Alfa Romeo’s first EV made its public debut at the April 16-21 Milan Design Week today.
But it will not be called Milano as planned. Instead it has been renamed Junior.
Alfa Romeo was forced to make the change after the Italian government threatened legal action because the model would be made in Poland instead of Italy. The switch to Poland was entirely based on lower cost of production there, allowing the car to be priced more affordably amid the aggressive entry of Chinese EV players to Europe.
However, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso would have none of that, insisting that “a car called Milano must be produced in Italy.”
Alfa Romeo’s parent Stellantis waded into the picture with the following statement on Monday: “Despite Alfa Romeo believing that the name met all legal requirements and that there are issues much more important than the name of a new car, Alfa Romeo has decided to change it from ‘Milano’ to ‘Alfa Romeo Junior’ in the spirit of promoting mutual understanding.”
The Junior, expected to use the same platform as the Jeep Avenger, is likely to deliver a range of 400km.
Alfa Romeo might also offer petrol and hybrid versions of the B-segment SUV.
