Alfa Romeo Junior 2026 News

Alfa Romeo says its quality and reliabilty on the Tonale small SUV is "far ahead" of its German rivals in BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Alfa Romeo has finally launched the entry-level Junior crossover SUV in Australia and it’s only being offered in a single mild-hybrid and electric trim at launch.

The tiny Alfa Romeo Junior arrived in Australia a few months ago but the company has confirmed it’s not going to give it a fire-breathing performance flagship for now.While there’s the hot-looking Elettrica Veloce trim available in other markets, the Italian carmaker said a Quadrifoglio (also referred to as QV) version has been considered for the Junior.However, speaking with Australian media, including CarsGuide, Alfa Romeo Head of Product Mario Lamagna said the QV badge will remain for the larger models, including the Giulia and Stelvio, for the time being.“QV is a really serious thing in Alfa,” said Lamagna.“We study… if an Alfa can be a QV. We take it very seriously.“There are many different… characteristics that an Alfa needs to respect to be called a QV.“We thought about that , but for the moment, with the technologies that we have, we didn’t believe there was a powertrain that was the right one to be called the Quadrifoglio for the Junior.“And also in this segment you have to be very careful with what you do, because, again, Quadrifoglio is very strong high-performance label.“The decision we took was to protect it and to keep it for… the higher segments.“I will never say no to QV in any model, but it is something that has to be studied because QV means serious stuff,” he said.The two current Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio models, the Giulia and Stelvio QV, are both powered by a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine with 375kW and 600Nm.All QV models have been powered by pure internal-combustion engines to date, but Lamagna explained as emission regulations crunch it’s getting harder to develop and launch these kinds of models.As a result, the company is open to exploring hybrid and electric QV models.“We of course love thermal engines and we are in love with our V6s,” said Lamagna.“So we are, for sure, looking always at thermal engines. But with the future technologies, you can do a lot of interesting stuff, also with electric powertrains.“The point is that it really depends on the actual performance of the car. If you are able to do something that drives well and kicks in, very nice. I am open to both .“It’s very hard then to what you can do at the end because thermal engines have a lot of concerns with CO2 emissions.“We have a lot of regulation in Europe and for also on your side.“So it’s not easy to develop and to launch high-performance engines in the second part of this decade,” he added.The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is the Italian carmaker’s first electric vehicle (EV). It’s currently priced from $57,900, before on-road costs, in Australia, which is $12,000 more than the Ibrida mild-hybrid version.As noted above, the hot-looking Junior Elettrica Veloce is available overseas. For now it’s unclear whether it will come to Australia.It’s technically the most powerful variant in the line-up, packing a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 207kW/345Nm.For context, the regular Junior Elettrica produces 115kW/260Nm and the Junior Ibrida delivers 100kW/230Nm.

Alfa Romeo is about to start deliveries of its first electric vehicle (EV) in Australia though it expects the hybrid version will outsell it.The Alfa Romeo Junior is the smallest car from the Italian carmaker since the tiny MiTo and Giulietta hatchbacks and locally it’s being offered with both mild-hybrid and all-electric powertrains.“We do foresee … the mild-hybrid is probably going to be the higher mix out of the two,” said Stellantis Australia Product Manager Bridget Thomson to CarsGuide.“ giving the options for people on both stages of their electrification journey. So probably more of the Ibrida (mild-hybrid), but definitely not discounting the Elettrica (electric).”Earlier this month Alfa Romeo confirmed the pricing and specifications for the local Junior line-up.While there are two powertrain options being offered, both are only available in a single, fully-loaded trim level.The Junior Ibrida (mild-hybrid) starts from $45,900 before on-roads costs, while the Junior Elettrica (electric) starts from $57,900 before on-road costs.In Ibrida form, the Junior is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine running the Miller cycle which is augmented by a 48V mild-hybrid system featuring a 21kW electric motor integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Total system outputs are 107kW of power and 230Nm of torque. Alfa Romeo claims it can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.9 seconds and the top speed is 206km/h.The Junior Elettrica, on the other hand, is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.Despite having more power and torque, it’s 0.1 seconds slower to 100km/h than the mild-hybrid version. It takes 9.0 seconds.The electric motor is fed by a 54kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which allows for a claimed 407km of range, according to WLTP testing.The battery pack can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 100kW, which allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.As noted above, the Junior Ibrida and Elettrica are both fully loaded and share the exact same standard specifications.The only differences with the former is it has visible dual exhaust tailpipes and paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. The latter also picks up a Mode 3 AC charging cable as standard.Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, the 'Leggenda Scudetto' front grille, LED tail lights, two-tone black roof, hands-free power tailgate, dual 10.25-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker sound system, wireless charger, black cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat.The only option beyond premium paint is a sunroof which costs an additional $1990.Alfa Romeo has been experiencing a sales slump in Australia so far in 2025. A total of 282 vehicles were sold in the first six months, down 24.0 per cent year-on-year.

Alfa Romeo has detailed the pricing and specifications of its new entry-level Junior small SUV ahead of deliveries commencing this month.The 2026 Alfa Romeo Junior will be offered locally with both mild-hybrid and electric powertrains in Australia. Both are launching in a single, fully-loaded trim level.The Junior Ibrida (hybrid) starts from $45,900 before on-road costs, while the Junior Elettrica (electric) starts from $57,900 before on-road costs. A full pricing table is at the bottom of this story.In Ibrida form, the Junior is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine running the Miller cycle that’s augmented by a 48V mild-hybrid system which features a 21kW electric motor that’s integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Total system outputs are 107kW of power and 230Nm of torque. Alfa Romeo claims it can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.9 seconds and the top speed is 206km/h.The Junior Elettrica, on the other hand, is powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.Despite having more power and torque, it’s 0.1 seconds slower to 100km/h than the mild-hybrid version. It takes 9.0 seconds. The electric motor is fed by a 54kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which allows for a claimed 407km of range, according to WLTP testing.The battery pack can be DC fast-charged at rates up to 100kW, which allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. As noted above, the Junior Ibrida and Elettrica share the exact same standard specifications.The only difference with the former is it has dual exhaust tailpipes and paddle shifters. The latter also picks up a Mode 3 charge cable as standard.Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, “Leggenda Scudetto” front grille, LED tail lights, two-tone black roof, hands-free power tailgate, dual 10.25-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker sound system, wireless charger, black cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat.A sunroof is available for an extra $1990. On the safety front there are six airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, reverse camera, as well as front, side and rear parking sensors.Six exterior colours are available – White Sempione, Black Tortona, Red Brera, Blue Navigli, Arese Steel and Galleria Light Grey. Premium paint costs an extra $1990.