Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEVAlfa RomeoThink of the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV as a stepping stone for the brand’s full electrification strategy, something it claims will be in full swing by 2027. That said, the Tonale will be one of the last ICE cars from Alfa Romeo — part of an end to a 116-year internal combustion reign.What Is The Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV?Alfa's Tonale family SUV was unveiled in February 2022 with 128 bhp and 158 bhp hybrid powertrains, as well as a 270 bhp all-wheel-drive Q4 hybrid.It arrived in showrooms in August 2022 and was only sold in 158 bhp hybrid form before the more powerful plug-in hybrid arrived in 2023. Alfa Romeo facelifted the Tonale in October 2025, introducing exterior design changes, including new wheel designs and colours.Alfa Romeo TonaleAlfa RomeoBeneath the PHEV’s stylish exterior sits a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a 90kW electric motor. The petrol engine powers the front wheels, while the electric motor drives the rear axle. Combined, the system delivers a total output of 266 bhp.AdvertisementAdvertisementLikewise, it has a 15.5kW battery that’s claimed to produce 35 miles of electric range when fully charged, but more on that later.One Week With The Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEVI’ve always been an Alfa Romeo fan ever since I laid eyes on a 1966 Spider. Then came the revised 1996 Spider, followed by the 159 and Brera — all of which made me tingle a little. Then the 4C arrived - and despite its foibles, I adored its baby supercar physique.I was quite excited then to get behind the wheel of my first Alfa — the Tonale PHEV. Of course, it’s a family SUV rather than a low-slung rocketship or a stylish '60s convertible designed for carving up the Amalfi Coast, but still.My loaner was a Misano Blue Veloce with 20-inch three-spoke alloy wheels and red Brembo brake calipers, breathing the air of the brand’s sportier Quadrifoglio series. Extras aside, the Tonale PHEV comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a rear-view camera, electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats, a digital instrument display, and wireless phone charging as standard.AdvertisementAdvertisementAlfa Romeo claims the Tonale will charge at speeds up to 7.4kW AC, although it topped out at 6kW during my testing. I charged it via my Easee One wallbox, which took 2.5 hours to charge from empty to full and frequently used 14.5kWh of electricity. With the battery charged, the readout showed 34 miles of electric range, giving an overall range of 327 miles with a full fuel tank.As with all plug-in hybrids, it’s important to keep the battery charged to maximise efficiency. During most runs throughout the week, the Tonale PHEV returned around 75 mpg with lows of 65 mpg.Alfa Romeo TonaleAlfa RomeoStill, the Tonale is beaten in its electric range by its rivals the BMW X1 xDrive 25e and Lexus NX 450h+. Take such figures with a pinch of salt, however, as these are likely to be a bit lower in real-world driving. At the end of the week, the Alfa returned a 64 mpg average over 210 miles, while its electric range was closer to 28 miles.Performance-wise, I was expecting a bit more than the 266 bhp figure suggests. Sure, the Tonale PHEV won’t struggle to overtake slower traffic, but a sudden throttle input results in a noticeable delay before the car wakes up. Cogs are swapped smoothly, and there’s a bit more urgency in the mid range, thanks to the electric motor’s assistance, but then there’s the engine noise, which sounds coarse under harsh acceleration.AdvertisementAdvertisementWith Dynamic mode engaged, the car feels planted through the twisties, though the ride becomes rather unsettled over smaller imperfections, thudding quite a bit as you're moved around in your seat.What bugged me the most was the car’s speed limit recognition system. Through some towns, it would show the correct speed limit. Most of the time, it told me the speed limit was 140 mph through small villages and motorways. The upside is that you don't get the annoying speed warning beep, though it's easy to turn off via the touchscreen.Inside feels cheap in places, although I adored the use of physical buttons. The seats were also comfortable over long distances, and there was enough head and legroom in the rear.Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV VerdictThe Tonale looks great with its aggressive front end and LED headlights; it looks miles better than its rivals — and also delivers decent mpg when the battery is charged. Likewise, the battery charges fairly quickly while plugged into a 7.4kW wallbox.AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you have a family and don’t want to give up your youthful spirit, then the Tonale PHEV will tick boxes with its sporty handling, long standard tech list, and user-friendly interior. Unfortunately, the interior isn’t quite as plush as its rivals, nor is the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV a particularly refined family SUV.This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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