Alfa Romeo’s long-awaited small SUV takes the fight up to its well-established Euro rivals
Once again, Alfa Romeo is in desperate need of a reboot. Despite a huge billion-dollar investment and the introduction of the Giulia sports sedan and Stelvio mid-size SUV, the Italian car-maker last year sold just 64,000 cars worldwide – and those numbers simply aren’t viable under new parent Stellantis. Worse still, Alfa’s been told if it loses money, it’s dead. That means there’s a huge weight of expectation on the all-new Tonale small SUV. Built to fight the likes of the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Volvo XC40, Alfa says the Tonale will also replace the Giulietta hatch and stand as the first rung of ownership for the brand. Developed under a ‘quality, quality, quality’ mantra, the Tonale is billed as the best-made Alfa Romeo car ever. From its electrified powertrains to its bang up-to-date infotainment to its stylish looks, is the Tonale finally the Alfa you don’t have to make excuses for?
Keeping in touch
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia is yet to confirm exact dates for the local arrival of the 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale that has just launched in Europe, but we can confirm it definitely won’t be here until the first quarter of next year at the very earliest.
With that timing in mind, it’s perhaps understandable that pricing and full specification for Alfa’s first small SUV are still to be announced.
That said, Alfa Romeo’s new chief Jean-Philippe Imparato has declared that all models in future will be priced in line with rivals like BMW, suggesting the Tonale range will kick off at around $50,000.
We also know FCA Australia will keep the Tonale line-up simple for our market, bringing in just two model grades – Super and Ti.
Buy a Super and there will be an additional option of a sporty Sprint pack that’s set to upsize the wheels and add sporty styling cues inside and out.
The more expensive Ti version, meanwhile, will also get a Veloce pack that, again, ramps up the sportiness.
Spearheading the Tonale range will be an Edizione Speciale that could be offered here in limited numbers.
In European markets, the Edizione Speciale features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a premium sound system, Level 2 semi-autonomous cruise control, Alcantara sport seats, aluminium pedals, Alfa’s DNA driving mode selector, 20-inch alloy wheels, a body kit, LED head- and tail-lights and adaptive dampers.
Options include premium paint for €950 ($A1400) – or a hefty €1500 ($A2200) for the pretty wonderful Verde Montreal green metallic.
A €2400 ($A3600) Premium Pack is also optional that throws in premium leather upholstery, eight-way adjustable seats and a 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
Finally, a €500 ($A740) Winter Pack adds heated front seats and steering wheel, plus heated windscreen washer nozzles.
When it arrives in Australia, the Alfa Romeo Tonale will be protected by the car-maker’s recently introduced five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing details are still to be confirmed.
Powertrain suite
Globally, the 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale will be offered with five different powertrains that comprise two 1.5-litre mild-hybrid turbo-petrol engines, a 1.3-litre plug-in hybrid, a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol.
Unusually, Australia will only get the electrified powertrains, with buyers likely to miss out on both the diesel and all-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo that’s destined for US and Middle Eastern markets.
Concentrating on the all-new mild-hybrid 1.5-litre turbo, there will be two versions – one with 96kW and 240Nm and another that delivers the same peak torque but churns out a peppier 118kW.
Both engines channel power to the front wheels using a Getrag-sourced seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that is so compact there’s space to package a small 15kW/135Nm electric motor.
There’s also a belt starter-generator that aids coasting and stop-start driving, plus energy recuperation under braking that charges a small 0.8kWh lithium-ion battery.
The difference between the two outputs is the more powerful 118kW engine gets a neat variable-geometry turbocharger that helps the high-compression (12.5:1) petrol engine produce more power.
Despite boasting plenty of tech, the 48-volt mild-hybrid petrol isn’t quick.
The 96kW version takes 9.9 seconds to complete the 0-100km/h sprint on its way to a 195km/h top speed, while the 118kW model can only manage an 8.8sec 0-100km/h dash. It runs out of puff at 200km/h.
If you’re looking for performance, the 205kW plug-in hybrid model will be the hero of the range. Offering all-wheel drive, the PHEV is capable of brisk 6.2sec 0-100km/h acceleration, while blending its strong punch with an all-electric range of up to 60km.
Later on, it’s been tipped future Quadrifoglio versions will be based on the PHEV.
A pure-electric version of the Tonale is feasible but highly unlikely as the small Alfa is based on some pretty ancient underpinnings.
