Image: Alfa Romeo
Image: Alfa Romeo Tonale
Image: Alfa Romeo
The second SUV by Alfa Romeo has touched down in South Africa and its competitive price and hybrid powertrain put it in good stead to take the fight to its competition. Here is local pricing on the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Image: Alfa Romeo
SUVs from automakers renowned for driver-orientated cars will always face a degree of criticism. Originally met with dismay, the superlative Stelvio offered an experience akin to that of its lower-riding sedan sibling; the Giulia, while ticking the practicality boxes of an SUV. Despite this, these premium C-segment offerings only catered for a small market, Alfa Romeo needed something focused on volume, a spiritual successor of the Giulietta hatchback which has been discontinued.
Cue the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a model which dabbles in SUV territory for the second time for the storied Italian automaker. This time around, the model will compete in the hotly contested compact crossover SUV segment where it faces premium competition from the likes of the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. This is a spirited attempt for Alfa Romeo, to capitalise on a volume seller in a bustling segment.
Image: Alfa Romeo
South Africa will receive three levels of trim. Blow the dust off of your Italian dictionary because first in the lineup is the Ti (Turismo Internazionale model), followed in price by the Speciale and then the Veloce. All will be powered by a 1.5-litre variable-geometry turbocharged internal combustion engine coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Between these mechanical components will also be a 48-volt electric motor which makes all offerings on local soil hybrid.
Image: Alfa Romeo
The total output for the partially electrified powertrain is 118 kW and 240 N.m. While the performance remains modest, with a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of 8,8 seconds, the claimed fuel consumption for the powertrain is a meagre 5,7 L/100 km.
Alfa Romeo Tonale pricing:
Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti 1.5L FWD 7AT – R739 900
Alfa Romeo Tonale Speciale 1.5 FWD 7AT – R799 900
Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce 1.5 FWD 7AT – R819 900
Our man Braam Peens will be attending the local launch this week, keep an eye out for his initial impressions of the latest model to wear the Scudetto.
Keyword: Alfa Romeo Tonale spec and pricing confirmed for South Africa