The Alfa Romeo Junior 280 Veloce is available... and who cares?

Now available in France starting at €46,900 to benefit from the ecological bonus, does the Alfa Romeo Junior 280 Veloce make sense?

We still do not have an answer to our question: who exactly is the Alfa Romeo Junior 280 Veloce aimed at? Certainly, its tuning-like appearance might catch attention on the street, but what then? Let’s take things in order…

The Alfa Romeo Junior 280 Veloce is built on the same platform as its cousins (sometimes already a bit dated) Peugeot 2008, Opel Moka, Fiat 600, etc. It is a somewhat hybrid chassis not exclusively designed to be electric. It can be thermal, micro-hybrid, or electric. However, by trying to please everyone, there is a significant risk of pleasing no one. Compromises often imply many concessions, and none of these mentioned cars excel in their domain. Additionally, their industrial transformation is heavy and costly.

The transition is evident in terms of pricing: the Stellantis group is still today unable to offer reliable and affordable electric vehicles. The case of this Alfa Romeo Junior 280 Veloce is striking: starting at €46,900, does it disregard the world it lives in? Does it think that the customer won’t conduct market research before making a decision? Will the buyer of an Alfa Romeo, already nostalgic for the 6-cylinder petrol engine, be tempted by an electric crossover priced at €42,900 after the penalties are deducted when a Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD offers twice the range (600 vs. 315 for the Italian)?

Better than a Tesla Model Y?

And we haven’t even discussed performance yet, as the assessment is even less favorable. The interior space, the power (280 horsepower on the front wheels for the Alfa Romeo, 330 horsepower at the rear for the Tesla), the XXL trunk, true seating for 5, and a plethora of features.

Because beyond the list price, it is the length of the options catalog that stands out in the Junior 280 Veloce. One could think that at this price, popular features like the Techno pack priced at €2,600, which includes a rearview camera, an electrochromatic interior mirror, sign recognition, electrically foldable exterior mirrors, a 6-speaker audio system, a wireless phone charger, and even front and rear parking sensors should be standard. We are not far from stinginess in terms of equipment.

The sunroof is priced at €1,400, the metallic Brera red shade at €1,200, so that a nice configuration exceeds €46,500. Alfa Romeo must have conducted market research and estimated, backed by figures, that there is demand. We will evaluate in a few months.

And you, does this Alfa Romeo Junior 280 Veloce appeal to you?