New 2024 Alfa Romeo Junior: Price, specs and release date

The new Alfa Romeo Junior is a stylish small SUV from the famous Italian firm that aims to bring a dose of sportiness to Europe’s favourite new car sector.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior is also the first-ever pure electric Alfa Romeo, with a petrol-powered alternative set to follow later. A performance version, called the Alfa Romeo Junior VELOCE (Alfa's capitals, not ours) has been confirmed, which will add even more excitement to the driving experience.

The Junior has intentionally expressive styling, with a bold stance and lively detailing. It also has a sporty interior and hip-hugging seats. Yet the new Alfa Romeo Junior promises to be practical too, with the biggest boot in its sector and even a clever cable organiser to stow the EV charging lead.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior is built on the same platform as the impressive new Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e, while other rivals include the Ford Puma, Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka, Peugeot 2008 and Volkswagen T-Cross.

The new Alfa Romeo will also face premium competition from the Lexus LBX and upcoming new MINI Aceman.

Oh, and if you think you previously thought this car was called Milano, you're right. Just days after launch, it had to hastily be renamed Alfa Romeo Junior after the Italian government objected to the use of the Milano name...

New 2024 Alfa Romeo Junior: price and release date

The new Alfa Romeo Junior is on sale now, with the first UK deliveries due before the end of 2024. The Junior VELOCE model goes on sale later this year.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica will cost from £33,895 while the Junior Speciale starts at £35,695.

A cheaper new petrol-powered Alfa Romeo Junior alternative may follow later, which could see prices dip to under £30,000.

New 2024 Alfa Romeo Junior: exterior and interior

The new Alfa Romeo Junior is set to be one of the sportiest and most distinctive-looking small SUVs on sale. It will certainly stand out in a packed sector, and contrast with the more classically 4x4-look Jeep Avenger with which it shares underpinnings.

In profile, the new Alfa Romeo Junior has short overhangs, a sweeping side profile and extra-distinctive large alloy wheels. You can get them in several different styles, including a wonderful teledial design. The Junior VELOCE model has sports suspension that drops the ride height by 25mm.

At the front, the new Alfa Romeo Junior offers the legendary Alfa grille in two different designs, either a classic shield or a more modern 3D interpretation of the firm’s logo.

The Alfa Romeo badge sits proudly on the bonnet of the new Junior, while the headlights reference the triple-light setup of classic Alfas, and the bumper has large and sporty air intakes.

At the rear, the new Alfa Romeo Junior's side profile blends into an aero-style ‘kamm tail’ that again sets it apart from most of its rivals. Muscular and very distinctive, the new Alfa Romeo Junior's design is sure to attract new car buyers.

The good news story continues inside. The new Alfa Romeo Junior has a racy and driver-focused interior, with a 10.25-inch digital display sitting between a dual-cowl instrument binnacle, while the steering wheel has a classic shape.

The centre console of the new Alfa Romeo Junior is angled towards the driver, and features a 10.25-inch touchscreen packing the latest tech, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a row of physical buttons for ease of use.

Clever features include a ‘Hey Alfa’ virtual assistant that integrates ChatGPT for more intuitive voice recognition. Alfa Connect Services give over-the-air updates and the sat nav includes EV Routing that helps owners find public chargers on the move – automatically routing them on longer trips.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior's air vents are in the shape of a ‘quadrifoglio’ – four-leaf clover – and optional Sabelt sports seats (a renowned name in motorsport) offer ultra-hip-hugging comfort and distinctiveness.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior is surprisingly practical, too. It promises plenty of rear seat passenger space and the 400-litre boot is the biggest in the small SUV sector.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior also has a clever cable stowage compartment under the bonnet.

New 2024 Alfa Romeo Junior: powertrains and performance

The new Alfa Romeo Junior launches first pure electric guise with two trims – Elettrica and Speciale. Both have the same 54kWh battery, which should give an EV range of up to 250 miles.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior will offer DC rapid charging, so it can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes.

There will be two power outputs of new Alfa Romeo Junior. The standard car will produce 156PS, while a new Alfa Romeo Junior VELOCE will produce 280PS.

Bosses say the new Alfa Romeo Junior will drive like a proper Alfa Romeo, which we presume means sporty and exciting. The aim is to deliver best-in-class roadholding.

The sporty new Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce version goes even further. It has the most direct steering in the small SUV segment, while the sports suspension is lowered 25mm and it has stiff front and rear anti-roll bars.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce also has 20-inch high-performance tyres, a Torsen differential and 280mm front brake discs with four-piston calipers.

The petrol-powered new Alfa Romeo Junior is likely to use a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo engine, which should offer 50mpg fuel efficiency.