Alfa Romeo Junior vs BYD Atto 3

What's the difference?

Our day with the Junior Ibrida MH left us wanting more.

Striking design, an inviting cabin, rorty performance and immersive dynamics are what people want and expect from an Alfa Romeo, and its smallest SUV does not let the side down.

That the mild hybrid also delivers (on paper at least) noteworthy economy, in a well-made, generously equipped and (anticipated) keenly-priced package is nothing short of a blinder.

The Junior Ibrida MH might be the most competitive and compelling Alfa Romeo for mainstream Australia… ever!

We cannot wait to confirm this on local roads. Roll on September.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

BYD hasn’t made dramatic changes to the Atto 3 for 2024, but has it done enough to lure in more buyers? 

The additional equipment, namely the larger infotainment screen and new tyres, will certainly help make the Atto 3 more appealing. And the technology behind EVs is more understood by the average motorists, so the barriers to making the switch to electrification are dropping.

But the single biggest factor is likely to be the price. At a time when inflation (and other reasons) is driving the cost of new vehicles up, having your updated model go in the wrong direction will only help make potential buyers take notice.

Especially when you consider Toyota’s closest rival to the Atto 3, the bZ4X, starts at $66,000, while the Tesla Model Y is priced from $55,900, making both significantly more expensive propositions. Heck, the cheapest Toyota RAV4 hybrid model starts at $42,260, only marginally cheaper than the Atto 3 Standard Range.

So, if BYD can make its value argument strongly it will help lure more new buyers to take the plunge into the world of EVs.

Sharing much with other small crossovers in the Stellantis fold, including the second-generation Peugeot 2008 and Opel/Vauxhall Mokka, as well as the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600 (that share the same production line in Poland), the Junior sits on the lightweight 'STLA Small' platform.

Checking in at 4.17 metres long, 1.78m wide and 1.5m high, the Junior (though only after a post-unveiling name change from Milano due to that illegally inferring it is built in Italy) was engineered by the same team behind the transcendental Giulia QV, which is a BMW M3 for the heart and soul.

Dimensionally, the Junior lives up to its badge, and is really replacing two Alfas – the Toyota Corolla-sized Giulietta (from 2010) and more-belatedly the Mini Cooper-chasing Mito supermini. As both competed in rapidly contracting classes, going a light SUV instead seems sensible.

And you know what? This looks and feels correct for the brand.

Alfa’s nose treatments have long been provocative and so is the Junior’s. Two interpretations of classic grille themes are available – the cursive ‘Alfa Romeo’ script evocative of pre-war racers or a bold reimagining of the red-cross/snake-and-child logo that is associated with the city of Milan.

More conventional are the neat proportions and Mazda CX-3-esque silhouette, which are spot-on for its intended SUV-seeking clientele. And still obviously on-brand, even if the boomerang tail-light treatment is more Maserati 3200. A lovely wink to the past is the Alfa 156-style pillar-mounted door handles.

And credit where it is due. The Junior looks nothing like its 2008, Avenger, Mokka or Fiat Seicento corporate cousins. Inside or out!

In a couple of words, not really. At least when it comes to the exterior design.

In fact, the biggest design change for 2024 is actually the colour of our test car, the new Cosmos Black. Apart from that, the rest of the Atto 3 is unchanged visually, which is becoming something of a trademark for EVs, at least from newer brands like BYD and Tesla. 

Instead of worrying about adding a new grille, different headlights or an alternative alloy wheel design, brands like BYD are focusing on updating batteries, the technology and other software enhancements to keep their models fresh.

The only exterior change is at the rear, where the previous 'Build Your Dreams' lettering has been replaced by a simple 'BYD' badge.

As for the interior design, kudos to BYD for not following Tesla down the cost-saving-disguised-as-minimalist-design path, but personally the design aesthetic and the variety of colours and trims used aren’t to my taste, but I can see why others may love it. The ‘guitar string’ door pockets are likely a particularly polarsing design choice.

BYD has added a new interior option, with a black/blue trim for the examples finished with grey and black exteriors, while white and blue painted cars get a blue/grey interior.

Forget every tired old cliché about Italian-car packaging and quality. Though a tad smaller inside than many small SUVs, the Junior is far from flawed.

Stepping inside, you’re greeted by a cossetting and supportive set of front seats, facing a smartly designed and executed dash that ably melds brand heritage with modernity.

The former is found in the deeply-hooded double-binnacle digital instrumentation (echoes of the company’s 1300 Junior of the ‘60s) and circular outboard vents, while the driver-angled 10.25-inch touchscreen is a nice contemporary touch. No issues with its layout or operation, either. It’s fast and logical.

The point is, with sound build quality and pleasing little details that elevate the experience, this is a classy cabin execution, juxtaposed with all the practical stuff.

That is, an excellent driving position, handsome multi-configurable instrumentation, easy reach of most controls, physical buttons for the (effective) climate system, sufficient storage including cupholders, handy USB outlets, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity… that sort of thing.

