“Alfa Romeo ~ Racing and Winning Since 1910” – that was the sticker that adorned the rear window of my gray-market 1967 Alfa Romeo GT Junior for years. I fell in love with Alfa in the early 2000s, and learned the meaning of the alternate acronym, “Always Looking For Another.”
What I loved most about that Junior — and all the other Alfas I owned and drove — was the sense of soul. An Alfa is not just any other car; it is a relationship. And that’s not a polite way of saying you have to constantly tinker to keep one running. They were always (well, most of the time) reliable for me. It’s saying that with an Alfa, you get back what you put into the car, whether that’s love or neglect.
Overview
The Alfa Romeo Tonale is the smaller of the two SUVs offered by the brand; a compact two-row five-seat vehicle. It’s a sibling model to the Dodge Hornet through the Stellantis corporate parent of both brands. The Tonale is a plug-in hybrid; there is no other drivetrain available, and it comes with all-wheel drive. Inside and out, you get a distinctly Italian take on luxury and performance.
Exterior
Any Alfa starts with the grille. The distinctive heart-shaped sign that the car coming up to pass you is from Milan’s historic automaker. The front-end treatment varies a bit based on your trim level, but that grille is always there. The rest of the Tonale looks like a nicely designed compact SUV. Form follows function in this class, so the styling happens at the margins. The Tonale looks nice, not frumpy.
Interior
The sameness of the Tonale extends to the interior. Like all modern vehicles, things are laid out in a standard way that doesn’t differ much from brand to brand. However, there are touches that speak to Alfa’s heritage, like the start button located on the steering wheel, and convenient controls to change from normal drive mode to dynamic at the touch of a dial on the console.
One area in which Alfa ranks among the top automakers in the world is the comfort of the seats. I got into the Alfa after a long airplane ride with my lower back complaining, and the seat was like a trip to the chiropractor. It’s supportive, and it holds you comfortably in place for any kind of driving. Top marks there, even before you turn on the seat heater.
Powertrain
The Tonale is driven by a 1.3-liter turbocharged engine mated to a plug-in hybrid electric system, and the rear axle is driven by its own electric motor. You’ll get about 32 miles of all-electric driving out of the Tonale, then it drives like a regular hybrid. The charge port is Level 2, so no DC fast charging, but it will charge up fully in about four hours. So it’s an easy overnight charge for a wall-mounted 240-Volt system, and that will handle most people’s everyday driving without using any gas at all.
The engine, with its 6-speed automatic transmission, and hybrid system offer more than adequate power. Alfa was always more about momentum than raw power, and that holds true in the Tonale.
Safety and Technology
Like all modern vehicles, the Tonale comes with a laundry list of advanced features. Notably, there’s adaptive cruise, assisted steering, blind spot monitor, traffic sign recognition, and a 360-degree camera system that comes as part of an add-on option package. Suffice it to say, if you want a particular feature, it’s either standard, or part of a package.
The Tonale uses a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, paired with a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. Apple and Android phone integration is standard, and in the top Veloce trim, there’s a mobile device charging pad.
Driving Impressions
With 285 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque on tap, the Tonale will hit 60 mph in 6 seconds. But acceleration is not the reason to consider this SUV. What always sets an Alfa apart is suspension tuning, and that’s where the Tonale really excels.
The ride is firm yet compliant, and the Tonale is communicative, predictable, and reassuring in corners. This is a car that’s easy to drive well, and responds to a confident touch on the accelerator, brake and steering.
Then, the Tonale is equally at home in around-town driving. It’s crisp and precise in its motions. The only fault I can find is a less-than-predictable accelerator response as the system transitions from electric to gasoline power and back again. Sometimes the Tonale feels like it’s bogging down, or can’t quite decide what to do. Further tuning of the system should relieve that tendency, and overall the Tonale is worthy of the Alfa badge on the grille.
2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Specifications
| Dimension | Dimensions: L: 178.3 inches/W: 72.4 inches/H: 63.2 inches/Wheelbase: 103.8 inches |
| Weight | 4,133 pounds |
| Powertrain | 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and a permanent magnet synchronous motor, 6-speed automatic transmission and electric all-wheel drive |
| Fuel Economy | 29 mpg combined city/highway; 77 mpg-e/32 miles range |
| Performance Specs | 285 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque |
| Price | Base price: $42,995; As tested: $57,450, including $1,595 destination charge |
| On-Sale Date | Available now |
Wrap Up
You can get the Tonale in three different trims, all with traditional Alfa names: Sprint, TI and Veloce. There’s about $7,000 difference between the trims, with Sprint starting at $42,995 for the 2024 models that are on sale now.
The top Veloce trim starts at $49,695 and the TI splits the difference. Honestly, there’s very little downside to choosing the Veloce, and the equipment difference more than justifies the price. Adding on, there are some tech and luxury packages you can choose, and our fully loaded test vehicle stickered out at $57,450.
2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale — Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Alfa Tonale selling well?
The Tonale accounts for 50% of Alfa sales in the U.S..
Is the Tonale bigger than the Stelvio?
Ideally, it would cost you $3,000 to $5,000 to replace your Camry Hybrid battery. So, if you’re considering a replacement, pay attention to factors like the make, the capacity, the compatibility with your vehicle, and a few more parameters.
How far will Camry Hybrid go on electric only?
However, the Camry is capable of travelling short distances — no more than two miles — under electric power alone, which should make it very efficient in towns and cities.
