Alfa Romeo Junior Makes SA Debut

It’s not often that a new Alfa Romeo is introduced to the local market. However, Alfisti can rejoice and the new Alfa Romeo Junior has just landed on our shores. The latest from the Italian automaker is an SUV that slots in as the new entry point to Alfa ownership.

The arrival of the Alfa Romeo Junior marks a historic moment for our brand in South Africa. For the first time, Alfa Romeo is introducing fully electric models to our market – a defining step in our journey toward electrified performance. The Junior combines over a century of Italian design and engineering excellence with advanced electric innovation, embodying our dynamic, distinctive and emotionally engaging spirit. We’re confident it will resonate strongly with urban drivers who value style, performance and individuality
– Janus Janse van Rensburg, Alfa Romeo South Africa Brand Head

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A New Era

The Alfa Romeo Junior heralds a new era for the brand. Fans may fondly recall the era of sonorous V6s, but the latest models will be powered by electrified powertrains. As a result the Junior will be available in Elettrica and Veloce derivatives. Both will feature a single motor powering the front wheels. The Elettrica offers 118 kW and 260 N,m. As a result it can sprint from 0–100 km/h in 9 seconds and has a top speed of 152 km/h. A 54 kWh battery pack endows this version with a range of about 407 km.

The range leading, in SA, Elettrica Veloce dishes up 207 kW and 345 Nm. It can reportedly finish the benchmark sprint in 5,9 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h. The more powerful derivative has the same size battery pack, but the more powerful motor drops the battery’s range to 334 km.

New Look

Alfa’s current line-up in SA is dominated by SUVs. The Junior adds to that list. It also adds a few new family design cues that we are likely to see introduced with facelift and/or new models. The Elettrica features 18-inch alloy wheels, a heritage front grille, blue-and-black ‘Icona’ seats and a premium six-speaker audio system. The Veloce (as pictured) rides on 20-inch alloy wheels, a Progresso grille, black-and-red ‘Spiga’ seating, a contrasting black roof, Veloce decals and red brake calipers. The cabin treatment is similar in both derivative, which means a driver-focused cockpit a digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system. The latter supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.