Tonale will join the Stelvio and Giulia in Alfa’s lineup.
Alfa Romeo’s lineup is expanding with the launch of its new compact crossover. The Alfa Romeo Tonale will offer a PHEV or gas powertrain, Uconnect infotainment, and it will be the first new vehicle that will come with an NFT.
The 2023 Tonale sits below the Stelvio in the automaker’s lineup, but it packs more style into those small dimensions. New long-light stripes run the width of the vehicle in the rear and come with a welcome animation, while Alfa’s signature crest grille sits prominently in the front. The wheels are a modern interpretation of the telephone dial (ask your grandparents, kids) wheel that has long been an Alfa hallmark. Alfa says that the design is meant to call back to classic shapes like the Giulia GT Junior of the 1960s with lights a shout to the SZ Zagato.
Two powertrains will be offered in the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale. A 2.0L turbocharged four will likely be the most common, offering 256 hp and 295 lb-ft. It has stop-start tech and a nine-speed automatic that drives all four wheels. A PHEV driveline will use a new 1.3L MultiAir turbo-four that sends 180 hp to the front wheels and has a 121 hp motor mounted in the rear for 275 hp combined. The plug-in Tonale will offer all-wheel drive, but without a mechanical connection between the two axles.
The gearbox for the PHEV is a six-speed auto, and the gas engine has a 48V starter-generator to help with stop-start. With a 15.5 kWh lithium battery, Alfa estimates 48 km of electric range.
One of the tech features Alfa is touting about the 2023 Tonale is that it will be the first new car with an NFT (non-fungible token). While that conjures images of horrible online artwork and cryptocurrency hype, Alfa might actually be onto something here. Their NFT is essentially a digital certificate that uses new tech to store vehicle data like service history and odometer readings. While we’re not convinced of the merits (or massive power use) of the blockchain tech that underpins this, a theoretically unhackable record of mileage is intriguing.
In more conventional tech, the Tonale gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. Among the modes offered by the configurable screen is one that makes it look like the automaker’s 1960s dashes. It’s a cool touch.
The Tonale will also come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both wireless, and on a 10.25-inch screen using the excellent Stellantis Uconnect 5 package. Tonale will have Amazon Alexa virtual assistant built-in for car to home and home to car controls.
Driver assistance will include the usual adaptive cruise, blind spot, and rear cross traffic detection, as well as lane departure warning, sign recognition, and forward collision warnings. It will also offer Traffic Jam Assist Level 2 hands-on driver assistance.
Orders for the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale open in the fourth quarter of this year, with Sprint and Veloce trims available. Deliveries will start in early 2023.
Keyword: Alfa Romeo Introduces 2023 Tonale, Brand's First PHEV