A little over two months ago, Stellantis-controlled Alfa Romeo premiered the Milano. A week after the unveiling, the brand reluctantly agreed to change said crossover's name to Junior due to a piece of legislation over false or misleading origin labeling. How come? Instead of Italy, the B-segment utility vehicle is produced in Poland.
Stellantis chief executive officer Carlos Tavares defended the company's decision to build the Junior in Tychy rather than Milano in a rather simple fashion. Had it been made in the Italian Republic, the MiTo's indirect successor would have cost around €10,000 more (approximately $10,750).
His argument does hold water, but we also have to remember that Stellantis didn't really have a choice. Stellantis production vehicles underpinned by the CMP/e-CMP small vehicle platform are manufactured in a number of markets, but not Italy. In other words, those in charge of production at Stellantis decided on Poland rather than spending millions of euros retooling a factory in the Italian Republic for the all-new crossover.
Having cleared up this mess, did you know that Alfa Romeo lied to prospective customers with the output of the Junior Veloce? Instead of the originally promised 177 kilowatts (241 ps or 237 hp), the zero-emission performance version actually produces 207 kilowatts. That means 281 ps or 278 hp, but for some reason or another, Alfa Romeo lists 280 metric ponies instead of 281.
The Italian marque further quotes 345 Nm of torque or 254 pound-feet if you live in the United States, but alas, the Junior Veloce isn't coming stateside. Developed with European markets in mind, the subcompact utility vehicle features a front-mounted electric motor. As per the attached press release, it also boasts "ad-hoc calibration to make the steering the most direct in the segment."
Photo: Alfa Romeo
Mighty words from a brand that was losing a helluva lot of money prior to the formation of Stellantis in early 2021. Suspension lowered by 25 millimeters, extra sport anti-roll bars fore and aft, 380-mm brake discs up front with four-piston monobloc calipers, and a Torsen-style diff also need to be mentioned, along with 20-inch wheels mounted with high-performance rubber shoes.
The reason why Alfa Romeo upped the maximum output from 241 to 281 metric horsepower is rather obvious. More specifically, to bring the Junior Veloce closer to the Tonale Veloce (280 ps or 276 hp), Giulia Veloce (284 ps or 280 hp), and the mechanically similar Stelvio Veloce crossover.
If a front-driven electric utility vehicle isn't your cup of tea, Alfa Romeo has got you covered with a choice of two mild-hybrid. The Junior is a front-driven affair as well, whereas Junior Q4 differs from the former by means of a rear-mounted electric drive unit for all-wheel drive.
The other electric drive unit drives the front wheels via the dual-clutch transmission, which is a six-gear design rather than seven à la Volkswagen's DSG or eight à la the PDK in the 992-generation 911.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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