Making an Alfa Romeo is becoming increasingly difficult: respecting its history – ancient and important – and, at the same time, talking about electrification, respecting the mandatory economies of scale must be a real nightmare for the Alfa Romeo designers. Also because we are talking about a crazy brand, which has a long tradition in motorsport. Indeed, very long given that it dates back to the 1920s and that its list of achievements includes victories in Formula 1 and a thousand other categories. A brand that went on to produce legendary models such as the 8C, the 33, the Giulietta spider and many others. Well, try to think about stuffing all this into a compact, electrified SUV, and you can understand the difficulties. Difficulties made even more severe because Tonale must also withstand the impact of fierce competition and endure the pitfalls of a sector that is facing an unprecedented transformation, with the advent of electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies.
Hence the search for a new path, made of elements never seen before: for the first time in the history of Alfa the symbol, the legendary Biscione, has been modified: here to symbolize the fact that this is the first C-SUV in the history of Alfa Romeo is the first electrified model, the tongue of the snake has been transformed into an electrical socket. And the new logo stands out both on the right door of the car and at the bottom right of the rev counter (with the same look as the Giulia of the Seventies).
Thus is born a storytelling capable of communicating directly with a younger customer: also for this reason Tonale takes home another record, that of making Alfa Romeo debut on TikTok. In fact, four video clips on design, technology and driving dynamics are dedicated to the small SUV: the sectors in which Alfa Romeo is radically evolving and projecting itself into the new era of connectivity and electrification.
Having said this, how much of Alfa Romeo is there in a car that was created in the Pomigliano d'Arco plant (that of the Alfasud and today the Panda) on the modified platform of the Jeep Compass? The answer is “a lot”. It is no coincidence that the launch of the Tonale was postponed by several months precisely to give more “Alfa” personality to the car.
A personality that the public immediately recognised, suffice it to say that from the moment of its presentation to the opening of deliveries (a few months), the Tonale collected over 4,500 orders: a visceral bond, the one between the Alfa Romeo brand and its enthusiasts, which has equals in the global automotive scene. And there was no shortage of clever twists: on the brand's first electrified model, after the 130 and 160 HP Hybrid versions, the Alfa Romeo brand decided to launch the Alfa Romeo Tonale with a diesel engine. A nice classic 1,600 diesel engine with 130 HP and a maximum torque of 320 Nm, combined with the six-speed dual-clutch TCT automatic transmission.
A strategic engine, also for the B2B sector, perfect for the needs of fleet managers and users required to undertake long journeys. In any case, chivalry aside, all Tonales on the road boast a sportiness unknown to many competitors. This is thanks to the most direct steering in the segment (13.6:1), which guarantees fun behaviour, placing it at the top of the class in terms of agility and driving dynamics.
Not only that, the Tonale is also the only model in the category to be equipped with the Integrated Brake System (IBS) assisted by Brembo 4-piston fixed brake calipers, with self-ventilated front discs for sports car braking performance. And to further improve road behavior, suspensions with FSD (Frequency Selective Damping) shock absorbers and a general architecture that includes the MacPherson strut pattern on both axles with specific geometry and characteristic angles have been adopted. And even the attachments on the body have been carefully designed to ensure maximum rigidity. In short, particular, very particular care for the happiness of driving enthusiasts.
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