What's all this about?
Alfa Romeo has revealed the Tonale, its long-awaited compact crossover, which features lots of tech and a range of hybrid powertrain options, as well as a handsome exterior.
Looks quite good, doesn't it?
Looking at the Tonale head-on, its lineage is immediately apparent. Styling cues have been drawn from several Alfas of old including the SZ Zagato, Brera and 159. There’s the shield-shaped grille, for instance, and the sharp triangular light clusters.
Viewed from the side, the Tonale sits on a set of “Teledial” wheels — so called because of their resemblance to the dial of an old rotary phone — again, something seen on Alfas going back decades. The wheels on the Tonale are, incidentally, available from 17 to 20 inches in diameter.
How's the interior?
The interior is more contemporary in its layout, although the double-cowled “telescopic” instrument cluster is something of an Alfa trademark, though the 12.3-inch configurable digital screen is a more modern addition.
The soft furnishings are finished in Alcantara, leather and neoprene while there’s a nod to the company’s sporting reputation with aluminium gear shift paddles flanking the sports steering wheel.
Overall, there’s plenty of tech in the Tonale’s cabin, with features such as dual-zone air conditioning, heated and ventilated front seats, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system and Amazon Alexa voice recognition connectivity. Centrally mounted on the dash is 10.25-inch touchscreen which can be adjusted using a rotary dial located on the central tunnel, as well as via the screen itself.
Are there any hybrid models?
Powering the Tonale is a selection of petrol hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel engines. First up, there’s the 130hp hybrid model with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 15kW electric motor, which send power to the front wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. There’s a more powerful 160hp version of that unit, too, and that uses a new variable-geometry turbocharger to eke out some extra power. The system allows for a limited amount of all-electric driving such as on start-up or when crawling along in stop-start traffic.
Elsewhere and with no hybrid assistance, there’s another 130hp engine — this time a 1.6-litre four-cylinder diesel driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Crowning the Tonale range is the 275hp Tonale Q4 plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive and the same powertrain as the Jeep Renegade 4xe. This employs a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine as well as power from a 15.5kWh battery to urge the Tonale from 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds. As well as the outright performance, the Q4 promises around 37 miles of electric-only driving and, using a 7.4kWh charge point, a full battery top-up can be completed in around 2.5 hours.
Is it still a proper Alfa?
While a compact crossover might be a far cry from sporty heroes like the Alfa 147 GTA and Alfasud Sprint, the company claims there’s still a lot of that DNA underpinning the Tonale. It has, apparently, been blessed with perfect 50/50 weight distribution and the most direct steering in its segment. Brembo brake calipers and ventilated discs have also been fitted to provide the stopping power on those enthusiastic drives, while the steering has been set up to communicate more directly with the driver and the electronic damping system has been jointly developed with suspension experts Koni.
Is a Quadrifoglio version coming?
Not that we know of just yet. For the time being, Super and Ti are the two trim levels in which the Tonale will be sold, though both can be spiced up with styling and performance upgrades as part of of the Sprint and Veloce packs respectively. This, the company says, simplifies things for customers and will apply to the rest of the Alfa range going forward.
How much will it cost?
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but using the £42,123 starting price of the Stelvio as a guide, expect something in the £35,000 ball park for the smaller Tonale.
David Mullen - 8 Feb 2022
