• After officially unveiling its new Milano compact SUV last week, Alfa Romeo has announced that it will be changing the name of the EV.
• The car maker explained that despite meeting the legal requirements, the Italian government has outlawed the use of the name for brands.
• Moving forward, the Milano will be called the Alfa Romeo Junior.

Last week was a milestone for Italian car maker Alfa Romeo as it unveiled its first-ever all-electric compact SUV in the form of the Milano.

That excitement has been dashed slightly, however, as the Italian government is now forcing Alfa Romeo to change the name, as it says the use of “Milano” for brands is outlawed in the country.

Given that the name of the electric compact SUV was public knowledge before it was officially launched, thanks to it being voted for by fans of the brand, as well as being a nod to the original of the carmaker itself, the forced name change is quite odd.

The company is taking it in its stride, however, and it has already settled on a new name, calling the EV the Alfa Romeo Junior. While we prefer the previous christening, if it means that the company can stay on the right side of the law, needs must.

“We are perfectly aware that this moment will remain engraved in the history of the Brand. It’s a great responsibility but at the same time it’s an exciting moment. The choice of the name Alfa Romeo Junior is completely natural, as it is strongly linked to the history of the Brand and has been among our favorites and among the public’s favorites since the beginning,” explained Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of Alfa Romeo, regarding the decision.

“As a team, we are choosing once again to share our passion for the Brand and make the product and our customers the priority.”

“For this reason, we welcome the decision taken by the company to change the name of the car from Milano to Alfa Romeo Junior in light of the latest news, which could affect the enthusiasm and the enormous attention that the new car is receiving from our customers recently. Alfa Romeo Junior, like Milano, are both beautiful names that have their roots in the history of the Brand. It is no coincidence that they were immediately among the public’s favorites,” added Stefano Odorici, president of the Italian Alfa Romeo Dealers Association, in a release shared with Hypertext.

Hopefully, this will not dampen the mood in the lead-up to the electric SUV’s release in South Africa, which is still in the offing.

You can check out the launch of the Alfa Romeo Milano Junior in the video embedded below.