Alfa Romeo Junior vs Audi Q5

What's the difference?

The Alfa Romeo Junior is a cute car that’s charming and smile-inducing. It deserves to sell well but ultimately this will come down to whether the Australian public is receptive.

There is plenty of competition out there and if you're wanting something design-led, it's hard to look past this without spending much more money.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The new Q5 does a lot right even if it doesn’t feel as resolved from behind the wheel as I had expected.

It catapults one of the oldest premium SUV nameplates into this decade, and all three of its launch powertrain options are great, so you can’t really go wrong.

Each features the smoothness and efficiency of genuine hybrids backed by punchy turbo combustion thrills, while the increase in standard kit across the entire range is notable at a very reasonable price increase.

This is such a cute and tiny car with Alfa Romeo trying its hardest to sandwich all of its hallmark design traits in. It’s certainly a busy design on the outside which I don’t love right now, but I imagine I’ll grow to like it with time.

At the front there’s a special grille as standard that features Alfa Romeo script, plus an offset license plate and cool matrix LED headlights with the company’s ‘3+3’ lighting signature.

Around the side the 18-inch alloy wheels have a flower petal-like design, hidden second-row door handles, as well as a hidden serpent (Biscione) easter egg that’s laser etched into the C-pillar.

The rear of the Junior is my least favourite angle. It tries too hard to look more like a hatchback than a crossover SUV with the slanted rear window and the big black slab where the tail-lights are.

The twin exhaust pipes are a cute look, however, especially given the engine doesn’t scream performance credentials on paper.

Inside there’s an obvious attempt at making the cabin look and feel driver-oriented and sporty.

I like the seats which have a red section that runs down the backrest and onto the seat base. It helps break up the black finishes nicely.

Speaking of, however, there's a sea of black finishes throughout the rest of the cabin. I’d like to see some more silver or chrome accents as the glossy piano black may not age well.

There is interior ambient lighting around the cabin with a customisable colour, which looks great in low-light situations. It particularly pops in the large circular air vents which flank the dashboard and are shaped like cloverleaves.

If you look closely you may notice the Junior shares a lot of its physical switchgear with the related Jeep Avenger. Examples include the steering wheel buttons, gear selector, starter button and the physical climate control switches.

While there’s an argument to say that this cheapens the feel of the Junior, I’m thankful there is physical switchgear in this car to begin with. Plus, the Junior does look different enough as it is.

Proportionally, the new Q5 is quite a departure from its curvaceous predecessors, thanks to a more chiseled bodyline and stronger flares over its wheelarches. While this makes it the biggest stylistic departure for the Q5 ever, embracing its all-new PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) underpinnings, its stylistic motifs are still somehow very familiar.

The traditional Audi grille is maintained, although has been modernised with a geometric pattern and integrated highlight pieces depending on styling package, and even the light profiles manage to be somewhat familiar despite their twinkly new customisable LED elements and contemporary slimline appearance.

A closer look only makes the car feel more contemporary, with strong contours around its face and bumpers, which were absent from its more plain-looking predecessors.

In addition, the brand tells us the Australian market in particular has one of the highest levels of uptake of large wheels, so it offers a range of designs to choose from on the options list, many of which are on the larger side, despite the standard wheel being 19 inches.

The interior is where the biggest changes are. While Audi interiors have been familiar for the longest time, the new Q5’s interior appointments feel dropped directly out of its Q6 e-tron electric alternative.

The result is a completely re-thought approach to the interior design, which is now dominated by huge touchscreens as well as a collection of contemporary shapes and mouldings that transport the Q5 into the current decade.

Still, elements of familiarity are present. The seats feel like Audi seats, the materials are as you’d expect for the brand and the wheel is backed by familiar switchgear.

The front seats in the Junior are very comfortable for longer drives. The driver’s seat in particular offers six ways of electric adjustability and a massage function. You don’t see features like that very often on a tiny SUV.

Ahead of the driver there’s a leather-wrapped steering wheel. It’s surprisingly slim which makes it nice to hold. There are also paddle shifters on the back which could be more pronounced.

As standard there’s a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster which emulates analogue dials for the tachometer and speedometer. While the screen is high-res and clear, it’s interesting that Alfa Romeo chose to emulate dials in a digital way rather than just have physical ones, especially because you can’t change their appearance.

There’s a section in the middle that has a few different informative pages you can cycle through. I’d love to see more configurability given there’s limitless possibilities with a screen.

Moving across there’s another 10.25-inch screen for the central multimedia system. It certainly makes up for the lack of configurability in the digital instrument cluster and you can create and customise five different home page screens with a vast array of widgets. It’s fairly clever though at some point it feels like overkill.

There aren’t many menus or sub-menus to get lost in, however, the home button took me a while to locate. It’s above the touchscreen in a small pod of physical buttons alongside the hazard lights and door lock switch.

