Alfa Romeo Tonale: completely new, also as PHEV

Highlights

• Competitor for X1 and XC40
• First electrified Alfa
• In the spring in the Netherlands

The Tonale is the first all-new Alfa Romeo since the Stelvio, which was presented shortly after the Giulia in 2016. It is also the second SUV of the brand and is a size smaller than the Stelvio. The Tonale, which, like its big brother, is named after an Italian mountain pass, competes with cars like the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and – most importantly – Volvo XC40. A so-called ‘premium C-segmenter’, and thus indirectly also the successor of the Giulietta until the arrival of a possible hatchback sequel.

design

The Tonale was already announced in 2019 with a concept car, followed that same year by leaked images of what was presumably the production version. It now appears that the gray copy was indeed already quite ‘finished’. The production version remains very faithful to the concept car, although it looks a little less spectacular with its higher front and rear light units, somewhat smaller wheels and normal door handles.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

With its large Scudetto grille, rounded side windows and rear window that ends in a point, the Tonale is clearly an Alfa Romeo, but at the same time we also see many new elements. In particular, the front and rear are a bit tighter and more linear than with the Stelvio and Giulia. Where the grille and headlights on these cars are freestanding elements, Alfa opts for the latest model to connect everything where possible. This also applies to the rear lights, which are only kept apart by the logo.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

Striking are the three separate elements that are hidden in the light unit at the front and rear on each side. This refers to the SZ and RZ from the 1980s, but has also appeared on the last Spider, the Brera and the 159 in more recent times. Alfa shows a new family face, which should also be seen on future models. There are quite a few, because under the rule of the Stellantis group and CEO Imparato, a new Alfa Romeo has to appear every year. The Tonale is only the beginning of that predicted heyday, and is therefore presented with the slogan ‘La Metamorfosi’. ‘The metamorphosis’, in other words, and that applies to the entire brand.

PHEV

Part of that metamorphosis is – how could it be otherwise – electrification. Charging cables and poles with the Alfa logo have not been available until now, but that will change with the Tonale. The car is not yet fully electric, but it will come as a plug-in hybrid. We already know that drivetrain from the Jeeps Compass and Renegade, because that is the car with which the Tonale shares its platform. Unlike its two large Alfa brothers, this is originally a front-wheel drive, but the Italians emphasize that both platform and drivetrain are strongly adapted to the Italian Alfa characteristic. In the case of the powertrain, this in any case leads to more power, because with 275 hp, the plug-in Tonale delivers more power than the maximum 240 hp Jeeps. Just like its American brothers, a plug-in Tonale is always a four-wheel drive, because the electric motor is on the rear axle. The battery has a capacity of 15.5 kWh, the fuel engine is a 1.3-liter four-cylinder and there is a six-speed automatic transmission on board. The Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV sprints from 0 to 100 in 6.2 seconds and should be able to travel about 60 kilometers on electricity.

Hybrids

Alfa Romeo Tonale

If you prefer to keep it more modest or cheaper, you will also end up with an electrified car. The only other engine versions are plug-in hybrids, built around a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. It is coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, to which an approximately 20 hp and 55 Nm strong electric motor is mounted. The 48V system is similar to that of a mild-hybrid, but unlike a mild-hybrid, the Alfa can drive at low speed without switching on the combustion engine. The hybrid is available with 130 hp – known from Jeeps e-Hybrid versions – and 160 hp. The latter is still unique to Alfa Romeo and has a turbo with variable geometry. A manual gearbox is not available and will not be, if we are to believe the Alfa engineers. In this segment, the manual gearbox has already virtually disappeared and its share is only expected to decrease in the coming years. The residual value of a manual transmission would therefore also be very low and that makes such a version very unattractive on all rational sides. A diesel will come, but that 130 hp version will probably not appear on the Dutch price list.

NFT

The Tonale introduces new technology to Alfa Romeo on a large scale. For example, there is a completely new infotainment environment based on Android Automotive and Alfa goes along with the latest trends by providing a large digital instrumentation as standard. There are also extensive driving assistance systems and the Tonale will have a unique facility whereby the composition and (maintenance) history of each copy is stored encrypted in a so-called NFT, non-fungible token.

Interior

Alfa Romeo Tonale

At 4.53 meters, the Tonale is a bit longer than its direct competitors. The luggage space is therefore substantial with about 500 to 1,500 liters and in the back it is fine for adults to sit. The interior is in many ways similar to that of the Giulia and Stelvio. We know the steering wheel, various buttons and switches and some design elements from those cars. At the same time, there are also many differences, not least the screens mentioned above. They are as robust as they are modern, but Alfa still believes that driving should be central here as usual. We will soon know to what extent this has been achieved, because we can already use it in the spring. You can order from April, but of course not before the prices have been announced. It is already clear that the delivery range will be fairly well-arranged. Alfa limits the number of individual options and only supplies two versions, the Super and the Ti. The Super can then be decorated with a Sprint package, which gives the car an extra sporty look. the Ti is a bit more elegant and can be dressed up with the Veloce package.