Alfa Romeo presents its first compact SUV, the Tonale. It will be available in micro-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions to compete with the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and other Mercedes GLAs.
20 years is the time that separates the presentation of the Alfa Romeo Kamal, an early premium compact SUV concept, and that of the Tonale, the Italian brand’s first production compact SUV, unveiled on Tuesday 8 February, well after its main competitors.
Alfa Romeo will therefore try to catch up against already well-established rivals, such as the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Mercedes GLA, with the Tonale, the Stelvio’s little brother.
Its lines are quite close to the concept of the same name, presented in 2019. Its front end is almost unchanged, with a “floating” grille and its “3 + 3” headlights inspired by the SZ/RZ Zagato and the Proteo concept.
This signature is repeated at the rear in a light strip that runs along the tailgate. The Tonale is quite large compared to its rivals, with a length of 4.53m.
The interior differs slightly from the Stelvio and Giulia, in particular with a 10.25” central screen now integrated into the tablet format. The latter also inaugurates a new interface based on Android and capable of receiving remote updates (OTA), via its 4G connection. It also integrates the voice assistant Amazon Alexa. The instrumentation screen measures 12.3” diagonally.
In diesel, micro-hybrid petrol and plug-in hybrid
The Alfa Romeo Tonale offers two gasoline versions with mild hybridization (mHEV), a plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) and a diesel engine.
In terms of petrol engines, the offer consists of a 1.5 turbo four-cylinder with 130 hp and 240 Nm of torque, combined with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox incorporating a 48 V 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor and 55 Nm. A second version of this engine is offered, this time 160 hp with a variable geometry turbo. Both are tractions.
The plug-in hybrid offer, called e-Q4, takes up the fundamentals seen at Jeep, namely a 1.3 MultiAir turbo four-cylinder, a six-speed converter automatic gearbox and an electric motor driving the rear wheels, here taken from the Fiat 500 electricity (source: TheArgus), but with a higher combined output reaching 275 hp. This is the only four-wheel drive version on our market.
Finally, Alfa Romeo does not yet bury the diesel and presents in France a new 1.6 block of 130 hp and 320 Nm of torque, with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, in traction.
A level 2 autonomous driving system is offered, allowing the Tonale to be centered in its lane when using adaptive cruise control, in addition to numerous other driving aids.
The opening of orders is scheduled for April with a “Special” launch version. For the final range, Alfa Romeo wanted to keep it simple with only two trim levels: Super and Ti.
Finally, be aware that Alfa Romeo relies on NFT technology to offer a digital certificate. “Upon customer consent, the NFT will record vehicle data, generating a certificate that will ensure the car has been properly maintained, benefiting its residual value”explains the manufacturer.