Underneath the touchscreen there’s a wireless phone charger, plus USB-C and USB-A charger ports.

The engine start button is mounted prominently on the centre tunnel with the lightswitch-like gear selector directly behind it. It’s mounted a little too close to the centre armrest which means craning my arm like a T-Rex to use it.

Other amenities up front include a deep console area with configurable cupholders, a sliding centre armrest with a cubby, as well as a tiny glovebox.

It’s very clear the second row of the Junior isn’t the focus. At 182cm tall I need to splay my legs on either side of the driver’s seat in my desired driving position. Despite this, toe room and headroom is adequate, even with the optional sunroof.

The second row isn’t a place anyone would want to spend too long in. Kids would likely suit better, plus there are top-tether points on all three rear seats and ISOFIX mounting points on the outboard rear seats.

Amenities are limited to a single USB-C port in the second row. There are no air vents or centre armrest. You need to make your own entertainment.

At the back there’s a hands-free power tailgate, which is rare for a vehicle of this size. Once it’s open, the available boot space is decent, especially for such a small car. There’s 415L of boot space with the rear seats upright.

The area itself is fine. There’s no load lip which allows you to get things in and out with ease, plus there’s a two-tier boot floor, allowing you to stow items under the floor away for prying eyes.

In terms of boot-related amenities there’s a 12V socket, a light and some hooks. It’s fairly standard back there.

Unfortunately there’s no spare wheel as standard in the Junior line-up. Instead there’s a tyre repair kit which is not super handy if you have a tyre blow out.

Thankfully you can purchase a space-saver spare wheel for the Junior Ibrida for $314 as a genuine accessory. It would be better if this came as standard given there’s the space for it.

While the interior might feel as modern as they come, it also brings with it some of the pitfalls of contemporary design themes.

The most obvious is the over-reliance on touch panels for controls. The most egregious example is the lack of physical buttons for the climate control, which is interacted with via a permanent part of the touchscreen, but it doesn’t end there.

On top of this, there are capacitive gloss finish panels for the steering wheel controls, and even a capacitive panel in the door to control the mirrors and lights. It all looks swish, but isn’t the best to use compared to just… buttons.

Apple CarPlay worked flawlessly in my time with various versions of the car, and the stock software is fast and crisp. Interestingly the digital instrument cluster is the most plain version of Audi’s usually stellar virtual instruments yet. Without the big animated cluster dials it used to have it feels a bit less fun to look at.

Adjustability and space is great for front passengers, as is the amount of visibility on offer, plus the seats are as comfortable as ever in all grades.

Storage is ample in the cabin, with big bottle holders in the centre console, large pockets in each door, and a halfway decent centre console. The phone charger sits tucked away at the front with the USB-C outlets and a volume dial.

The back seat is less impressive. The Q5 never had the most spacious second row in this mid-sized segment, but it’s disappointing to see this new-generation car hardly improves on the formula. It’s spacious enough for me at 182cm tall behind my own driving position, with enough room for my knees and airspace for my head, but it’s certainly not as spacious as many rivals. In addition, the centre position is compromised by a huge rise in the floor, making it a hard pitch for an adult to sit there.

On the plus side, there’s plenty of amenities with bottle holders in each door, a further two in the drop-down armrest, netted pockets on the backs of the front seats, and an entire third rear climate zone with touch panel temperature control and physical air vents. There’s also two USB-C outlets.

One trade-off for the small second row is a large boot. It measures 520 litres with five seats up, or 1473L with the second row down. It also comes with a few neat things like a net and sliding cover.

Unfortunately, while there’s a small amount of underfloor storage, there’s no spare wheel, with Audi only offering a tyre repair kit.

The new Q5 arrives in five variants spread across three powertrain options, and the starting price has copped quite a hike. Audi says that's to account for a steep increase in standard equipment, the inclusion of new hybrid tech and the S-Line styling package across the range.

The new entry-level Q5 is the base front-wheel drive TFSI petrol, which wears a price of $81,000 before on-roads, replacing the previous entry-level Q5 35TDI that started at $73,400.

Included is 19-inch alloys, Matrix LED headlights, LED tail-lights with projection light, an 11.9-inch digital dash and 14.5-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, online connectivity with built-in navigation, eight-speaker, 18-watt sound system, multicolour ambient lighting, leather interior trim with brushed aluminium inlays, wireless phone charging, a 360-degree parking camera, a power adjust driver’s seat with heated front seats, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry and push-start ignition.

This trim level is also available as a TDI quattro with diesel and all-wheel drive at $87,600. Next up is the TDI quattro Sport from $94,100 which adds 20-inch two-tone alloys, a panoramic opening sunroof with shade, S-line front seats, with the S-Line interior package that also features a three-spoke alternate steering wheel design, steel sports pedals and black headlining.

