Opinion: the Junior Veloce is possibly the most ‘Alfa’ Alfa Romeo in years

Fast, front-wheel drive and full of character, the Veloce version of the Alfa Romeo Junior is really rather good. In fact, although it’s an EV and takes the form of a small crossover, I believe that it may actually be the most ‘Alfa’ Alfa Romeo built in years.

Allow me to explain. First of all, there was the business with the name. You’ll remember this car was first announced as the Milano back in April 2024, but because Alfa was planning on building it in Poland, the Italian government swiftly stepped in and banned the use of the Lombardy capital. Having combed through the archives for inspiration, a few days later the car was rebranded with the Junior moniker. Classic Alfa.

Then there are the looks. Clearly, it’s not the most conventionally attractive thing, but some of our favourite ever Alfas have been visually… let's go with 'challenging'. Just take the V6-engined SZ and RZ of the late 1980s and early 90s for example. Having those cars built rather than styled by Zagato was an interesting Alfa choice, but oh how we love those blocky lines now. The Junior won’t age like the SZ, but there are a few neat touches. Higher spec versions including the Veloce get a cut-out of the Alfa Romeo badge in the grille, while the stepped rear takes inspiration from the Giulia TZ. Veloce versions get those excellent, spindly looking 20in Venti alloy wheels too. Alfa really is good at wheels.

And then there’s the way it drives. I went on the UK launch and drove the slightly disappointing standard car on Lincolnshire roads. Then it was time to try the 276bhp Veloce version, but Alfa only had a couple of left-hand drive cars and they could only be driven on a rented go-kart track. Sensing a theme here? And yet, the difference between the standard car and the Veloce is remarkable. The hotter car doesn’t just get extra power, there’s also a wider track, a new rear torsion bar, proper Sabelt bucket seats, bigger front brakes, stiffer suspension and the Torsen limited-slip diff. A lot of work has gone into this.

It may be a small crossover, but the Veloce genuinely does feel like a proper front-driven hot hatch. There’s a bit of torque steer but it’ll turn into a corner remarkably well and in Dynamic mode (which slackens off the ESP) the rear will start to come round if you’re off the throttle. The diff means you’ll then be able to put the power back on way before you might expect. Whisper it, but there’s perhaps a little bit of a grown-up 147 GTA vibe. There is actually fake noise too, although of course it won’t hold a candle to a Busso V6.

And it needs to be a crossover, because that’s what sells. Back in the 1990s Alfa Romeo shifted a decent number of cars (frequently close to or above 200,000 per year). Recently, it’s got nowhere near those numbers, but hopefully building a small crossover on a shared Stellantis platform will see those sales creep up again. We all want the Alfa madness to survive, don’t we? And if it’s surviving while still making slightly bonkers versions of its standard cars then we’re all for that strategy.