This is the new Alfa Romeo Tonale

The new Alfa Tonale is a crossover/SUV in the higher (premium) C-segment. In the current line-up of the illustrious Italian car brand, the Tonale is actually the entry-level car, more or less the successor of the Giulietta that has since been discontinued. The further Alfa Romeo offer currently consists of two other – larger – models: the sedan Giulia and the SUV Stelvio , which was the last new Alfa unveiled at the end of 2016.

Alfa Romeo Tonale: Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid

Alfa Romeo supplies the Tonale as a Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid. The Hybrid is equipped with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, which Alfa combines with an electric motor (48 volts, 15 kW and 55 Nm) and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The system power is 130 hp or 160 hp. The provisional top model is the Tonale Plug-in Hybrid e-Q4 with 275 hp.

Alfa Romeo specifies an electric range of up to 60 (combined) or 80 (city traffic) kilometers (WLTP) for the Tonale Plug-in Hybrid. According to Alfa, the battery is fully charged in 2.5 hours with a 7.4 kW fast charger. This version is equipped with four-wheel drive, the Hybrid is a front-wheel drive.

Chat with Alexa

As with every new car introduced today, Alfa also proudly talks about all the connectivity that the Tonale offers. We mention here the voice assistant Alexa from Amazon, an operating system from Android, the possibility of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and two displays that together cover 22.5 inches. Furthermore, there are all kinds of driving assistance systems available and the Tonale can drive autonomously at level 2 (car can accelerate, steer and brake, but you always have to pay attention yourself).

No diesel for the Netherlands

The Tonale is also available as a 1.6 diesel with 130 hp, but that new engine variant is not coming to our country because of the questionable image of the diesel engine and is intended for, among other things, the home country of Italy. There they simply have less trouble with a controversial image (check former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi), although plug-in hybrid models are becoming increasingly popular there too.

Alfa Romeo Tonale: made in Italy

Now that we have arrived at the term controversial: Alfa produces the new Tonale in its factory in Pomigliano d’Arco, near the southern Italian city of Naples. This is the factory where the Alfasud came off the production line in the 1970s. A fantastic driving car (yours truly should know, it was his first car), but it was already rusting in the folder. That won’t happen with the Tonale; the factory has been modernized and is completely up-to-date. The last Alfa produced here is the Alfa 159 and that was last in 2011.

Is it a real one?

The only question that remains is: is it a real one? That question always arises as soon as certain car brands introduce a new model. Citroën, but also Alfa suffers from this. Because if you’ve produced such iconic volume models (we’re calling a Giulia from the 60s, an Alfa 75 from the 80s and an Alfa 156 from the 90s), expectations are usually high. .

Absolutely passed

Alfa itself finds the Tonale in any case a real Alfa, witness the references it makes to renowned Alfas of yesteryear, such as the 33 Stradale (the rims of the Tonale), the 8C Competizione (the point where the roof, rear window and rear side windows come together) and the Giulia GT (the line that runs down the side of the body). That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but we think the design of the Tonale is absolutely successful – for a crossover then.

Alfa Romeo Tonale available as Super and Ti

To know whether the Tonale is a real Alfa, you have to drive, of course. After all, the current Giulia and Stelvio are among the sportiest driving cars in their class, as befits a real Alfa. It just takes a little patience, the Tonale can be ordered from April 2022. We hope to have ridden before then. There are currently two versions available: Super and Ti. Indications that ‘Alfisti’ should sound like music to your ears.