On April 10, Alfa Romeo unveiled its new compact car worldwide, a model that should boost the sales of the legendary Italian firm. The name chosen for this SUV body car was Milano, a name that wanted to pay tribute to the city where the brand’s history began in 1910. However, the company has been forced to rename its vehicle – it is now called Junior. , after the Italian Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, said that a product that is manufactured in Poland cannot use this name. The politician used a 2003 law, whose original objective is to fight against products – especially from the food sector – that appear to be of Italian origin but are made outside the transalpine country.
To avoid controversy the company has chosen to change the name. “Although we know that we are not obliged to do so, we want to preserve the positive emotion that our products have always generated,” said Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO Alfa Romeo, who assures that “the choice of the name Junior is completely natural, since it is strongly linked to the history of the brand.” This was the name of a model from the firm from 1966. In addition, it was selected as one of the favorites from the public’s suggestions.
Despite the setback – and cost – that this decision has entailed, the Stellantis group, to which the brand belongs, thanks the Italian government for the publicity generated by this debate. The announcement was so quick that the company has not yet had time to even change the name of the model on its commercial website. This morning, on the Spanish online page, the name Milano still appeared.
With the Junior, which will arrive after the summer, the brand once again competes in the compact car segment. Specifically, it measures 417 centimeters in length, 178 cm in width and 154 cm in height. Its storage space is estimated at about 400 liters, which can be expanded if the backrest of the rear bench is folded down.
On a mechanical level, it will have hybrid and electric versions. The entry-level version of the range will be a 136 HP gasoline hybrid, which will later be available with Q4 all-wheel drive. The zero-emission variants will develop 156 and 240 hp, respectively. The less powerful electric alternative is equipped with a 54 kWh battery (50.8 kWh useful) that allows you to travel up to 410 km (WLTP) on a single charge. The other, which will be launched at the beginning of 2025, offers greater performance (0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 s) and has specifications that reinforce its more sporty character.
As for equipment, it will be equipped with a large dose of technology in terms of connectivity and infotainment, as well as will have abundant driving aids. We must not forget that, as of July 6, 2024, all new cars registered in Europe must have the ADAS that Brussels made mandatory for those newly homologated in 2022.
