Alfa Romeo Junior vs GWM Haval H6GT

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.

New-car buyers wanting a medium-size SUV under $65K are faced with a bewildering choice of makes and models but the H6GT PHEV Hi4 is worthy of consideration.

Its value-for-money drive-away pricing combines a spacious and classy cabin, sporty all-wheel drive persona and rare petrol bowser visits if overnight charging and daily EV-only driving are fully utilised.

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.

Although the premium GWM Haval H6GT PHEV range shares much of its underpinnings and cabin design with the regular H6 line-up, the GT has a unique and distinctly sporty persona with its coupe-style roofline and more engaging suspension tuning and steering feel.

The interior blends soft-touch surfaces, synthetic suede and exposed stitching with satin chrome and faux carbon fibre highlights resulting in a sumptuous cabin design with strong visual and tactile appeal.

In terms of wheelbase (2738mm) and overall length (4727mm) the H6GT is among the physically largest of competitors in the medium-size SUV segment, which contributes to the cabin’s roomy ambience that defies expectations that a coupe compromises interior comfort.

This effect is enhanced by the panoramic sunroof and column-mounted gear selector that frees up space on the centre console for additional storage and functionality.

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.

Our test vehicle’s 2045kg kerb weight and 2495kg GVM (how much weight it can legally carry) allows for up to 450kg which could easily be consumed by four large adults and some light luggage.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer which would be handy for those with recreational activities in mind like towing a light camper or bike trailer, but GWM does not publish how much weight our test vehicle can legally carry and tow at the same time.

It also offers up to 3.3kW of V2L (vehicle to load) capability using a charging port adapter to provide electricity for numerous domestic appliances, from laptops and power tools to camping equipment.

There’s ample space for the driver and front passenger along with storage including a bottle holder and bin in each door, a single glovebox and an overhead glasses holder. There’s also a two-tiered centre console with the top level providing open storage, wireless phone charging, two cupholders and a lidded box while the floor level adds more open storage plus a 12V socket and USB port.

Rear seat passengers also enjoy generous space, including tall people given I’m 186cm and when sitting behind the driver’s seat set in my position I still have 80mm of knee clearance and 80mm of head clearance. It’s a similar story in the centre seat, enhanced by a virtually flat floor with no transmission hump to straddle.

There’s also a storage bin in each rear door plus pockets on both front seat backrests. The centre seat backrest folds forward to serve as an armrest for two complete with cupholders, while the rear of the centre console provides adjustable air vents and two USB ports.

The rear luggage area offers side bins, another 12V socket and up to 392 litres of load volume with the 60:40-split rear seat backrests upright, which is ample for a weekly grocery shop. This increases to 1390 litres (almost 1.4 cubic metres) with the seats folded flat to create an extended load area.

Our test vehicle is available in one hybrid drivetrain specification comprising a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, four-speed DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission), two electric motors and a plug-in propulsion battery for $54,990 driveaway.

This pricing looks enticing compared to the list prices (before on-road costs) of plug-in rivals like the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV Premium AWD ($52,990) or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Exceed Tourer AWD ($58,740). Our example is finished in Atlantis Blue which is one of several premium metallic paint options that adds $495 to the price.

The H6GT PHEV Hi4 comes standard with generous luxury features including:

• 19-inch black alloy wheels with Michelin 235/55R19 tyres and a repair/inflator kit (no spare)
• full LED lighting including daytime running lights (DRLs)
• electric tailgate with integrated spoiler/sunshade and hands-free opening
• roof rails
• panoramic sunroof
• cosmetic dual exhaust outlets
• contrasting red brake calipers

Inside the keyless-entry cabin is:

• push-button start
• heated/ventilated front seats with synthetic suede-accented trim and 8-way power adjustment for the driver (4-way for the passenger)
• dual-zone climate control
• rear privacy glass
• heated door mirrors
• heated multi-function steering wheel with synthetic leather trim
• head-up display
• surround-view camera
• wireless phone charging
• two 12V sockets
• four USB ports

The driver is also treated to a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster which shares dash space with a large 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen. The latter serves as central command for the GT’s nine-speaker premium audio system featuring GWM’s latest Coffee OS software with ‘Hello GWM’ voice command, DAB digital radio and smartphone connectivity for Apple and Android devices.

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.

The plug-in hybrid drivetrain in the H6GT comprises a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 110kW of power between 5500-6000rpm and 240Nm of torque across a broad rev band from 1800-4000rpm. It drives the front wheels and serves as a generator as required to maintain battery charge.

This is paired with individual electric motors on the front and rear axles, with the front motor producing 80kW and driving the front wheels while the rear motor produces 135kW and drives the rear wheels, resulting in all-wheel drive on demand. 

The combined output is rated at 321kW and 642Nm.

The automatic four-speed DHT (dedicated hybrid transmission) intelligently combines outputs from the petrol engine and electric motors to continuously optimise efficiency and performance between them, in any of the three driver-selectable power mode settings comprising EV (battery only), EV Priority (minimal engine input) and HEV (full hybrid).

The DHT also offers a selection of drive modes including ‘Normal’, ‘Sport' and ‘Eco’ plus numerous 4WD settings tailored to enhance performance on snow, sand, mud and when towing.

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.

The H6GT PHEV offers a comfortable and spacious position thanks to its combination of a flat-bottom steering wheel providing easy access and plenty of torso room, along with powered seat adjustment and a big left footrest. However, some rake adjustment in the base cushion would be welcome for better thigh support on longer drives.

Ride and handling benefit from GWM’s local chassis tuning input. The steering is nicely weighted and responsive, albeit best appreciated with the active lane-keeping function switched off given its tendency to harshly tug the wheel when making its steering corrections.

The hybrid drivetrain has vigorous response thanks to more than 600Nm of near-instant torque providing enough shove to accelerate rapidly from a standing start to triple-digit speeds in less than five seconds. We found the ‘Sport’ drive mode the most engaging and enjoyable but the ‘Normal’ and ‘Eco’ modes are fine for daily commuting.

Our other gripes from a driver’s point of view are that the base of the rear window is positioned quite high in the tailgate, resulting in the solid tailgate area below it restricting vision of vehicles travelling close behind when viewed through the central mirror.

We also found that the pedestrian warning sound, which automatically starts at speeds under 30km/h, is too loud inside the car and becomes annoying when crawling along in heavy traffic, negotiating tight inner-city streets or parking.

The Alfa Romeo Junior hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP just yet.

Standard safety kit includes six airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front, side and rear parking sensors, as well as a reversing camera.

Some features missing from the line-up include rear cross-traffic alert, plus a proper surround-view camera. With the latter, however, the reversing camera stitches together when reversing to create a surround-view image, much like Peugeots.

Junior owners get 12 months of complimentary access to connected services which allows for things like SOS emergency calling and live traffic satellite navigation, plus a range of remote functionality through a companion smartphone app.

The GWM Haval H6GT PHEV was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating under 2022 protocols, and has seven airbags for protection in case of a collision.

It also comes standard with:

• autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and crossroads detection
• lane-keeping
• rear cross-traffic alert with autonomous braking
• front/rear parking sensors
• Surround-view parking cameras
• tyre pressure monitoring
• traffic sign recognition
• adaptive cruise control

On top of these features, the rear seat has two ISOFIX child seat anchorages and three top-tethers.

The H6GT PHEV comes standard with GWM’s seven year/unlimited km warranty plus a separate eight year/unlimited km propulsion battery warranty and five years of roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped pricing applies to the first five scheduled services up to five years/70,000km totalling $2030 or an average of $406 per service. 

This warranty/service package is among the strongest available in its vehicle segment.