It has been no secret that Alfa Romeo are developing an entry-level sporty hatchback to compete with rivals such as the BMW Mini. Slowly but surely information and sketches have been officially leaked in investor presentations during the past year.  The car will be aimed at young drivers, typically aged between 18 and 30 years.

This car, referred to as “Junior”, will be unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March. An Italian market launch will follow before June, with most other EU markets following in October. Priced from around €16,000 in Italy, the Junior will effectively replace the 3-door version of the award-winning Alfa 147.

The Junior project, code-named 955, is being developed under the leadership of Mauro Pierallini. Just less than 4 metres in length, the newcomer will be based on a significantly revised version of the Fiat Grande Punto “Small” floorpan. The car will be a technical masterpiece for its price, offering the latest in active and dynamic safety. This new entry-level model will use SDC active suspension and will be the first non-Ferrari to include the Manettino switch on the steering wheel for suspension setup changes.

The engine range will start with a 1.4 Multiair unit offering 105bhp and variable valve actuation (induction) geometry. The following petrol engines in the portfolio will all be turbocharged: 1.4 JTB (135bhp), 1.4 JTB (180bhp) and 1.8 JTB (230bhp). The Junior will also offer two new diesel engines, the 1.6 JTDm (120bhp) and 1.6 JTTDm (150bhp). The entire range will come fitted with a 6-speed gearbox and will also include Selespeed semi-automatic MTA versions.

The Junior will be a key car in Alfa Romeo’s burgeoning range, with an annual production target of up to 75,000 per year. So far the project has been particularly well covered-up with no sightings of prototypes on the open road. However, over the past week, two sketches in particular have caught the media’s and enthusiasts’ attention alike. The sketches, which are official, have been published in Italy’s Quattroruote automobile magazine, showing both the front and rear of the Junior in convincing detail for the first time. The bodywork, which is inspired by the limited edition and highly lustful 8C Competizione, will offer an exotic and youthful alternative in the compact hatchback segment. The architecture is altogether more dynamic than that of the more practical Grande Punto from which it is derived. The styling will be an in-house effort by the talented team of designers at Centro Stile in Arese.
 

From the front the car will look highly aggressive, with 8C-inspired headlamps and grilles. The revealed sketch also shows a splitter which also adds to the car’s dynamic stance. The design presents a very sleek glass house, with a curvaceous front windscreen frame similar to that of the 8C Competizione, Nuvola Concept and also the classic Giulia berlina model. The flanks of the car are simple and curvaceous, similar to those of the Mini.

At the rear the Junior shares DNA with another Italian exotic: the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Single round taillights are perched on the tip of each rear fender, similar in style to the Ferrari. The rear window and hatchback also presents an interesting design solution, with the window itself marginally recessed into the frame. The baseline of the window is offset by an aerodynamic built-in spoiler, similar to that present on the Ferrari F430. The rear sketch also presents a diffuser type bumper design with twin tailpipes. This detail will feature on the potent 230bhp version.

In a quest to find the right name for this important entry-level model, Alfa Romeo has initiated a campaign with the most prestigious international car magazines. Quattroruote in Italy, Auto Motor und Sport in Germany, Autopista in Spain, Automobile Magazine in France, Top Gear in the UK and Car Graphic in Japan, are all participating in “Alfa Naming”, with the chance for participants to win prestigious prizes such as a new Alfa Spider or an Alfa Romeo-branded mountain bike by Ducale. Just one week is left for Alfa Romeo enthusiasts to register and leave their favoured name on the website http://www.alfanaming.it/

Although not specified in official investor presentations, a hard-top roadster model could follow. This potential future drop-top would be inspired by the legendary Duetto model, driven to fame in the 1966 Dustin Hoffman classic, “The Graduate”. Alfa Romeo CEO Antonio Baravalle would like to see this classic model redeveloped into a modern-day production car for Alfa Romeo’s centenary celebration in 2010.