This is the Tonale, the first electrified Alfa Romeo. It’s an all-new, hybrid and NFT-equipped SUV that’s here to take on the BMW X1, Mercedes GLA and Audi Q3. Signifying the beginning of a new era and “the metamorphosis of Alfa Romeo”, this is a very important car for the Italian marque.
On the outside, the Tonale remains relatively faithful to the concept of three years ago, albeit with some rounded-off edges for production. While there’s a bit of Stelvio in the profile, the nose and tail have changed the most in the evolution of Alfa styling language.
We say evolution as the triple-LED light “3+3” array at each side is very much reminiscent of the 159 and Brera of the 2000s and indeed, the SZ of the 1990s – no bad thing either way and certainly a distinctive light signature. If you know your Alfas, the Tonale won’t be mistaken for anything else as it passes in the night.
The distinctive triangular grille now floats under the Tonale’s prominent bonnet. The iconic teledial alloys are available from 17- to 20-inch sizes with the latter looking enormous on the Veloce model pictured.
The inside arguably is where the Giulia and the Stelvio had the most catching up to do when compared to German rivals and the Tonale rightly addresses this. As standard come two large displays – a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and a 10.25-inch digital dash – equipped with a new android-based Human Machine Interface, featuring 4G connectivity and over-the-air updates. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration will as you’d hope, come as standard.
New features like My Remote and Send & Go will allow you to control the car’s lights, unlock it and set navigation destinations via your smartphone from the outside. Happily, the sporty Alfa Romeo three-spoke multi-function wheel and gorgeous alloy shift paddles are only slightly revised.
The Tonale will also be the first car to come with its own NFT (non-fungible token), a unique digital footprint for each car to record the main stages of its life. Think of it as the next step in both registration and history documentation of a vehicle.
It’s all change under the bonnet, too, though not yet fully-electric as in the concept. Instead, a range of hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains mean every Tonale will at least be in part electrified.
A new 1.5-litre turbocharged engine is paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. This combination is available in both 130PS and 160PS configurations – the latter getting a more responsive variable-geometry turbo.
Both also offer all-electric start-up and low-speed movement under electric power, thanks to the new 20PS (15kW) ‘P2’ electric motor, for parking and crawling in traffic, up to what would be a petrol engine’s idle crawl speed in first gear.
Heading the current Tonale powertrain range is in fact the smallest engine in the range – the 1.3-litre MultiAir turbo. Working in combination with a 15.5kWh battery and electric motor, the plug-in hybrid Q4 sports 275PS and an impressive 49-mile electric-only driving range. With all-wheel-drive – petrol to the front, electric to the rear – the Tonale Q4 will get to 62mph in just 6.2 seconds.
The Tonale can be had in two trim levels, Super and Ti, with both tweakable by Sprint and Veloce packs respectively for sportier looks and a more premium feel. Pricing is yet to be announced for the Tonale but expect it to be aggressive in comparison to the circa £30,000 entry point of German rivals.
Keyword: Alfa Romeo Tonale production model revealed