Complaints? The touchscreen is set a bit too low, meaning a glance down is required instead of eyes up on the road. In the black-trimmed test car there may be a sense of claustrophobia for some. And vision out is quite restricted as a result of the swoopy styling and slim side glass areas.

The Junior is a city-friendly crossover with more than enough space up front, but a fairly cramped rear-seat area, as its diminutive 2557mm wheelbase suggests. Most adults may need the front-seat occupants to slide forward a tad, and the centre position won’t be joyous for anybody. But at least they sit low so headroom isn’t a problem and on quite comfy cushions to boot.

As with most small SUVs, rear air vents aren’t fitted, but there are cupholders and USB ports, in line with every other small SUV out there.

And at least the Ibrida has a sizeable luggage capacity for one so small, measuring in from 414 litres to a hungry 1280L.

Of course, the lack of a spare wheel helps, but then again, this is a hybrid with extra electrification compared to a petrol-only alternative, so that’s pretty smart packaging going on right there.

The Atto 3 remains classified as a ‘Medium SUV’ but blurs the line between mid-size and small in terms of dimensions, especially inside. It’s not in the same size game as the Toyota RAV4 or Mitsubishi Outlander, but is close in size to the likes of the Honda ZR-V and Mazda CX-5.

While there’s a few key practical storage spaces, there aren’t as many as some newer rivals, which does suggest the Atto 3 design is starting to date or just wasn’t well thought-out enough in the first place; such as putting all the switchgear in the centre console rather than on the dashboard.

This was probably done, at least in part, to accommodate the rotating touchscreen, which seems like a poor design and practicality choice to me. Especially the new one, which at 15.8-inches when rotated to the portrait mode it starts to interfere with your vision and the layout is more user-friendly in landscape mode - both when using the native multimedia system or your smartphone connection.

Space is respectable in the back seats, and there’s both a USB-A and USB-C port for charging devices. While out the back the boot measures 440 litres, which is a respectable amount of space for an SUV this size, but there’s only a tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel.

As we just mentioned, price has been a critical tool for carmakers looking to keep demand for EVs rolling along as the early adopters fade, and BYD is not immune from this. Earlier in 2024 the Atto 3 Extended Range, the model we’re testing here, started at $50,011 before on-road costs. Then in April 2024, BYD announced a drive-away deal for $45,990 for pre-registered demos. 

Now this updated model is priced from $47,499 (plus on-road costs), which is a jump up from the sale price, but is more than $3500 cheaper than the Atto 3 was at the start of 2024. Meanwhile, the Standard model is priced from $44,990 (plus on-road costs), which is also a saving of more than $3000 on the previous model.

The key difference between the Standard and Extended Range models are the batteries, so the specification is similar. Both variants are equipped with LED headlights, power tailgate, synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, 5.0-inch digital instrument panel and in-built satellite navigation.

One of the big ticket item changes for 2024 is the upgraded 15.8-inch multimedia touchscreen, which comes with BYD’s signature trick - rotating between portrait and landscape modes. This is upsized from 12.8-inch in the old model. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard too.

Under the Ibrida MH’s stubby bonnet is Stellantis’ evergreen 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 100kW of power and 230Nm of torque. It features a variable-geometry turbo and Miller Cycle combustion process, to maximise efficiency.

Though there is also a Junior Ibrida Q4 all-wheel drive option that adds a second, rear-mounted electric motor available elsewhere, for now in Australia, it’s only the front wheels that are driven, via a 21kW electric motor built into a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and 48-volt/0.89kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The electric-motor/MH system provides extra torque during acceleration to help boost speed and save fuel simultaneously, and there’s limited round-town electric-only low-speed driving available, or engine-off coasting when off-throttle at speed.

With a credible kerb weight of just 1305kg, the Ibrida clocks in with a power-to-weight ratio of a sparkling 76.6kW/tonne, resulting in an 8.9 second 0-100km/h sprint-time and a top speed of 206km/h.

As with the design there isn’t much to say about what’s powering the Atto 3 because it’s the same as the 2023 model. Both the Standard and Extended Range use the same front-mounted electric motor, which makes 150kW/310Nm and drives the front wheels through a single speed transmission.  

With 0-100km/h times of 7.9 seconds and 7.3 seconds respectively for the Standard and Extended Range, the Atto 3 won’t shove you back in your seat, but it has adequate performance for a mid-size SUV. 

Unlike many regular mild hybrids, the self-charging Ibrida MH allows for brief pure-EV driving that Stellantis claims makes 50 per cent of emissions-free city-commuting possible in certain circumstances. Okay, we’ll need to experience that in Australia for confirmation.

The Alfa’s MH set-up aids a WLTP-rated fuel-consumption average of 4.9L/100km, for a carbon-dioxide emissions rating of 110 grams/km.

Using those figures as a guide, an average of about 815km between (premium-unleaded petrol) refills of the 40L tank is possible.

