Review: Alfa Romeo Junior

Although I appreciate the sporty and rather beautiful design of the Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida, there are several aspects of the vehicle that I dislike, which is surprising. I've always considered Alfas to be at the top of my desirability list.

My main complaints are the touchscreen and the uncommonly light steering.

The touchscreen is too low and not in the line of sight, making the graphics difficult to discern, especially in sunny conditions.

I fared better when I connected my phone to Apple CarPlay and routed the sat nav through the screen, which brightened things up considerably.

Just as well, there is no inbuilt navigation in the Junior, and I’d have got hopelessly lost after being abandoned in the middle of a sprawling city late at night with no clue how to get back on the motorway.

On the plus side, there are buttons for the climate control rather than having to go into the touchscreen menu, though they are not easy to locate at night.

The interior, overall, is really a bit miserable. There’s too much dark, hard plastic in the cabin - the only saving grace is the snazzy coloured lighting, which really lifts the mood.

The seats are very comfortable with plenty of headroom in the front for the driver and passenger. The rear is a bit cramped, though, and the high waistline makes for quite a claustrophobic experience, especially if your passengers are on the short side.

There is an all-electric version of the Junior, as well as this one, which has a 1.2 litre petrol engine aided by a mild hybrid system.

Apart from the light steering, which is only really a nuisance at low speeds, the drive is pleasant with smooth acceleration. It makes the 0-62mph dash in 9.9 seconds and has a top speed of 128mph.

The six-speed auto box is very efficient, with gear changes aided by the mild hybrid system, making for a smooth transition from one gear to another.

Open road driving is rewarding, and motorway cruising is effortless with comfortable suspension that soaks up bumps.

This entry-level version we tested comes with rear parking sensors, keyless start/stop, automatic climate control, 17-inch alloys, adaptive cruise control and drive mode selector (Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency).

The top spec Intensa trim adds bigger alloys and a few extra styling touches.

Our Abrida came with the Premium Pack to include heated seats and dual zone climate control, and the Technology Pack, which has a host of very useful stuff like wireless charging, front, rear and side parking sensors, reversing camera and keyless entry.

Together with a bespoke paint job on the roof, this came to an extra £5,400 on top of the initial £27,895 on-the-road price: a fair chunk of the final cost.

Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida

Price: £27,895 (as tested £33,295)

Engine: Three-cylinder 1.2 petrol

Power: 137bhp

Torque: 169.6lb/ft

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Top speed: 128mph

0-62mph: 8.9 seconds

Economy: 57.6mpg

CO2 emissions:110g/km