The Alfa Romeo Tonale is expected to have a starting price of £33,000 when it goes on sale later this year, but why would you choose one over the countless other SUVs available?
Because it’s an Alfa Romeo of course. Alfa Romeo is synonymous with many things – both positive and negative. Stylish designs, sporty interiors and an ability to inject a fun drive into its cars are Alfa trademarks. But so is a reputation for being less than reliable.
The first of these stereotypes rings true when you clap eyes on the Tonale’s shapely form, piercing headlights and trademark Scudetto grille – it looks brilliant, especially for a car that uses an SUV body as its foundation. It's one of the main reasons you would choose it over a BMW X1 or Mini Countryman PHEV.
The boxy body pays off on the inside where you get room for four people and a boot that’ll swallow a decent amount of luggage. The Tonale might be a small SUV but it’s big enough to deal with family life.
And it will feel special. Heavily cowelled dials are a pointer to the company’s Grand Prix-winning past and you can expect it to have smart trims and supportive front seats.
Infotainment will feature heavily with the car having two large screens – one in place of analogue dials and another centre display that you’ll use for the car’s infotainment system and sat-nav. Expect the car to have plenty of USB plugs for keeping your electricals charged.
The Tonale will be based on the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade but you can expect it to have a sharper drive than either of them, with noticeably quicker steering and better body control. You’ll be able to adjust both using the car’s DNA drive select.
The Tonale will be offered as a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid that uses a 1.3-litre petrol engine boosted by an electric motor to produce either 190 or 240PS running through a six-speed automatic gearbox. While the petrol engine turns the front wheels, the electric motor spins up the rears.
You’ll be able to select a pure-electric mode using the drive select for emissions-free running in town, but you can also expect the Tonale to have off-road and Sport settings. Regenerative brakes mean it will be possible to drive that car using one pedal, the car slowing automatically when you lift your foot off the accelerator.
In terms of performance, the 190PS model should get from 0-62mph in around 7.5 seconds, while the 240PS model will do it in less than seven. Official fuel consumption has been quoted at more than 130mpg but will be much lower than that when the battery’s around-30-mile range has been depleted.
We’ll have more information as the car’s launch approaches later this year.