Next is the SQ5 Edition One. The most prominent upgrade for this grade is the return of the 3.0-litre turbo-petrol six-cylinder engine, although this grade also gets its own trim level including 20-inch black metallic alloys, to go with a black pack exterior, red brake callipers, S Sport suspension and privacy glass.

Finally the top-spec SQ5 scores 21-inch alloys, aluminium exterior highlights, acoustic glass, premium leather interior trim, front seat ventilation and message functions, a head-up display, 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio and improved outputs for the USB-C connectors. Premium paint options are free (aside from Gold) on the SQ5.

Other option packs include the Premium Package ($5400) which adds the head-up display, Bang & Olufsen sound, improved USB outputs and acoustic glazing, the Tech Pro Package ($5700) which is only available on the TDI quattro Sport and SQ5 adding heated steering, a front passenger display, electrical adjust for the steering column, heated rear outer seats and digital OLED tail-lights.

Finally two Style Packs exist, adding 20-inch wheels, a black pack, and privacy glass to lower grades ($4900 for the TFSI and TDI, $3400 on the TDI Sport) with the Carbon Style Package only available on the Edition One and SQ5 for $9200, adding carbon mirror claddings, inlays and a roof spoiler.

On the value front the Q5 is more affordable than an entry-level BMW X3 (20 xDrive - $86,800) and Mercedes-Benz GLC (200 4MATIC - $89,000) although both rivals offer all-wheel drive as standard, rather than the front-wheel drive Q5. Outside of the Germans, the Lexus NX (250 FWD) starts at $63,400, while the Genesis GV70 (2.5T Advanced AWD) starts at $78,700.

With that price tag, I’d say the Q5 is priced just-right compared to its rivals.

The Junior Ibrida is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with 48V mild-hybrid assistance.

In the six-speed dual-clutch transmission is a 21kW electric motor that’s fed by a 0.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

It’s worth noting that this is the exact same engine set-up that features in a growing number of Peugeot models locally, including hybrid versions of the 2008, 3008, 5008, 308 and 408.

Total system outputs are 107kW and 230Nm which is far from class-leading. Alfa Romeo claims the 0-100km/h sprint takes 8.9 seconds.

Here’s where things get interesting. Despite featuring three carryover engine options, the Q5’s big upgrade is the introduction of a hybrid system.

The brand calls this technology MHEV+, which I think is underselling what the system can actually do. Normally a mild hybrid (MHEV) system consists of higher-voltage electrics to assist auxiliary systems and take a small amount of load off the engine, or provide a more robust stop/start system, but this new Audi tech consists of an 18kW/230Nm electric motor placed after the seven-speed transmission that can motivate the entire vehicle under electric power for small periods. It can recapture up to 25kW of energy and is supported by a 1.7kWh battery pack.

The three engine options supported by this include the base TFSI 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo front-wheel drive (150kW/340Nm), the mid-spec TDI 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel (150kW/400Nm) exclusively in all-wheel drive, or the SQ5’s 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 (270kW/550Nm).

There’s no disappointments here. All powertrains feel up to the task, and for those of you waiting for an all-wheel drive base petrol or a plug-in hybrid, the brand assures us both are on the way soon.

The Junior Ibrida has a claimed fuel consumption of just 4.1L/100km, which is solid for a mild-hybrid vehicle.

There’s a 44L fuel tank which requires a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

During our 200km drive loop on the launch which consisted of mixed and spirited drive, we returned an average of 5.4L/100km. However, during one section with fewer twists and turns we saw an average of 4.0L/100km, which is incredible.

Using our as-tested fuel consumption there’s a theoretical range of 815km.

All engine options are also relatively efficient, although the total fuel reduction from the introduction of this new MHEV+ hybrid technology is surprisingly small. Audi says it saves up to 0.74L/100km and 17g/100km of C02, which doesn’t sound like a lot for a system that can pull the whole car.

Regardless, fuel consumption is 5.7L/100km for the TFSI 2.0L FWD petrol, 5.4L/100km for the TDI 2.0L AWD diesel, or 7.6L/100km for the 3.0-litre petrol V6 SQ5. The emissions are also relatively low for a premium SUV.

Starting up the Junior Ibrida, the turbo three-cylinder engine roars to life with an off-beat, thrum-y sound.

If the engine is bone cold, it’ll stay on to get the fluids up to operating temperature. Once this happens it will happily switch off.

Initial acceleration is typically done on electric power alone and if you don’t press the accelerator too hard it’ll stay in EV mode at city speeds. It’s very electric-heavy for a car that’s technically only a 48V mild-hybrid.

At many points the engine switches off at speeds up to 80km/h, especially if you’re travelling on flat ground. Even at 100-110km/h, it’ll switch off if coasting.