Our test car’s trip computer displayed an average of under 7.0L/100km, with mostly motorway driving near the maximum speed limit.

The full-hybrid Lexus LBX, by the way, averages 3.8L/100km and around 100g/km.

The Standard Range has a rated driving range of 345km (WLTP) from a 49.92kWh ‘Blade’ lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery while the Extended Range’s bigger 60.48kWh unit increases that to 420km.

Charging is capped at 70kW (DC) for the Standard and 80kW (DC) for the Extended. 

One of the major hurdles for EV brands is convincing people that they won’t run out of charge every day. At 420km the Extended Range Atto 3 will get most people through multiple days of commuting, so even with public charging you shouldn’t worry about range anxiety. 

Those drivers with commutes longer than 420km per day should be looking at something other than an electric car (and probably a job closer to home).

In a word, superb.

This isn’t always a given for an Alfa Romeo, as too many models in the past have suffered for being based on mundane machinery following Fiat’s takeover in the latter 1980s.

Today’s exceptions are the brilliant Giulia and Stelvio, and to this list we can add the Junior Ibrida MH. It feels closely-related to these, despite using so many parts shared with other, different Stellantis models.

As we touched on earlier, the 100kW/230Nm Ibrida enjoys a healthy power-to-weight ratio, which translates to strong off-the-line acceleration and pleasingly eager throttle response once on the move.

The electric motor seems to do a great job topping up power and torque, so – during our 200km-odd drive through rural Spain – we didn’t experience hesitation or lag associated with small-capacity turbo engines and dual-clutch transmissions. This felt spirited yet smooth all the way.

And this was in the 'Normal' drive setting. In 'Dynamic' mode, which proved to be our favourite, the Junior Ibrida MH’s performance is sparkling.

That Alfa seems to have given the exhaust a bit of a spicy note is a nice nod to the brand’s sports-car heritage, but even more so is the light yet precise steering that is perfectly weighted. The driver feels connected to the front wheels – this is a hybrid, remember – and the chassis seems in-tune with what the enthusiast wants.

Suspension is via the usual MacPherson-style struts up front and a space-saving torsion beam rear end, though the Q4 Ibrida swaps the latter out for a multi-link arrangement.

At all times there were three people on board and each with luggage, but the all-too-few times we managed to slice through a corner or race up a ragged rural road, the Junior’s handling and road-holding seemed exemplary for a small SUV.

We were also impressed with the ride quality, but the chosen Spanish route featured beautifully-maintained roads, so we’ll need to confirm whether the sporty chassis tune interferes with suspension comfort on Aussie roads. Likewise, the quiet cabin experience at speed may differ from our isolated Euro experiences.

We can confirm, however, that the ADAS tech is helpful and nuanced, offering subtle intervention in a way that felt seamless after weeks of wrestling with recalcitrant Chinese SUVs back home.

As such, it is clear the Junior Ibrida MH’s basic dynamic set-up is sound, providing pleasure and control as well as stability and reassurance. This behaves like a sophisticated and very grown-up premium SUV should.

We’re very impressed.

Driving the updated Atto 3 feels… fine. Nothing special or class-leading, but within the expectations buyers should look for in a mid-size SUV. Which is meant as a compliment to BYD, as it is still a relatively new brand in this very competitive market and there are certainly some noticeably worse rivals in this same segment. 

The Atto 3 may not be the most comfortable, most powerful or most dynamic mid-size SUV, but it’s a perfectly nice thing to drive and it will get you from Point A to Point B quietly and smoothly.

Another of the major changes for 2024 is BYD’s decision to ditch the fantastically named, but not very good Atlas Batman tyres, replacing them with Continental rubber. The Atlas tyres were a major drawback on the old model, lacking grip and detracting from the driving experience, with the new ‘Contis’ solving those problems. 

In terms of safety, both Atto 3 variants get a comprehensive list of both passive and active safety features, enough to score a five-star ANCAP rating.

There’s airbag coverage for all occupants, 360-degree parking cameras, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, forward and rear collision warning, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, rear cross-traffic brake and door open warning.

Most of these systems behaved themselves during our testing, although the forward collision warning did seem overly sensitive at times, and sounded alarms over potential accidents that simply weren’t a problem. Still, compared to some modern brands, the BYD systems performed well.

Alfa Romeo offers the premium-manufacturer standard of five years with unlimited kilometres. Whether this continues unchanged when the Junior range arrives during the third quarter of 2025 is not yet known.

All other information, including service intervals, capped-price servicing costs and road-side assistance availability will be revealed closer to the Australian launch.

BYD offers a six-year/150,000km warrant for the vehicle, with eight years/160,000km coverage for the batteries.

Service intervals are every 12 months of 20,000km and while a minor service is only $165, every second visit is more expensive, ranging from $498 to more than $600. There may be less oily bits under the bonnet but there’s still a cost to owning an electric car.