It's a delightful little car, but is the game-changer the automaker needs?
Alfa Romeo has seemingly struggled to appeal to women sincereturning to the US, with around 70% of its customer base being male, according to the automaker. Speaking withCarBuzz在发布会上,company's new marketing boss said the Tonalecould flip that split in the other direction. This means theAlfa Romeo Tonalehas a very important job: to save the Alfa Romeo brand in the United States.
With such heavy responsibility, the Tonale has to be more than just 'good' to claw sales away from the likes of BMW, Audi, or Mercedes-Benz. So, it arrives stateside with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces more power than any of the entry-level models from the aforementioned German competitors - although it's on par with its Stellantis counterpart, the Dodge Hornet R/T. We spent a week with the Tonale to find out if a plug-in hybrid setup and Italian flair are enough to make buyers trust this brand over the more established fare.
Alfa Romeo is a brand that prioritizes design, but it's not easy to make a compact crossover stand out in a crowd. A mid-enginedsupercar like the recently revealed 33 Stradale, sure, but a front-biased crossover like the Tonale likely isn't bound for a bedroom wall poster. That being said, it's fair to say that the Tonale is one of the more attractive compact crossovers on the market.
It's available in some fun colors, too, including our tester's Alfa Rosso (red). We especially love the available Verde Fangio Metallic, a green shade named after the five-time F1 champion, but it costs quite a bit at $2,200, and it's only available on the top two trims. Stylish 20-inch wheels also add to the curb appeal, but these add $2,000 to the price. While it's certainly pleasing to the eye, we don't know how many people will be convinced to purchase a Tonale purely on its beauty alone - and knowing customization options are this pricey doesn't help.
阿尔法罗密欧是斯波尔ty brand, which explains the oversized column-mounted paddle shifters and metallic trim around the cockpit. We wish there were more color options for the interior as all three trims only offer black seats with an option for Biscotto (tan) stitching or Alcantara with red perforation. This cabin could desperately use a lighter color or even a sporty red to brighten it up. It's still a nice place to spend time, despite this.
As for the tech, it's all done fairly well, though the touchscreen could be larger. Competitors like theBMW X1have the Tonale outclassed in screen size. On the plus side, we particularly liked the digital gauges, which can take the appearance of classic Alfa Romeo dials and even change depending on the drive mode to show a tachometer or hybrid gauge.
A 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine combines with an electric motor to deliver 285 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque, which is far more than the entry-level crossovers from Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz, none of which offer a PHEV option. However, the closely related Dodge Hornet R/T makes slightly more at 288 horses and 383 lb-ft. The same 15.5 kWh battery from the Hornet plug-in hybrid does duty in the Tonale and enables around 33 miles on electric power before the engine kicks in. On a Level 1 household outlet, the Tonale can be fully charged overnight; it'll take about 2.5 hours on a Level 2 setup.
The plug-in powertrain seems to be the most compelling reason to choose a Tonale over one of its gas rivals, and the Tonale is punted as the more dynamic drive of the Stellantis siblings. The steering is tight without feeling heavy, and the ride isn't too firm, even with 20-inch wheels. Acceleration in EV mode is surprisingly spirited, given that the electric motor only produces 120 hp, but passing maneuvers still feel manageable to us without the engine kicking in.
Our tester, the top-tier Veloce trim, with premium paint, larger wheels, a moonroof, and a few technology packages, totaled $56,140 before destination ($1,595) - quite a jump from the $42,995 starting MSRP for the Tonale Sprint.
In my honest opinion, the Tonale is good value if you can keep the price as far under $50,000 as possible, which would require skimping somewhere on wheels, interior tech, and an expressive paint color. Like this, however, the Tonale isn't particularly thrilling. But opting for those pricey add-ons put the Tonale directly in the crosshairs of theVolvo C40 Recharge, a more powerful, all-electric crossover that offers better performance and a much morepremium interior.
The Tonale is a decent little crossover, and it certainly looks a lot better than most of the standard fare in the segment - but I don't believe it's a game-changing vehicle that will suddenly get more buyers to love Alfa Romeo. Looking at the numbers, the brand has failed to record more than 1,000 units sold so far in 2023, a low bar that it managed to clear in every month but one back in 2022. The Tonale hasn't yet flipped Alfa Romeo's fortune, and it may need to offer a little more to buyers to do that.
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