For Alfa, it’s a fresh start inside too, although that’s not a universally positive thing, because a lot of the components and all the switchgear is standard-issue Stellantis stuff that doesn’t feel especially upmarket.
There’s a nod to Alfa’s heritage with a double cowl over the instrument cluster, but it just covers a rectangular screen. The door cards are exactly the same as in the Avenger and feel just as cheap, as does the dashboard.
The 10.25in touchscreen is neatly integrated into the dashboard rather than just sitting on top, but the software is the same as in other Stellantis cars, and it’s starting to lag behind rivals’ for responsiveness and ease of use. While the scope of configurability is a boon, the response times, graphics and menu structures aren’t as slick as the best in the class.
As you’d expect, Alfa is trying to position the Junior as a premium product, but the shared components mean it’s not on the same level as the Mini Cooper or Lexus LBX for interior finish. The dashboard and door cards are all made from lower-grade plastics with a hard and aggressively textured finish. There are still some neat touches, though, chief of which is the ambient lighting package that runs to colour changing (white when in Natural driving mode and red when in Dynamic) and serpent logos for the centres of the eyeball air vents.
Elsewhere, the low seating position, driver-facing dashboard and high centre console all help to create a cosy, cocooning ambience that helps to psychologically shrink the Junior. However, it has the same long-arm, short-leg driving position as its CMP-based relatives, which makes it rather uncomfortable for taller drivers. The Sabelt bucket seats in the Veloce manage to inject some raciness in the otherwise plain cabin, although some testers found them a bit too narrow.
Otherwise, for outright space and utility, it’s on a par with its platform-mates, which means that rear leg room is limited, and at 415 litres (400 litres for the EVs), its boot space is smaller than the Ford Puma’s or Skoda Kamiq’s.
There are enough cubbies and boxes for all your chewing gum wrappers and even a few neat tricks to boost usability. The mock engine cover in the EVs hides a dedicated charge cable storage bay, for example, and the boot floor can be adjusted through three levels for ease of loading.
