Alfa Romeo launched a brave and important new car for the brand on Wednesday. The all-new Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is now available in South Africa and, while it isn’t perfect, it unquestionably retains the Alfa DNA that Alfisti demand.

It’s with a little trepidation that one attends Alfa launches because … well … it’s an Alfa, after all. There are expectations. And of course, there are needs.

Alfas are special. They’re unique, and they should have that Alfa DNA that centres on what now seems like the quaint absurdity of focusing on the driver and connecting the driver to the driving experience. Over 115 years, Alfa has built a reputation for doing exactly that (albeit with varying degrees of frustration for their owners).

But they do it so well that the tribe of Alfisti remains strong and respected, with Alfa enjoying a relationship with its customers that most brands can only marvel at. Despite numerous missteps over the years, Alfa is still here – and still producing timeless legends that far outshine the “less than commercially successful” projects it’s unleashed.

Under the ownership of Stellantis, the unspoken fear has been that Alfa might lose some of its identity and Italian flair – that slightly bonkers Alfa way of doing things. But the company delivered the Giulia and the Stelvio. If you’ve driven either, even now that they’re approaching a decade old, you’ll know they are sublime driving machines.

I’ll skip over the Tonale (which I quite liked) and get straight to the Junior Elettrica – a B-segment hatch with crossover styling that’s best described as “uniquely Alfa”, occupying a category of its own.

High expectations

We have the full battery-electric derivative in South Africa – hence my nervousness. It has to drive well; it has to feel Alfa.

And it has no magnificent Alfa-tuned V6 howl to rely on. It’s also front-wheel drive, and even with a clever limited-slip differential (LSD), I can already hear the protests of lanterns banging against pitchforks in the dead of night. But it’s an “aha” moment. Maybe hold your fire, Annie Oakley.

An LSD that’s mechanical, not electronic. That’s an important clue.

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Stats? There are two versions: the Elettrica and the Elettrica Veloce. The first costs R799 000, with 115kW and 260Nm, offering a WLTP range of 410km from a 54kWh battery. The Veloce is R999 000, with 207kW and 345Nm, and the same 410km range from the same battery.

There’s no vehicle-to-load, but max DC charging is a healthy 100kW.

A 54kWh battery and 410 km range imply notable efficiency. Most EVs average around 20kWh/100km, but the Junior appears closer to 12kWh/100 km – impressive.

More clues: the Junior is light – 1 590kg, which is slim for a full BEV. Power-to-weight ratios are class-leading, weight distribution is nearly 50/50 and the suspension is all Alfa – stiffened and built for response. Add the mechanical LSD and, in the Veloce, sports seats (an extra R55 000 – just pay it), and the clues keep stacking up.

Twenty-inch alloys with big red calipers (Alfa admits they fitted the largest they could find, which I love), the stance and the low ride height – it’s all very “Alfa, baby”.

Inside the Veloce – our test car – it’s all about the driver. Screens aimed at the driver, physical knobs for the aircon, steering-wheel controls and some familiar Stellantis switchgear (Mokka drivers will recognise it). It’s functional, focused and fades into irrelevance once you start driving – exactly as it should.

Alfas are for drivers, remember?

I’ll play with the tech later when I get a review unit. Today was about how it drives.

Underway, 207kW isn’t earth-shattering by modern EV standards – the Volvo EX30 has over 300kW – but the Junior jumps off the line like a scalded cat. And where the Volvo starts to fade past 100km/h, the Junior feels like it’s just getting into stride. Overtaking from 120km/h is instant – and shocking, in the best way – since most EVs taper off at highway speeds to save battery. The Junior? None of that. It wants to go now.

“Flatten me” seems to be its philosophy, and it’s absolutely right. Throttle response is sharp, the acceleration eager and it gives you everything, all the time. Choose wisely – or be ready to pay your speeding fines. The Veloce is deceptively quick.

Feels alive

More importantly, the Junior delivers what matters most: engagement. It feels alive – connected to you and the road. It’s been a while since I wore a car, but the Junior fits like that. Instinctive. Thread-the-needle accurate. Special. Rare.

Within minutes I was darting around slower traffic without breaking focus. Every corner, every line – perfectly communicative. It becomes part of you, like the back of your hand.

And here’s the twist you might not like: I doubt the ICE version would be anywhere nearly as good. The Junior isn’t an ICE car converted to EV – it’s an EV designed to be a driver’s car.

The Elettrica is a driver’s EV – and it puts Alfa squarely back at the top of the game.

Without question, this is an Alfa. More importantly, it’s a worthy Alfa.