Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce: long-term test

Verdict

The Junior Veloce’s limited battery range does provide a challenge – and even more so if you actually use all the performance on offer, which you’re quite likely to want to do because the car is certainly fun to drive on the right roads. Still, hopefully the reading will gradually become more accurate as the car’s overall mileage increases.

• Mileage: 3,159 miles
• Efficiency: 3.6mi/kWh

My husband and I recently booked a weekend break in Bristol and of course, using the pure-electric Alfa Romeo Junior meant slightly different preparations than if I’d been running a petrol or diesel car. That difference is exacerbated because we can’t charge the car at home, and therefore spend quite a bit of time at public charge points. Luckily, there are a few different options near our flat, and there is normally at least one charger available of the four MFG units at the local garage.  

The fact we were using the Alfa also influenced our choice of route. We had two options: one cross country and the other via the A34 and M4. Both took around the same time but the first was approximately 76 miles while the second was around 130. For us, in an electric car with a range of around 200 miles, the shorter option was better.

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We set off with the instrument cluster showing a range of 133 miles, so range anxiety wasn’t too bad, but we haven’t had the Alfa that long, so are yet to trust its predictions fully. My husband tends to do the driving on long journeys and is a fan of the efficiency driving mode. This adds a few miles to the range, and he says it isn’t at the expense of the driving experience.

The weather certainly wasn’t on our side, with the heavy rain meaning the wipers were in fairly constant use. We also opened the windows slightly to clear misting, in a bid to avoid using the heating or air-conditioning system. 

Something else that felt like it was intended to stymie our journey was a road closure, and subsequent seven-mile detour. We blamed Google Maps, which we tend to use through Apple CarPlay, because not only did it fail to mention the closure in the first place, but it also kept trying to reroute us back there as we followed the diversion. Not ideal.

Nevertheless, we made it to our destination with 18 miles of range left. That was around 30 miles short of the car’s initial estimate, but not overly stressful. After a few lovely days, it was time to head home all too soon. 

On the way back we visited the Clifton Suspension Bridge, so ended up using a slightly different route to get home. What a difference – the sun was shining, there wasn’t much traffic and the car came into its own on the twisty B-road sections. This is what the Veloce version of the Junior is made for – it handles really well and feels so at home through the bends. And when we did encounter a slow-moving vehicle on the country roads, the Alfa’s quick acceleration made it easy to pass them; it was nice to forget about range and enjoy the drive – or passenger ride in my case.

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The car isn’t perfect, though. The front door pockets aren’t the most practical, and my water bottle won’t fit in them. The good news is that it does fit in the centre console easily enough, and while it sitting in that position in cars with manual gearboxes tends to annoy my husband, there’s no such issue in the Alfa EV, which has no gears. Even so, my bottle sits back out of the way in the Junior’s centre console anyway.

The dashboard also features a wireless smartphone charger, although we tend to use it fairly rarely; we usually charge our phones using a cable from one of the USB sockets, which tend to charge phones more quickly and without any overheating issues. The other benefit is that the space is handy for our essential travel sweets!

Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce: first fleetwatch

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The Junior’s 400-litre boot made light work of a huge supermarket shop

When we do our normal supermarket shop, we never worry about whether it’s going to fit in the boot of our Alfa Romeo Junior. But with a couple of new storage baskets and extra shopping for visitors staying over for a couple of days, we weren’t sure we would squeeze everything in. However, the 400-litre boot swallowed several bags without us having to stack things up and our guests were able to sit in the back seats, although room is tight there. 

Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce: first report

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Sporty-looking EV makes a good first impression, although range could be an issue

• Mileage: 2,656 miles
• Efficiency: 3.6mi/kWh

I’ve recently taken delivery of our new long-term test car, Alfa Romeo’s first fully electric vehicle: the Junior Elettrica. Ours isn’t just any Junior though, it’s the sporty Veloce version with a whole raft of options fitted. It does come at a price, because the on-the-road figure of £48,595 is only £100 cheaper than my previous Cupra Tavascan, which is a much bigger car.  

Most of the time it’s only my husband and I in the car, so size isn’t such an issue. But I’m currently looking after my daughter’s dog, Isla, and testing out the comfort level from a canine point of view. Not that Isla is fussy – she absolutely loves being in a car, whether it’s the back seats or the boot.   

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While the Junior’s 400-litre boot is actually a decent size for this class of vehicle, the sloping rear windscreen means room isn’t great in the back seats for adults. Yet it was comfortable for Isla, who was happy either sitting up – especially with her nose out of the back window – or curled up asleep.

I like the car’s exterior looks, and despite hoping for the Alfa red, the Arese Grey with Black Roof (£700 option) is classy.  The Junior Veloce looks different outside, with a lower ride height compared with the other versions, so it leans more towards a hot hatch than a compact SUV, but done with Alfa style.  

It has upgraded brakes and the bright-red branded calipers stand out within the 20-inch four-spoke wheels. There is also a subtle red bodykit along the sides and rear, with a larger lower grille at the front, while the grille above has a dramatic cut-out of the trademark Alfa Romeo serpent logo.  

It’s a bit more mixed inside, though. The styling is still good, but there is quite a bit of cheap plastic material, which feels stingy considering the asking price. There is a 10.25-inch touchscreen, which is angled towards the driver, although it’s located lower down in the dashboard than some are. 

The system may not be fancy, but so far it seems easy to use, with the added benefit of some physical buttons. The Sabelt bucket seats definitely improve the look of the cabin and we’ve found them very comfortable so far. But these – along with the Alcantara touches and sporty leather steering wheel – come as part of the £2,200 Sports Pack option.

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The centre console has some bits that are taken from sister Stellantis products, but I was happy to see a stop/start button in the Junior Elettrica. I never felt completely happy with the way you just put the car in park and left it with the Tavascan, although, ironically, it seems to be taking some getting used to when it comes to remembering to turn it off in the Alfa. Thankfully, an alarm sounds as soon as you open a door.

Our car also has the £2,200 Technology Pack that adds some level-two driving assistance and a variety of other features, including all-round parking sensors and a rear-view camera with gridlines, an upgraded sound system, hands-free tailgate and wireless phone charging pad.  

Finally, our Junior Elettrica also has the optional £1,200 electronic sunroof, which despite the arrival of autumn, I hope to get to appreciate during my time with the car.  I’m looking forward to spending some more time behind the wheel of the Alfa EV.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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