A year and a month after becoming one big happy corporate family with a madeup name, we’re seeing vehicles.
- The Stallantis merger has produced a baby ute, the Alfa Romeo Tonale crossover.
- With an optional plug-in hybrid powertrain, it represents Alfa’s electric future.
- Look for an all-electric all-the-time Alfa lineup by 2027. No ICE.
When Alfa Romeo and Fiat expanded beyond the FCA brand and joined forces with the French PSA Group to form the new corporation Stellantis, efficiencies were inevitable. And when every carmaker on the face of the Earth realized that all anyone wanted to buy anymore were crossovers, even Alfa Romeo obliged. First came the FCA-birthed Stelvio, which shares its mechanical underpinnings with the Alfa Giulia, Maserati Grecale and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now we see the newest corporate lovechild: the Alfa/Stellantis Tonale crossover.
Stow yer outrage.
Alfa has a long history with rugged vehicles, consider this 1930s 430.
Alfa Romeo
The idea of an Alfa Romeo that is not a beautifully balanced sports sedan is not unprecedented. In the 1930s, ‘40s, ‘50s and even into the ‘60s Alfa Romeo made full-size, heavy duty commercial trucks. They were big haulers that managed to maintain a sense of style despite their carrying capacities.
Consider the Alfa Romeo 430 and 430RE built from 1942 to 1950. It was so classy it made you want to move to Italy and be a truck driver. Same with ambulances like the Romeo 2 Furgone made from 1954-1983 and the Autotutto F12. Alfa even made buses from the 1920s until the mid-‘60s, including the stylishly rounded Mille trolley bus.
So now onto the top of that historical heap drives the new Tonale, a crossover that shares its undercarriage with Jeep unibodies, but only sections of the floorpan, Alfa insists. The rest of the rig is unique to Alfa, in all its “mechanical nobleness,” Alfa said at the vehicle’s introduction.
Tonale’s interior has a full phalanx of electronics.
Stellantis
“While remaining true to its DNA of noble Italian sportsmanship since 1910, Tonale is part of a radical evolution taking place at Alfa Romeo, which looks ahead to a new era of electrification and connectivity,” Alfa said at the ute’s reveal.
The biggest news is that Tonale represents the beginning of Alfa’s transition to electrification, a goal it plans to fully achieve by 2027. For now, Alfa launches the Tonale with a PHEV as one of two powertrains.
Mated to a six-speed automatic, the all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid combines a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery with a 90-kW electric motor and 1.3-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder engine to deliver best-in-class 272 horsepower and an electric range of more than 30 miles. There’s a high-voltage belt starter generator mounted to the engine that delivers torque directly to the crankshaft while the rear axle is powered by a 90-kW electric motor capable of 1,844 lb-ft (2,500 Nm) of torque from 1 rpm.
That’s just the beginning of an all-electric Alfa, though. Look for a battery-electric version in 2024, followed by only hybrids and BEVs in 2025, and nothing but electrics in 2027, according to CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato.
Electrifying news.
The other, more conventional powertrain will be a 2.0-liter turbocharged four bolted to a nine-speed automatic, offering what Alfa calls best-in-class standard power of 256 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That powertrain will also offer engine stop-start technology that meets the super-ultra-low emissions 30 (SULEV 30) standards, Alfa said.
A 130-hp 1.6-liter diesel is available but only if you’re willing to move to Europe and stay there.
On the road, Alfa promises the Tonale will deliver best-in-class driving dynamics, with a quick 13.6:1 ratio for the electric power steering but just two driving modes for the shocks: comfort and sport. The standard Frequency Selective Damping blocks out the inputs you don’t want while leaving in the ones you do. Dual Stage Valve active suspension is available as an option, with electronically controlled MacPherson struts in front and three-arm geometry in back to help with the sporty promise.
Alfa Tonale comes in two powertrains, full iCE and a PHEV.
Stellantis
Inside are electronics Alfa hopes will draw technophiles. Stellantis’ Uconnect 5 infotainment platform allows users to customize their home screens and store up to five different user profiles with preferences for music and vehicle operation, Alfa says. You can connect with Alexa from inside the car, while the Alfa Connect mobile app allows you to perform a number of tasks like starting the engine or unlocking the doors from afar.
Outside, the Tonale shows a clean, distinctly Alfa design, especially the grille.
“It breathes Alfa-ness from every angle,” said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, head of Alfa Romeo design.
You can, too, soon enough. While the Tonale launches first in Europe, starting in June, we in the U.S. will get it six months after that. Look for pricing closer to launch time.
Keyword: Stellantis Merger Produces Offspring: The Alfa Romeo Tonale