Alfa Romeo must change with the times and an electric SUV was a must if it wants to compete with rivals old and new.
The Junior is the youngest member of the Alfa Romeo family, but it has lived a troubled life so far. When Alfa Romeo announced it, they announced a car called the Milano. The Milano was hip and cool and trendy, much like the city its name came from.
Problem is, it is made in Poland. And Italy does not like companies giving Italian names to things built outside the country. And so, the government told Alfa Romeo they could not use the Milano name. When I first read it, I laughed, as if the government could actually tell a car company what they can or cannot call a car.
It’s not like Alfa Romeo is producing cheese in Poland and calling it Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s just a name: no one would think the car is produced in Milan because it is called Milano, right?
Anyway. I investigated a little deeper and what the law is trying to protect is the ‘Made in Italy’ label:
(…)
- Production in Italy: The actual production of products must take place in Italy, following applicable laws and regulations. This ensures that companies cannot label products manufactured elsewhere as “Made in Italy”.
- Clear labeling: Products must clearly indicate their origin, specifying whether they were made entirely in Italy or whether they contain parts or materials from other countries.
(…)
Reading that, and knowing the Milano would be produced in Poland, I still don’t think the consumer would feel duped by Alfa Romeo. In fact, I have a bigger issue with Alfa Romeo as a company – and in fact the whole Fiat Group – now being half Italian, half French, since the merger with the PSA Group, than them calling a car after an Italian city.
If this car was built in Arese, or Turin, or even Milan, it would still be a car developed by French engineers employed by Peugeot – because the Junior, formerly known as Milano, is a reskinned, recalibrated and rebranded Peugeot 2008. Just like the Fiat 600, the Opel Mokka, the Jeep Avenger or the Citroën C3 Aircross.
Nothing wrong with that I guess, it’s the way of the world these days and a necessity if historical brands are to survive and be able to fight the Chinese electrical invasion, caused by the EU moronically wanting all cars to be electric by 2035.
Truth is, in the ‘spirit of promoting mutual understanding’, said Alfa, they actually changed the Milano’s name to Junior less than a week after revealing the model.
Junior is a historical name in Alfa Romeo’s lore so no harm, no foul, but it was all a bit weird really. I was one of the first people in the country to drive the car – the press unit had less than 1250km on the clock – and, well, I had to put aside most of my convictions of what an Alfa Romeo really is. Or rather was.
You see, I currently own two petrol Alfas in a total of five I have had the pleasure of calling mine in the 20 years since I first got my driver’s license. To me, Alfa Romeo is genesis. The beginning of (almost) everything for Italian car culture and Italian racing culture. Without Alfa Romeo there would be no Ferrari, no Maserati, no Lamborghini and no Pagani.
The 33 Stradale is still the most beautiful road car ever made. The Busso V6 the most famous Italian engine and Tazio Nuvolari’s win in the 1935 Nürburgring Grand Prix aboard a Tipo B still the greatest victory in any race ever held. The legend of Alfa Romeo is forever.
Is it present in a small(ish) electric SUV based on a French car? Not so much, no. I don’t think many Alfisti will look at the Junior Elettrica and feel the urge to own one. The Junior will sell on its distinctive looks, on having a premium image and on its sportier feel when compared to its cousins within the Stellantis Group.
The seats are really good and look amazing, the driving position is openly sporty and the ride is magnificent. The 51-kWh battery offers a real-world range of around 400km and performance is what you’d expect from 156 horsepower.
I must say I got a lot of looks from passers-by and other drivers, a lot of them even pointing at the car and taking pictures. I am guessing the design of the Junior is a successful one. I hope so and I hope the Junior sells well, because I love Alfa and I want them to have the money to do other cars, cars more closely related to the ones I associate with the history of this unique brand.
The electric Junior does not disappoint, and it absolutely lives up to its promise of being a competent, dependable, practical and sporty SUV propelled by electricity. Maybe that’s all that matters these days. Pragmatism above risk, because the industry knows not all constructors will be here 10 years from now.
I end with a mention of the new 33 Stradale, a reinvention of the 1967 original Alfa launched a few months ago. Just look at it. Art on wheels. Based on the Maserati MC20 (nothing French about that), it was offered either with a V6 petrol engine or an electric powertrain. A sign of the times said Alfa Romeo once again. Now guess how many of the 33 Alfa is building were sold without the V6. That’s right: ZERO! That says a lot about the auto industry at the moment, doesn’t it?
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