Official Teaser Shots of Alfa Romeo 'Junior'

Junior's on his way. Stylised largely in a red tint, a colour as fitting of Alfa as it is Ferrari, these are the first official teaser shots of the new Alfa Romeo 'Junior' to head our way prior to the car's Geneva Motor Show debut in March.

Focusing attention primarily on that of Alfa's signature grille, door mirrors & handles, and Alfa badge, there are few clues as to the new pug-sized Italian's design cues. But it is a fog light that leaves the greatest trail, indicating much like in earlier spy photos, that a retro look is on its way. Our source, an Alfa Junior-dedicated blog named Progetto955.it, describes a grille 'less developed' than that of the 147 and 159.

Priced at around 20,000 euros, the Junior will be a premium offering in a segment dominated by BMW's MINI and soon to be joined by the Audi A1. A range of lower-displacement and turbocharged engines will power the Junior, the line-up kicking off with a normally-aspirated 104 hp 1.4-litre, rising to 148 hp with an optional turbocharger. A 1.6-litre JTD diesel and 1.8-litre turbo will be offered with anywhere up to 148 and 227 horses respectively.

Production will start in the Spring, with Italian sales starting in June, while further European markets are unlikely to get the Junior until Autumn. Head over to our recent article on the Junior for two computer-generated renderings and check out the first spy shots of the car caught under wraps, revealing little at the front but a child-bearing bumper and oval exhaust tips at the rear.