed only 91bhp from its 1600 cc engine but had beautifully balanced handling and, a rarity in those days, a very slick 5 speed gearbox. Later on I hankered after an Alfasud but ended up buying a Citroën GS estate which was more suitable for my work as a farm vet. Now in my dotage I have a Guilietta 150 bhp Multiair. The Junior has to go some to match the two Alfas that I have experienced in my life. The 280bhp version of the Junior is no doubt a very good car but is too expensive for me, let’s hope the less powerful all electric version retains the same chassis mods that distinguish it from its Stellantis stablemates.
PS Most of my cars have been Saabs 99, 900 and finally 9000.
Ugliest Alfa in a long time...sad
nice car, but FWD, really? Only when it comes with AWD, I may go for it, but not until then.
❤️❤️❤️🫶🏽
❤️❤️❤️🫶🏽
But it's electric 🤢🤡
The automotive industry is dying, it's so sad to see... It really is.
If EVs aren't your thing, there's petrol variants of the Junior still available. They probably won't handle as well as the Electric Veloce model but we're going to find out soon!
/Jamil
McClaren 570S or Aston Martin Vantage
We'd love to compare these in a video review! That would be awesome. Want to see that?
/Jamil
Where are the Alfa purists when it comes to buying the cars? Oh yh loud people on the internet maybe aren’t new car buyers. This is what the market is buying
If our government was really concerned about emissions, environment,carbon footprint and the climate hoax there woulld be a rollout of cheap affordable electric cars 42 grand is ridiculous still ill stick the petrol for now
i would still buy the model Y
Hi Paul,
Fair enough. Why do you prefer the Tesla Model Y?
/Jamil
Does it come with a sunroof?) anyone ?)
The sunroof is a £1,200 option
/ Jamil
@@cinch great thnx!
Glad to help. Are you considering one? If so, what draws you to it and which colour are you going for?
/Jamil
He owns a Tesla. No wonder he has no idea of what a true Alfa is. No electric car is a true Alfa.
Electric ❗️- OFF
This one might convert you. We highly recommend giving it a test drive at the very least
/Jamil
A true alfa breaks down
£43k?!? For a small crossover EV?? Hard pass.
£43,000 for what is essentially a hot hatch that is genuinely fun to drive and is still somewhat practical. That's a hard combo to come by
/ Jamil
@@cinch hmmm I’m still not convinced tbh. The price of new cars spiralling out of control. If governments want us to buy EV’s then manufacturers need to bring prices down. £43k for a snazzy Vauxhall Mokka sized car? Come on. Presumably that’s even before options, on road charges, etc? Eye watering prices I’m afraid. As we see, the second hand value of EV’s are plummeting so who’d buy this brand new??
Cars don’t make financial sense, EV’s less so.
The base (Electtrica) model starts at £33,895 (which is already more premium and better looking than the Vauxhall Mokka). The top trim level Veloce (the one we tested) comes in at under £43,000 with the bespoke performance components such as the Torsen LSD, 280HP motor, uprated dampers, springs and performance tyres. So it's actually a pretty good deal. There are more flawed performance hot hatches that cost more than this.
/ Jamil
@@cinch I mean with all due respect, just under £43k for a small crossover isn’t really a good deal. Most of us mere mortals don’t have £43k to spend on a small car. PCP deals won’t be that competitive since residual values on EV’s are falling quicker than a baby grand from the Empire State Building.
I’m not just highlighting this car, even a Yaris or Jazz are both coming in at just under £30k! £30k for a supermini, really??
Manufacturers are actually taking the consumer for a ride, hope you like the pun 😉
Beautiful as the Alfa is, a good it is not.
Haha I appreciate the pun 🤣
/ Jamil