Something to note is the electric motor is part of the six-speed dual-clutch transmission which means you can sometimes feel gear changes even when driving in EV mode. You do get used to this.

A positive of the electric motor being in the dual-clutch is it helps iron out awkward pauses and jerks that this type of transmission typically presents. It’s still not perfect though.

If you press the accelerator harder or the battery charge gets lower, it’ll inevitably fire up the three-cylinder engine. It makes a rorty note during acceleration which is fun to listen to.

The transition from electric to petrol is generally seamless. There can be a slight shudder when the three-cylinder first fires up at low revs, but I’ve experienced much worse in other cars.

There’s only one setting for regenerative braking, which is fairly strong and almost one-pedal-driving like. It takes a bit to get used to the feeling. You do still need to put your foot on the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

With the combination of the petrol engine and electric motor, acceleration is far from break-neck but it’s far from slow. The fact it doesn’t have much power actually makes this car more endearing, especially because it’s rewarding to drive.

The steering in the Junior is communicative and direct. It's a joy to take corners in as the feel errs more on the lighter side. It almost has a Mini-like go-kart feel as the car feels so nimble.

Additionally, the ride is composed and settled, even at higher speeds on rough roads, which is rare for small vehicles. This is likely because the Junior only has 18-inch alloy wheels with a decent amount of tyre sidewall, rather than the low-profile 20-inch units that are offered in the Veloce Elettrica overseas.

On the highway the Junior’s cabin is surprisingly quiet. You can’t hear the three-cylinder once you’ve reached your set speed and there’s also minimal wind/tyre noise.

Lastly, the safety systems do a good job at working but not being annoying. The worst culprit is the intelligent speed limit assist which chimes when you go over the signposted speed limit.

If it does grate you too much, you can easily switch it off in a dedicated advanced driver assist system (ADAS) menu that can be reached via a shortcut button near the hazard lights. It’s as easy as that.

To drive the Q5 is familiar in some ways and less familiar in others. The initial impression is good, with each variant being relatively quiet on the road, offering a nice adjustability and driving position, with great visibility around the car.

The new powertrain options are all a joy to pilot, with all feeling punchy and smooth-shifting through the seven-speed auto. This smoothness is helped along by the introduction of the new MHEV+ tech, which can push the car along at reasonable speeds without needing the engine to assist.

It might not be quite as punchy as some other hybrid systems in terms of overall assist, but it’s certainly better than other systems we’ve seen on the market that barely help with driving or smoothness, and end up being a cynical emissions-saving device. It’s nice to see this tech is a step forward for the brand.

The familiar Q5 driving points are mostly intact, too, with the most notable upgrade being the ride comfort. This car is much more adept at dealing with road imperfections than its predecessor, with a softer suspension response.

This having been said, I expected more from this ground-up new platform. Each version of this Q5 I sampled felt less dynamically engaging than its predecessor. The usually sharp Audi steering tune feels a bit disconnected in this new car, with a little bit too much electrical and software assist, and the suspension, while more comfortable, isn’t as engaging in the corners.

It, too, lends the car a disconnected feeling over undulations and corrugations, giving the new Q5 an overall less resolved feeling from behind the wheel than I would have liked. The previous car was a bit sharp, but at least it was consistent in the way it responded to the road.

The previous car started to feel old towards the end of its run. Previous Audi owners will enjoy how this new car catapults the nameplate into this decade in terms of its cabin ambiance and general demeanour, it would have just been nice to see the consistency return, too.

A massive list of active safety kit is present in the new Q5, from autobahn-speed auto emergency braking (AEB) to lane departure control as well as the expected blind spot and cross traffic alert features (front and rear).

It also features the newer features, like traffic sign recognition and 360-degree cameras, while the brand’s signature high-end adaptive Matrix headlights are standard across the range.

The systems are well calibrated judging by our brief drive, with only the occasional tug of lane keep assist present. In addition, the adaptive cruise is well behaved.

The Q5 is yet to secure an ANCAP score at the time of writing, but it already has a maximum five stars from Euro NCAP in its home market, which I’m sure the brand is hoping will carry across.

Like other Alfa Romeos, the Junior is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

There’s also five years of roadside assistance as standard. An additional 12 months of coverage can be added for the lifetime of the vehicle every time you service at an authorised Alfa Romeo dealer.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first five services are capped and total $3105.84, which averages out to around $620 each.

This seems pretty expensive for such a small car, but it's only a touch pricier than the Lexus LBX.

It’s clear maintaining this vehicle with its dual-clutch automatic transmission and mild-hybrid components is costly in the long run.

Audi continues to offer its fairly standard five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assist and this is paired with the option of a five-year service plan.

This costs an additional $3520 ($704 per year) for the 2.0-litre variants, or $3560 ($712 per year) for the 3.0-litre V6-powered SQ5. Servicing is required every 1500km or 12 months.