Older underpinnings
If last year’s merger between FCA and the French PSA Group had happened just 12 months earlier, we suspect the much-delayed 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale might have undergone a radical makeover under the skin.
If that were the case, the engineering team may have switched to Stellantis’ more sophisticated STLA Medium (formerly PSA’s EMP2) architecture that would have allowed for a pure-electric model that’s missing from the Tonale line-up.
Instead, Alfa has had to stick with the pretty ancient Small Wide LWB 4×4 platform – as seen on the Jeep Compass and an earlier version of which was first used way back on the 2008 Alfa Romeo MiTo hatch.
Luckily, the Tonale engineers have changed virtually everything and added plenty of bracing to boost rigidity and reduce nasty noise and vibrations that might otherwise permeate through the cabin.
That said, the suspension design is pretty basic with pseudo MacPherson struts used both on the front and even the rear axle where some of its rivals use more expensive multi-link arrangements better at dealing with forces.
Tech borrowed from the bigger Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio include its brake-by-wire Integrated Brake System (IBS) that combines with anchors developed in partnership with Brembo and feature four-piston front callipers.
We drove two versions – one with the passive dampers and, later in the day, a car that had the active dampers fitted.
It’s worth pointing out that the beautifully-finished cars available to us at the European launch were late-stage prototypes because back-to-back both felt quite different.
The first Tonale we drove had poor steering feel with an unpleasant glassiness that provided little information of what was happening beneath. The standard dampers also struggled to filter out road imperfections on the largest 20-inch Tele-dial alloy rims.
Other criticisms concern the brakes that proved tricky to modulate at low speed. Throw in the odd clunky gear change and it feels like the Tonale needs some final finessing before deliveries begin.
The new 1.5-litre mild-hybrid turbo, meanwhile, both impresses and disappoints. The good news is it should be exceptionally efficient; the way it relies on its electric motor is impressive, and when it’s not worked hard it’s quiet and refined.
But when you do want to make progress it never quite lives up to the Tonale’s sporty looks. There’s not enough power or torque and the electric motor fails to give the impression of filling the gaps low down.
It perhaps doesn’t help that the small Alfa SUV is no featherweight, tipping the scales at around 1525kg.
We’re glad we drove a higher-spec Tonale next. Despite being identical save for its adaptive dampers and sprouting a pair of gearshift paddles, it steered far better than the earlier car.
The dampers also calmed the ride, suggesting they’ll be a must-have when the Tonale arrives Down Under and is forced to deal with our poor roads.
One other gripe is the DNA (Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficiency) system doesn’t offer an Individual mode for you to cherry-pick your preferences, but in most cases Natural or Dynamic modes both work well.
Measuring in at 4528mm long, 1841mm wide and standing 1601mm high, the Tonale is closely matched in size to the BMW X1.
Inside, there’s plenty of space in the second row when it comes to legroom, knee-room and headroom, and the boot is usefully large at 500 litres with the rear seats upright.
Perhaps more importantly, considering Alfas of the past and present, is how the Tonale measures up within the cabin for fit, finish and tech.
Well, we’re happy to report that, save for a few too many textures and finishes on display, the Italian small SUV is at least level pegging with BMW and, in many cases, exceeds its German opposition when it comes to connectivity and the availability of features like the Alexa virtual assistant.
Truly competitive
Alfa Romeo hopes it will be able to sell between 45,000 and 90,000 examples of the 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale annually if there’s demand across all its markets – and we’re happy to report that those numbers don’t seem unrealistic after a day driving the new small SUV.
Sure, our cars felt a little unfinished in the powertrain department but engineers told us that, before launch, fine-tuning was still being made and much of what we highlighted could be improved, if not cured, by over-the-air updates.
Of course, that remains to be seen, but for fit and finish – weak points for the significantly more expensive Giulia and Stelvio – the Tonale impresses.
Throw in tech that matches the very best in class and it feels like the Tonale really will be a true contender in the highly competitive compact premium SUV segment.
Whereas in the past you bought an Alfa with your heart, the Tonale’s broader capabilities mean your head can finally be at least part of the equation.
How much does the 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale cost?Price: From $50,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)Available: First half of 2023Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrolOutput: 118kW/240NmTransmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automaticFuel: 5.7L/100km (WLTP)CO2: 130g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Alfa Romeo Tonale 2022 Review