The compact SUV is set to bring electrification to Alfa Romeo, albeit gradually. Thankfully, this version is a Euro-only spec; those headed stateside will offer plenty of joy.
- Audi Q3 rival will launch in US with 2.0-liter gas engine next year, PHEV to follow soon after.
- We’ve already driven the 1.5-liter mild-hybrid in Europe, although that engine won’t come here.
- Stylish looks and much improved cabin compared to Stelvio, but dynamic excitement limited at present.
The clock is ticking on Alfa Romeo’s combustion powerplants, more rapidly than for almost any other automaker. The Italian company is committed to exclusively selling EVs as soon as 2027. Of comparable sized automakers, only Jaguar is set to move more quickly, the British brand saying it will have made its own transition to full electrification by 2025. Yet while Jaguar has offered a competitive EV for several years, the well regarded i-Pace, Alfa is only just taking the first tentative step on its electric journey.
That’s with the car we’ve driven here, the new Tonale, a compact luxury crossover that effectively understudies the Stelvio in the corporate portfolio. Although the first US-spec cars will be getting a conventional 256-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged-four, the version that will be launched first in Europe features a 48-Volt hybrid system, and Alfa is committed to offering a plug-in with an electrically driven rear axle on both sides of the Atlantic soon afterwards.
Although Autoweek likes to encourage automakers in their electric endeavors, I can report that US buyers are not going to be missing out on a charismatic powerplant by the decision not to bring this hybrid stateside. This is a joyless powerplant in no danger of making any list of Alfa’s many combustion highlights. It uses a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine featuring the mild novelties of Miller Cycle timing and a variable geometry turbocharger to help boost economy, and working in conjunction with both a 20-hp 48-Volt electric motor that sits between it and the standard seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox. The total peak output is just 158 hp—pitted against 3365 lbs of car—and is delivered exclusively to the front wheels through a seven-speed double-clutch transmission.
The new engine isn’t any more exciting in reality than it is on paper. Unlike most 48-Volt hybrid systems, the Tonale can power itself under pure electric power at more than just maneuvering speeds, although there is often an obvious gap in torque as it hands over propulsion to the conventional engine. Although subdued under gentle use, the hybrid sounds harsh when worked hard, and has no enthusiasm to rev beyond the 5750 rpm at which peak power arrives. The launch cars also suffered from a slightly inconsistent throttle response, feeling like it continued to apply power for a fraction of a second after the gas pedal was lifted.
Yet this matters little as Alfa has no plans to bring the less powerful hybrid system to the US. The good news is that the rest of the car is good enough to show solid promise for the versions that will make it over here.
The US is not missing out on a charismatic powerplant. The good news is that the rest of the car is good enough to show solid promise for the versions that will make it over here.
Design is a definite strong point. You will forgive a good looking car much more than a bad looking one, a principle that Alfa Romeo has often pushed to breaking point with some of its beautiful, fragile models. Yet although a compact crossover still doesn’t feel like a particularly obvious recipient for the company’s famous badge, the result is a seriously handsome junior SUV—one that manages to look much bigger and more grown up than similarly sized alternatives like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Details like the Tonale’s heart-shaped radiator grille, triple-element headlights, and “telephone dial” alloy wheels add to the sense of occasion.
The interior is every bit as impressive, much more so than the plasticky cabins of the Stelvio and Giulia. Alfa has created a much more modern feeling interior for the Tonale, with nice-feeling materials and the combination of a standard digital instrument pack and high resolution 10.2-inch touchscreen in the center of the dashboard. Space is good up front and reasonable in back, there is a good range of driving position adjustment and cruising refinement is excellent. The new UI system also works cleanly and intuitively, and the Tonale also supports Alexa voice inputs, being intelligent enough to correctly interpret commands like “play classic rock” or “navigate me to a good pizzeria.” (Easy in Italy, less so in the Midwest.)
Engine aside, the rest of the driving experience also felt in need of some more polish. The standard passive dampers incorporate dual valve technology to improve compliance, but even on generally smooth roads the ride felt hard and sometimes harsh—the test cars riding on the largest possible 20-inch wheels may have been a contributory factor. The optional active dampers proved more compliant in their softer mode, and gave crisper front-end responses. The quick-geared steering delivered strong front end responses and grip levels were impressively keen on Pirelli P-Zero sports tires, but little discernible feedback got through the electric power assistance. E-boosted brakes felt more natural than the Stelvio’s brake-by-wire system, but there was still a slight hesitancy discernible at times.
Alfa’s first move towards electrification might be a small one, but we we won’t need to wait long for more radical progress. The PHEV Tonale will follow soon after the launch of the straight gasoline version in the US, this combining the efforts of a 1.3-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor at the back to produce a system peak of 270 hp. A battery-electric Tonale will follow in 2024, and Alfa will introduce its first EV-only model in 2025, with Alfa set to be a technology leader for the entire Stellantis group.
“I will have the range, I will have the power and I will have the charging rate,” Alfa CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Autoweek at the Tonale launch, “for Alfa Romeo you have to have that.”
Imparato is also certain that the US will play a key part in this electric future, where he anticipates Alfa will continue to make around a third of its global sales even beyond the point it drops combustion engines.
“My state mix is completely consistent with the EV move,” he said, “I am selling cars in California, Miami, New York, Washington. There is a convergence there to the EV mapping. The guys are ready for me, I just have to demonstrate that I have the performance, the quality and the right level of design.”
The Euro-spec Tonale ticks two of those boxes. Here’s hoping US-bound models can add a generous dose of dynamic excitement to the mix.
Specifications
Alfa Romeo Tonale 1.5 Hybrid
Engine: 1469cc, four-cylinder, turbocharged hybrid
Transmission: Seven-speed twin-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
Power: 158 hp @ 5750 rpm
Torque: 176 lb-ft @ 1500 rpm
0-62 mph: 8.8 seconds
Top speed: 130 mph
Weight: 3365 lbs
Price: $TBC
Expand Collapse
Keyword: Alfa Romeo Tonale Mild-Hybrid Is Excitement Challenged