Alfa Romeo Junior vs Lexus LM 500H

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.

The Lexus LM 500h is luxurious, comfortable, practical, easy to drive and expensive. While it may appear to be the ultimate family car, with only four seats it's limited in terms of how many kids and their friends you can carry. On top of that, the privacy screen introduces accessibility issues to the kids you wouldn't encounter on other vehicles. If you are thinking of a Lexus people mover as your next family car I'd suggest looking at the LM 350h which has seven seats and no privacy screen. If you’re looking at a business class executive van the LM 500h would be perfect. 

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!

The LM 500h doesn't look real. More like a concept vehicle with its vertical face wearing that enormous grille. Feels like if you watched it for long enough you’d catch it transforming into some kind of robot. Yet, at the same time its styling is elegant and prestigious.

I have a confession to make. I used this Lexus as my office. Its interior is that comfortable and spacious. I'm also a parent and there were times where it was the quietest place to get some work done.

It also let me observe people's reactions as they walked past with their dogs not knowing what was going on inside behind those tinted windows. The people that noticed were clearly car enthusiasts as they knew what they were looking at and couldn't pass without gaping it awe.

The LM 500h’s interior is superbly plush with thick carpets, beautiful copper metallic trim and nappa leather seats.

As I’ve said, the cockpit up front is less luxurious than the extravagant first class section in the back behind that dividing wall.

And yes, I’ve seen large screens before but nothing that stretches the width of the vehicle.

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.

You might be able to take Lexus out of Toyota but it's very hard to take Toyota out of Lexus and this particularly applies to the practicality of the LM 500h.

Every day I discovered new compartments, tray tables and storage areas. There are so many cabinets, lockers and hidey holes that we almost left my belongings (an entire family of plushie toy capybaras) behind because there are so many places to check.

Of course, I'm talking about the rear compartment here because up front there's not much storage. In fact, it proved to be quite a problem in that I had nowhere to put my bag with somebody sitting next to me and no area behind the front seats to stow it, either.

Talking of seats, the LM 500h only has four of them, with two up front and two in the rear. Up front, the seats are supportive and large, but the rear seats - those are, well... have a look at the images.

We’re talking two large captain's chairs that look as though they’ve been removed from the first class section of a plane.

And while this might be suitable for businesses shuttling a couple of executives to and from meetings, for a family, even with two children, the extra couple of seats a third row offers would come in handy.

The LM 350h has seven seats over three rows and no privacy screen. A far better choice for families.

For device charging there are USB ports up front and in the rear. There are wireless phone chargers for those in the back seats but not up front.

The LM 500h has a cargo capacity of 752 litres with all seats in place.

The Lexus LM 500h sits at the top of its range and is without a doubt one of the most expensive people movers on Earth with its list price of $220,888.

As you would imagine the standard features list is as extensive as it is extravagant.

For starters, while the regular LM 350h has two rows of seating in the rear (seven seats all up, including the front two), the 500h has the third row removed and just two super luxurious and enormous fully reclining seats fill the entire space. It’s like a theatre back there.

That theatre theme keeps going with a media screen in the back so large it stretches the width of the vehicle. Seriously, it's a 48-inch screen to watch movies or connect to your device.

The sound system is probably the best I’ve experienced - a spine tinglingly incredible 23-speaker Mark Levinson set-up.

What else can I tell you? Those rear seats are upholstered in beautifully soft semi-aniline leather. They’re heated and ventilated with a massaging function and... ridiculously comfortable.

There’s four-zone climate control, windows which have an electronic shade that turns the glass opaque, there are wireless phone chargers in the doors and carpet throughout so thick you sink down into it as you step inside.

Our LM 500h was upholstered in the 'Solis White' leather which also brings contrasting and mesmerising copper metallic trim.

Oh, and there’s a wall with an electric glass screen that can be raised or lowered to separate the rear passengers from the driver.

I should have mentioned this earlier. The kids loved it, but these parents spent a lot of time telling the 10- and three-year old not to put the screen up again.

The rear occupants, aka the kids, can also lock the screen in place. Which they did, and so sound proof is the dividing wall that we can only just hear their uproarious laughter.

Up front, the cockpit is comfortable but it’s clear all the space and luxury is for those being driven around.

Still, the front seats are leather with heating and ventilation, there’s a 14-inch media screen and 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, plus a head-up display. Sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard.

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.

The LM 500h is a petrol-electric hybrid with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which makes 202kW/460Nm and works in concert with two electric motors.

The front motor makes 64kW/292Nm and the rear makes 76kW/169Nm. The combined maximum power output of the two motors and the petrol engine is 273kW.

The LM 500h is all wheel-drive and has a six-speed automatic transmission.

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.

Lexus says after a combination of urban and open roads the LM 500h should use 6.6L/100km. In our own testing we found consumption was higher at 9.4L/100km.

Worth noting my driving environment was mainly a hilly suburban one filled with school drop offs. Achieved some personal bests this week, with one long run to Sydney’s outskirts, only to return in nightmarish peak hour traffic.

Premium (95 RON) fuel is required and the tank size is 60 litres. In theory the driving range is a smidge more than 900km, which drops to around 640km using our real-world average.

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.

Quite simply, driving the LM 500h is like piloting a limousine on stilts. Superbly comfortable, but with an elevated driving position that offers outstanding forward and side visibility, the LM 500h is an easy vehicle to drive for long periods of time.

A digital rear vision mirror means visibility behind is good and unobstructed by the privacy screen or the seats.

The drawbacks are down to the lack of space up front, with the driver’s chair limited in its ability to recline or slide back due to the bulkhead behind it.

And that's compounded by the lack of cabin storage for bags if the front passenger seat is taken.

As for the rear passengers there aren't many people movers offering this level of comfort, except perhaps the Zeekr 009.

Variable suspension that adjusts continuously keeps the vehicle composed and provides a high level of comfort for those in the rear. At the same time, the LM stays nice and flat through roundabouts while remaining civilised over speed bumps.

And then there's the acceleration, which, while not supercar-like is incredibly brisk for a van. The all-wheel drive system provides outstanding traction in wet and slippery conditions, too. 

Our family used the LM daily for everything from school runs to shopping trips and weekends away and not only was it fun to drive, our lucky rear passengers enjoyed sitting high and being able to see clearly out their windows along with the luxury of a giant movie screen.

The Lexus  LM 500h is yet to be tested by ANCAP so it doesn't have a safety assessment score. There is, however, a high level of safety tech onboard including AEB which can detect pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vehicles, emergency steering assist, lane keeping assistance, road sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors as well as six airbags.

For child seats there are ISOFIX points and top tether anchor mounts on the two rear seats. We have a forward facing child seat and found it easy to install.

A space-saver spare wheel is located under the boot floor.

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.

Lexus covers the LM 500h with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. 

The Lexus Encore Platinum program is complimentary for LM owners for three years, providing 24-hour roadside assist, a loan vehicle or pick-up/return service at service time, 'On Demand' vehicle evaluation options, valet and airport parking benefits as well as exclusive offers and event opportunities.

Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000 kilometres, and impressively, pricing is capped at $695 per service over five years.