Since the Giulietta retired in 2020 after a career spanning some ten years, Alfa Romeo’s range was left with just two models – a little short for a brand to survive. So it’s high time that the offer was spruced up, and that happens to start with the Tonale, whose concept car was already presented in 2019 at the Geneva salon†
Entirely in line with the zeitgeist, the model that de facto succeeds the Giulietta in the C-segment is an SUV. And the Italians have done everything they can to make what they say is the most technologically advanced Alfa ever a success. That is also desirable, since Carlos Tavares, the big boss of Stellantis (the group that Alfa Romeo belongs to today) gave the brand ten years to legitimize its continued existence.
During the (digital) unveiling of Alfa’s first compact SUV, the word ‘premium’ was mentioned several times, although in Milan they also see so-called ‘upper mainstream’ models such as the 3008 from stable mate Peugeot as a rival – as long as that doesn’t lead to a family quarrel… Furthermore, Alfa CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato once again pointed out that from now until 2026 we can expect a new model from the manufacturer every year.
Remarkably loyal
The first thing you notice about the Tonale is that it proves remarkably faithful to the concept car it is based on. During the reveal of the production model, project manager Alessandro Maccolini stated that the main differences are purely related to homologation reasons and practical or economic feasibility.
Apart from the slightly less narrow headlights and the classic exterior mirrors instead of cameras, there are hardly any differences on the outside. So much so that you might wonder what the Italians have been up to all this time. All the more so because they didn’t have to start from scratch; After all, the Tonale rests on an existing platform. Not the widely acclaimed Giorgo chassis of the Giulia and Stelviobut that of the Jeep Compassalthough it did undergo some evolutions for the occasion.
For example, the track was increased and the Alfa engineers reportedly paid extra attention to the weight distribution on both axles. At 1.84 and 1.6 meters respectively, the production version is about the same width and height as a Compass, but at 4.53 meters it is 14 centimeters longer than its platform donor.
Alpha DNA
We’re not sorry that Alfa’s latest looks so little different from the Tonale Concept, as the latter was generally very well received at the time, thanks to its flowing lines and balanced proportions. There is nothing to show that the platform of the Jeep Compass was used. After all, the packaging is unmistakably Alfa, with many historical references.
To start with, of course, there’s that triangular grille, which is flanked at the bottom of the front bumper by large side air intakes. Equally typical are the almost iconic ‘teledial’ rims with their circular holes as a style element on which the model is presented (17 to 20 inches). The triple headlights and taillights, the latter of which are connected by an LED strip, are reminiscent of the SZ of the late 80s and early 90s, but also the more recent Brera and 159.
Furthermore, the shape of the rear windows and the beltline according to Alfa refers to the stunning 8C from 2007 and to the Giulia GT from the 1960s respectively. Not bad references. And the Italians promise that handling will be similar to that of the Giulia and Stelvio, with little understeer and a direct response, thanks in particular to an above-average direct steering system, an electronic differential lock on the front-wheel drive versions and an optimal weight distribution. The now familiar DNA switch for the different driving modes is of course also present.
cannocchiale
The interior also exudes Alfa genes. Just look at the shape of the hood over the instruments, which is reminiscent of binoculars (cannocchiale in Italian), as in the GT Junior or the Giulia Super of yesteryear. And just like in those illustrious ancestors from the pre-SUV era, the rev counter is always clearly visible here too. We also mention the ‘turbine-shaped’ ventilation openings, the steering wheel with the start-stop button and the gearshift paddles behind it, which, just like in the Giulia and the Stelvio, are made of real aluminum (but still a bit large). Since the unveiling took place digitally (the originally planned presentation at the brand’s museum in Arese was canceled due to corona), we were not yet able to assess the quality impression in person.
But while the Giulia was thrown onto the market at the time with an already dated infotainment system and some loose ends in finishing (flaws that were largely rectified with the first update), the Tonale introduces a new connected infotainment system from the start that Android runs, can be updated ‘over the air’, and includes voice control via Amazon Alexa. The dashboard has two screens as standard (the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel on which the navigation map can be repeated, and the 10.25-inch central touchscreen). In the images, the whole already looks very well cared for and elegant.
No EV (yet), but MHEV, PHEV and… diesel
The petrol versions of the Tonale are all electrified (a first for Alfa), but although the Tonale Concept was presented as an EV at the time, there is no question of a fully electric version. However, when we asked about it during the digital unveiling, Alfa Romeo product manager Daniel Tiago Guzzafame replied that such a zero-emission variant would be possible, but is not yet planned because they “want to wait for market demand”.
The smile that followed, however, makes us suspect that the Italians are already working on it (the opposite would honestly surprise us). Or will it be the even more compact Brennero that will be the first Alfa with a fully electric drive before the brand will be fully electric by 2027† A clutch pedal is in any case nowhere to be found, because every Tonale gets a robotized gearbox.
Slightly surprising is that there is a diesel, a 1.6 of 130 hp and 320 Nm. The entry-level petrol version is also good for 130 PS (and 240 Nm), with a new 1.5 that uses “an existing power source” as its basis, but works according to the Miller cycle (where the intake valves remain open longer). It is also the first petrol engine within the Stellantis group to have a variable geometry turbo.
This four-cylinder is also available with 160 horsepower and is supported in both cases by a belt-driven starter-alternator and a 48-volt system. What is special, since this is only a mild hybrid system, is that the car can sometimes move fully electrically, for example when parking or in stop & go traffic.
In the United States, the Tonale will also be available with a pressure-fed 2.0 without any mild hybrid technology. That is good for 256 hp and is standard combined with four-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic. However, this version is not offered in Europe. Rumors of the possible arrival of a Tonale Quadrifoglio are neither confirmed nor denied by Alfa.
Front or four-wheel drive
Both mild hybrids and the diesel are front-wheel tractors, unlike the Plug-in Hybrid Q4. That top version comes with 275 hp, according to Alfa accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds and could present an electric driving range of 60 to 80 kilometers, good for a total driving range of “more than 600 kilometers”.
This rechargeable hybrid version, which is said to weigh “under 1,900 kilos”, uses the 1.3 MultiAir of FCA origin and a 90 kW electric motor, with one driving the front wheels and the other the rear wheels. In the Jeep Compass this drive unit is good for a cumulative power of 240 hp, but in the Tonale it becomes 275 hp. Fully charging the 15.5 kWh battery should take 2.5 hours at a maximum of 7.4 kW.
2 levels of finishing + 2 packs
Alfa sticks to historical names for the versions. The Tonale is offered in Super and Ti trim levels, which can be supplemented with the Sprint and Veloce packages respectively. In addition, there is a special launch edition Edizione Speciale. We don’t know yet what the different versions exactly mean, but in any case Alfa promises the most modern driver assistance systems, with which level 2 autonomous driving is possible. A first is that the Tonale will receive an NFT (non fungible token), a kind of digital maintenance booklet, which should help to keep the residual value high.
The Tonale, which will be built at Pomigliano d’Arco’s heavily modernized southern Italian factory for the occasion, will be available to order from March/April. This will also be possible online, where Alfa promises the same conditions as at the dealer. Doubting customers can be convinced by the five-year warranty.
Prices are still a few weeks away, the first deliveries are planned for June. First the mild hybrids, then the diesels. The commercially important PHEV version will have to wait until the end of the year. We are already looking forward to our first acquaintance in real life… and are of course also curious how the real Alfisti will receive this first new Alfa under the Stellantis umbrella…
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