An Alfa where rationality is just a little higher on the priority list, with a surprisingly sensible interior and mountains of space. The Tonale almost collapses under the weight of all the design references to Alfas from happier times; just look at the ghost of the Alfa SZ in the headlights, or that window line of the 8C at the rear side windows.
And so we can go on and on. They suit the Tonale well, especially since more than half of its available color palette consists of blues, reds and greens, instead of 50 shades of gray. Every Tonale available from us is a hybrid. This car is therefore the kick-off of the upcoming electric attack that Alfa will deploy.
Specifications of this Alfa Romeo Tonale
In 2023, a plug-in hybrid with 274 hp will first appear – that sounds very interesting. But for now, we’ll have to make do with a 160bhp unit that uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder mated to a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and front-wheel drive; albeit that there is still a small 22 hp electric motor attached to the standard seven-speed DCT gearbox.
That means that (unlike many other, somewhat milder hybrids) it can park and move along with crawling city traffic without the petrol engine having to intervene quickly.
The controls
But there are a few hints – right from the start – that this is a crossover meant to have some sporting aspirations rather than uncritically mingle with the murmurs of modern life. The first thing you’ll notice is how light, ultra-direct and almost nonchalant the controls feel.
The remedy, strangely enough, is to put the DNA button for the driving modes in the D of Dynamic, which adds a bit more weight to the steering feel. That remains airy, but it does give more confidence in corners and when maneuvering at low speeds. In addition, as a bonus, everything reacts just that little bit sharper – although the machine remains in low gears for the really beautiful just a bit too long.
All in all, you can easily feel from the handling that sportiness has been in the genes of this company for over a century. On the other hand, you can tell from the way the electricity is ‘tuned’ that that part is new to the Italians – it clearly lacks finesse.
The final verdict of the Alfa Romeo Tonale 1.5 T Hybrid
The suspension and damping setup is on the acceptable side of firm, while the interior is more ergonomic than you could expect from any Alfa Romeo. The reasonably modest size of the touchscreen and the regular buttons for the climate things even give it something extra over many rivals, while the designers have not forgotten to sprinkle a number of admittedly contrived but characterful motifs throughout the cabin.
A different kind of Alfa Romeo, although this one is certainly not without mistakes and peculiarities. But as there’s plenty of passion flowing through the rest of the car, we suspect you’ll be able to forgive it.
Specifications of the Alfa Romeo Tonale 1.5T Hybrid 160 Veloce
engine
1,469 cc
four-cylinder turbo
160 hp @ 5,500 rpm
240 Nm @ 1,500 rpm
Drive
front wheels
7v automatic
Performance
0-100 km/h in 8.8 seconds
top 210 km/h
Consumption (average)
6.1 l/100km
138 g/km CO2 B label
Dimensions
4,528×1,841x
1,601 mm (lxwxh)
2,636mm (wheelbase)
1,500 kilograms
55 l (petrol)
500 / 1,550 l (luggage)
Prices
€ 51,500 (NL)
€43,900 (B)
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