THE Alfa Romeo Junior will attain Australia within the third quarter of this yr, nailing the goal its maker promised when first unveiled this time in 2024.
New native particulars reveal that we will anticipate the Junior to be provided solely in petrol-electric hybrid and single-motor electrical types, with the not too long ago unveiled Junior This autumn to go away its electrical dual-motor, all-paw configuration at house.
The hybrid Junior, referred to as ‘Ibrida’, is extra of a gentle hybrid than any typical type. It pairs a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a 48V electrical system – packing a 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery and a 21kW electrical motor into the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox – to provide 100kW and 230Nm.
Alfa claims the Junior Ibrida will attain 100km/h in 8.9 seconds, however extra importantly, it might supply electric-only driving for “greater than 50 per cent of the time” in parking manoeuvres, stop-start city driving, and freeway cruising at speeds as much as 150km/h.
With this functionality, Alfa Romeo says the Ibrida mannequin will return a gas consumption determine of simply 4.1L/100km on the NEDC check cycle – though Alfa’s Euro-market specs present figures from the extra related WLTP cycle at 4.9L/100km.
Consumers looking for a full-electric answer shall be provided the Junior Elettrica, though Australia misses out on the sportier 177kW/345Nm Veloce flavour in favour of the usual 115kW/260Nm mannequin.
This variant, being 240kg heavier than the Ibrida’s 1305kg, is a contact a slower to 100km/h at 9.0 seconds – though consumers are unlikely to be evaluating these metrics. Of larger curiosity shall be its electrical driving vary, rated at as much as 407km on the WLTP check cycle.
That determine comes courtesy of a 54kWh battery pack, with a 400V electrical system that guarantees so as to add 100km of vary with 10 minutes of charging, or load it from 10 to 80 per cent cost in “roughly” half-hour.
Whether or not consumers select the Ibrida or Elettrica types, the Junior is supplied with the next package: 18-inch alloy wheels, automated full LED matrix headlights, LED tail-lamps, two-tone black roof, privateness glass, and gloss-black exterior mirrors.
Inside, there’s ‘Spiga’ seats with mixture black material & leatherette trim with crimson accents, a leather-based steering wheel, 60:40 break up rear seats, entrance and rear ground mats, aluminium pedals and door sills, and a top adjustable cargo ground.
Inside tech and luxury features a 10.25-inch principal show with wi-fi CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio and 6 audio system, one other 10.25-inch display screen for the motive force, Alfa linked companies with navigation, a wi-fi charging pad, entrance USB-A and -C ports, one rear USB-C port, keyless entry and go.
The mannequin additionally scores single-zone air con, electrical park brake with auto maintain, six-way power-adjustable entrance seats with two-way lumbar, driver massaging seat, six-way manual-adjustable entrance passenger seat, heated entrance seats, energy liftgate with handsfree perform, and a frameless auto-dimming rear view mirror.
Security and driver help contains six airbags, ‘stage 2’ autonomous driving, entrance, rear and aspect parking sensors, reversing digital camera with dynamic traces, adaptive cruise management, blind spot help, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with susceptible street person detection, lane help system (LDW + LKA), driver behaviour warning, visitors signal recognition and clever velocity management, tyre strain monitoring system, rain sensing wipers, and seat belt reminders.
The Junior shall be offered with a five-year / unlimited-kilometre automobile guarantee, whereas Elettrica variants will even embody an eight-year / 160,000-kilometre high-voltage battery guarantee.
Pricing continues to be to be revealed, however consumers ought to anticipate Alfa’s extra premium picture to place the electrical Junior someplace above the mechanically associated Jeep Avenger EV, which begins from $49,990 earlier than on-road prices. For the Junior Elettrica, a place to begin nearer to $60K shall be extra seemingly.
Among the many Junior’s rivals in Australia would be the $48K Lexus LBX hybrid, $60K Volvo EX30 EV, $55K Renault Megane E-Tech, $54K Hyundai Kona Electrical, $47K Kia EV3 – and the associated Peugeot e-2008, if it ever returns to Australia.
