► Alfa’s hot hatch driven in the UK
► 276bhp, front-wheel drive, slippy diff
► More fun than a MINI Cooper SE
I had something of a surprise in 2024. After years of barely being whelmed by the legions of small electric SUVs coming out of Stellantis, I drove one that was actually good. That car was the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, and I’ve been looking forward to trying it in the UK for months.
That’s because it felt more like an honest-to-goodness hot hatch than any other EV I’d tried so far. Rather than try to cram a pair of e-motors into this compact package a la Volvo EX30, there’s a single electric motor driving the front wheels through a mechanical limited-slip diff.
Rivals include its non-identical twin the Abarth 600e, the MINI Cooper SE and, in theory at least, the MG4 XPower. Spreading a wider net, you might also consider the Ford Puma ST and other ICE alternatives.
I’ve driven the Junior Veloce around the brand’s Balocco proving ground, and on the road in the UK. I also had another go on track in the UK because it would have been rude not to. Have a look at our how we test page to see how we come to our conclusions here at CAR.
At a glance
Pros: Joyous handling, liveable ride, appropriately fast
Cons: Cramped rear seats, range not great, an Abarth 600e is cheaper sharper
Anything new?
Not the platform, that’s for sure. Underneath the Alfa suit is the same basic bones as the regular Alfa Romeo Junior and Jeep Avenger, and therefore the DS 3, Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka. However, Alfa Romeo has made a few key changes to inject a bit of excitement and dynamism to the Veloce.
There’s a new and more powerful electric motor that still exclusively drives the front wheels, revised spring and damper rates with hydraulic bumpstops and a 25mm drop in ride height. The anti-roll bars have been beefed up, 380mm discs with four-pot calipers fitted and there’s a new steering setup with a quick 2.6-turns lock to lock.
Heavily bolstered seats and 20-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres help the visuals and cornering, but it’s what you’ll find between the front wheels that gets me really excited. Unlike the most ‘performance’ EVs that do without a limited-slip diff, the Veloce gets one as standard.
What are the specs?
It needs it, too. The new motor that’s shared with the Abarth 600e outputs 276bhp and 254Ib ft of torque: plenty for a B-segment crossover but not a great deal in the current EV power wars. And you know what? I’m not just fine with that, I’m actually happy.
Engineers sampling some of the 400+bhp dual motor compact cars out there found them to be borderline terrifying. I’ve experienced this myself in the Smart #1 Brabus and Volvo EX30 twin motor, both being blisteringly fast in a straight line but comically overpowered in the bends.
Besides, a 0-62mph time of 5.9 seconds is plenty quick enough, as is the top speed of 124mph. Range from the 54kWh is 207 miles, and you can knock that down to just over 100 if you’re enjoying yourself.
What about the interior?
While there is some very familiar switchgear, this is an interior that’s appreciably different in character compared to other cars on this platform. The twin binnacle cowling for the digital display is very Alfa, and both infotainment and heater controls are canted towards the driver.
The 10.25-inch screen is too low for my liking, but I do appreciate the physical shortcut buttons and responsiveness of the system. Graphics for the driver’s display and main screen are sharp, and neither are particularly hard to navigate. It’s a huge step on from the dated system found in the Giulia and Stelvio.
As the Junior Ibrida is less than £30k, plenty of hard plastics are to be expected, although they perhaps could have been hidden a little better. Crucially, the steering wheel feels good with its Alcantara and leather coating, as do most other areas you interact with regularly.
Space up front is fine, although the chunky Sabelt sports seats do rob some rear space. They’re thick and have cutouts in them like the BMW M3, although here they usefully give lankier passengers a bit more kneeroom. Even so, the rear pews are fine for kids, but even an average height adult will feel cramped quickly in the back.
The boot is at least a useful 400-litres, and there’s somewhere under the bonnet for a charging cable. Just make sure it’s not overly long as the frunk is shallow and not very big. Still, at least it has one unlike the rest of the cars on this platform. If you need more space, the rear bench folds in a 60/40 split.
How does it drive?
Far better than it has any right to. Alfa Romeo’s changes might seem small, but they have a transformative effect on this platform’s fun factor. It starts with the steering that feels quick and connects you to the front tyres well. You certainly feel the diff working away with a bit of torque steer, although they’re cheeky nudges not a full wrestling match. A bit more weight would be welcome, something the Abarth 600e can provide.
Brake feel isn’t bad under normal use, but Dynamic mode gets rid of all regen (unless you’ve selected B mode on the ‘gear’ selector) and instead delivers natural feel that makes them easy to modulate especially when you’re on it.
Get on the power early and you feel your line tighten as the LSD starts chasing the apex, while a mid-corner lift reveals a chassis that’s keen to rotate. Braking deep into a corner also gets the tail light, with the nose feeling pinned to the Tarmac.
You can feel the chassis move beneath you by a degree or two, with the ESC always there to prevent anything getting too wayward unlike the fully defeatable MINI Cooper SE system. The Junior is very well judged and absolutely nails Alfa’s brief of making a car that’s fun for an enthusiast but wouldn’t scare your gran, though.
It certainly wouldn’t shake her dentures out. There is a suppleness to the ride that does mean more lean than a Cooper SE, but it’s controlled and the benefit is a more supple ride than it or an Abarth 600e. It also means there’s a little less body control than the 600e, which feels the more precise and purposeful take on this platform.
I drove it reasonably gently around Balocco and recorded 3.6 miles per kWh – good for a calculated range of 184 miles based on the 51kWh usable capacity of the pack. With the regen turned off and driven hard, the range tumbles even more rapidly. Less than 2.5mpk is possible if you’re really on it.
Before you buy
Unlike the Abarth 600e, there’s only one version of the Junior Veloce with the full 276bhp. It’s a fair bit pricier than than the Abarth 600e at over £42,000 so it attracts the expensive car tax, too. You don’t get all the kit as standard either, so expect to spend over £46k once you’ve got the nice seats, all the parking sensors and navigation.
Verdict: Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce
It turns out the Junior Veloce remains jolly good fun on UK roads and certainly has enough compliance to deal with their patchy surfacing. Despite being a little softer than the Abarth 600e, it’s still a tenacious little tearaway that combines what we love about hot hatches with an EV twist.
It’s not cheap though, and like the Abarth shares many of this platform’s pitfalls. The range isn’t particularly great, the rear seats are cramped and bits of the interior feel too cheap for the money. Perhaps its biggest problem is that Abarth. It offers more thrills and smaller bills, and I’d take the firmer ride for the better body control it brings.