Alfa Romeo Tonale (finally) brings Italian brand into electrified world

February 9, 2022February 19, 2022 Toby Hagon 2429 Views Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo will finally have a hybrid in its lineup as it forges towards an all-EV future following the reveal of the all-new Tonale compact SUV.

Considered a reboot for the struggling Italian brand that is part of the recently-formed Stellantis group – Alfa Romeo refers to the newcomer as a “metamorphosis” – the Tonale gives an insight into the way Alfa Romeo will tackle a world where near-silent electric motors replace the drama and character of petrol engines that have long been the heartbeat of the brand.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale marks a “metamorphosis” for the Italian brand and a shift towards electrification

As well as a front-drive mild hybrid, the Tonale will be offered as a plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) driving all four wheels. There’s also a petrol-only 2.0-litre turbo engine for overseas markets.

When the Tonale arrives in Australia early in 2023 it will come initially with a mild hybrid drivetrain only, although the PHEV is expected down the track.

The new Tonale will also bring a fresh injection of technology to match the seductive styling that is clearly a big part of the Tonale sales pitch.

The Tonale compact SUV has classically beautiful Alfa Romeo styling

The technology includes over-the-air software updates, built-in Amazon Alexa voice control, two TFT screens and non-fungible token (NFT) digital certificates that uses blockchain to maintain a non-modifiable record of the car and its history.

Alfa Romeo believes the addition of NFT record keeping has the potential to bolster resale values by improving transparency about how the car has been treated throughout its life.

Beneath the Tonale’s seductive skin is an FCA platform heavily modified for use in an Alfa Romeo

With a strong made in Italy theme, the Tonale rides on a heavy evolution of an architecture developed by the former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for use in Jeeps. But it has been widened for use in the Tonale and has Alfa Romeo-designed MacPherson strut suspension as well as steering tuned for use in what is shaping up to be an athletic compact SUV; that means a more direct ratio for sharper responses.

There are also Alfa-designed Frequency Selective Dampers (FSD) designed to smooth bumps better than traditional shock absorbers while providing the control that is expected of a sporty SUV.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale arrives in Australia early in 2023

The Tonale has a distinctive style that leverages the brand’s rich history while utilising modern lighting and lines, including distinctive three-piece headlights up front.

Sweeping lines and a clean but distinctive shape should help it stand out in a market dominated by German players such as the BMW X2, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Inside, there’s no shortage of Italian flair, including heavily sculpted seats and lashings of red stitching around the cabin. The centre console is tilted towards the driver and the digital instrument cluster has classic double-curved binnacle surrounding it.

High quality finishes and some Italian flair define the interior of the Tonale

In Australia, the Tonale will initially arrive with a mild hybrid that uses a 48V system.

It pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a 15kW/55Nm electric motor.

There will be two tunes – 97kW and 119kW, the latter getting variable geometry turbo tech – each driving the front wheels through a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission.

But the flagship plug-in hybrid hero brings more power, better performance and an all-wheel drive system.

There’s plenty of Italian attention to detail in the cabin of the Tonale

A 1.3-litre MultiAir four-cylinder turbocharged engine drives only the front wheels while a 90kW electric motor drives the rear wheels, marketing as Alfa Romeo’s Q4 all-wheel drive system.

Combined they make 205kW, enough to reach 100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

The Tonale PHEV gets a 15.5kWh battery claimed to provide up to 60km of electric-only range.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale compact SUV has the brand’s first plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) system

There’s also the latest suite of driver assist and semi-autonomous technologies, including auto braking, blind spot detection, traffic jam assist, lane centring and adaptive cruise control.

The Tonale PHEV will not be initially offered in Australia and while Alfa Romeo isn’t saying when it will land, it appears only a matter of time.

“The capability is of course there,” said product planning boss Daniel Tiago Guzzafame shortly after the Tonale was revealed to media. “One of the goals is to have plug-in offer in Australia as well.”