Recently, according to overseas reports, Alfa Romeo Milano will be renamed Junior due to strong protests from Italian politicians. The car is named after the Italian brand’s hometown, but is built at Stellantis’ factory in Tychy, Poland.
“Poland cannot produce a car named Milano (Milan), which is prohibited by Italian law.” Italian Industry Minister Adolf Urso said.
When talking about why the name Junior was chosen as the brand’s first mass-produced electric car, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said it was closely related to the brand’s history, citing the best-selling 1966 model at the time. Take the GT 1300 Junior as an example.
Junior is the first pure electric model under the Alfa Romeo brand. It is positioned as a small SUV, lower than the Tonale. The new car will be produced on the e-CMP2 platform together with the Jeep Avenger. It will be the first to launch a pure electric version, and will later add a plug-in hybrid version. It is planned to be launched in the European market in September.
Looking back at the appearance of the new car, the front face adopts a new design style, but the grille still retains the family characteristics and embeds the brand LOGO into it. The shape of the headlights on both sides has changed even more. The flat light group and the lower trim strip form a boomerang shape, creating a sharper visual effect. The lower enclosure adopts a through-type design, which can help lower the visual center, and is equipped with vents on both sides to help the brake system dissipate heat.
From the side of the body, you can see that the new car adopts a fastback design. Although it is a pure electric model, it does not use hidden door handles. The 20-inch wheels are equipped with front four-piston calipers for outstanding performance. The taillight design of the vehicle echoes the headlights, and is decorated in black to create a duck tail shape. The D-pillar is also equipped with an embossed brand LOGO, which is full of details.
In terms of interior, the new car also adopts a new design style. Two 10.25-inch displays provide the proper sense of technology. The instrument panel has a very unique shape. At the same time, the air-conditioning outlet is also equipped with a light-up LOGO to enhance the sense of sophistication. In terms of configuration, the new car will be equipped with the latest infotainment system. The seats will be wrapped in leather and Alcantara splicing materials. It will also be equipped with front-row mobile phone wireless charging and L2 driver assistance functions.
In terms of power, the entry-level model is equipped with a 156-horsepower motor and a 54kWh battery. The WLTP operating range is 410km. The maximum power of the motor is increased to 240 horsepower. The car is also equipped with a sports suspension and the body height will be lowered by 25mm. The hybrid version is expected to be launched in 2025. It will use a combination of a 1.2L engine and a 48V motor. The engine has a maximum power of 136 horsepower. The transmission system is matched with a 6-speed dual-clutch, and front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models are available.
