The Alfa Romeo Tonale has began to roll out in European markets as the primary electrified mannequin within the historical past of the Italian model and its first effort to step into the premium C-SUV section. Earlier this week we have been invited to the official presentation of the Tonale in Greece, the place we received our first detailed take a look at the mannequin.

Styled To Impress

Let’s begin by saying that the Alfa Romeo Tonale appears to be like completely beautiful in particular person, with the proportions and the reflections on the sculpted bodywork trying even sexier than within the press photographs.

Additionally Learn: Subsequent Alfa Romeo Giulia Sedan To Go Electrical, No Plans For New Giulietta

The group at Centro Stile, headed by Alexandros Liokis who was chargeable for the outside design, stayed true to the 2019 idea, regardless of having to cope with strict rules, practicality necessities and cost-cutting measures within the manufacturing automobile. In comparison with the idea, the full-LED headlights and taillights are thicker, the entrance overhang is longer, the rear doorways attain increased for simpler ingress/egress, whereas the frameless home windows, the mirror-replacing cameras and the flush door handles received misplaced within the course of.

Nonetheless, after these essential modifications that are minor in comparison with these we normally come throughout on most journeys from idea to manufacturing, the Tonale hasn’t misplaced any of its attraction, trying like a sculpture on wheels. Regardless of having loads of references in Alfa Romeo fashions from the previous together with the Giulia GT, the Disco Volante, and the SZ, the SUV has its personal character whereas embedding the DNA of the Italian model in its core, a minimum of from a stylistic perspective.

Trim Construction And Badge Engineering Menace

The trim construction of the Tonale contains 5 ranges: Tremendous, Dash, TI, Veloce, and Speciale. All of them include fairly beneficiant commonplace tools, however as a way to get the stunner pictured in our pictures, it’s important to step as much as the flagship Speciale. That is the one trim coming with the 20-inch wheels carefully imitating those from the idea automotive.

Giant diameter wheels are one of the best type of flattery for the design of the SUV, with the 18-inchers of the base-spec Tremendous trying moderately small, and the 19-inchers of the TI and the Veloce bridging the hole. The Tremendous and Dash additionally get a distinct pair of LED headlights with less complicated graphics, whereas if you’re a fan of the black accents on the scudetto grille it’s important to restrict your self to the Veloce and the Speciale.

A lot of the physique panels of the Tonale might be carried over to the Dodge Hornet sibling, except the Alfa Romeo emblems and the long-lasting scudetto grille which might be changed by a actually much less inspiring Dodge-styled entrance finish. This badge-engineering transfer might trigger an issue within the US division of Alfa Romeo, stealing gross sales and complicated patrons who’re already not effectively conscious of the Italian model’s existence.

Simplistic Inside With Satisfactory Area

Alfa Romeo made some daring statements concerning the inside high quality of the Tonale. Certainly, the design and supplies are an enormous step up from the period of the discontinued Giulietta, and extra consistent with the bigger Giulia and Stelvio. Whereas we wouldn’t describe it as a class-leading product by way of premium really feel and inside design, the hassle to match extra established rivals is spectacular, to say the least.

As an alternative of including bigger screens, Alfa Romeo opted for a less complicated and driver-centric method. The usual 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is named Cannocchialle, retaining the binocular form from Alfa Romeo’s of the previous with cool-looking graphics. These embrace the offended face of the automotive as a welcoming display, plus a pleasant retro-flavored choice for the digital dials. The free-standing 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen incorporates the acquainted UConnect 5 software program and has all the most recent connectivity options and trendy graphics with response, though it can collect lots of fingerprints.

Fortunately Alfa Romeo added a strip of bodily buttons for the local weather controls under the slim vents. The three-spoke steering wheel with an built-in Ferrari-style start-stop button and enormous gearshift paddles comes from the Giulia / Stelvio, as is the DNA driving mode selector. The horizontal strip working by means of the dashboard with ambient lighting is a brand new function within the Tonale, and can in all probability look higher at midnight though not as futuristic as we might hope for.

Alternatively, the gearshift selector has frequent components with the Compass, trying much less trendy than newer rivals which can also be the case with some components of the inside design that look extra 2020 than 2022. The leather-based and Alcantara upholstery of the high-spec Speciale is a pleasant contact, elevating the sporty environment. On the ADAS entrance, we get a typical Stage 2 autonomy, similar to in the remainder of the Alfa Romeo vary.

As each C-SUV ought to, the Tonale delivers loads of practicality for a automobile measuring 178.4 in. (4,530 mm) lengthy. The rear passengers have ample knee room and loads of headroom, small door pockets, plus their very own local weather vents and USB ports for charging. There’s additionally a flat seat for a center passenger, if permitted by the scale of the opposite two.

Within the mild-hybrid variants we got here throughout, the boot was moderately giant, with an marketed determine of 500 lt (17.7 cubic ft), a sq. form with out the same old bumps for the wheels and an adjustable top for the ground that may go fairly deep since there may be not spare tire beneath. The cargo house is 5 lt (0.2 cubic ft) greater than within the Mercedes GLA, however 30 lt (1 cubic foot) lower than within the Audi Q3 and 40 lt (1.4 cubic ft) lower than within the BMW X1.

FCA Underpinnings, Electrified Powertrains

One will argue that it took very lengthy for Alfa Romeo to hitch the electrification pattern, however because of the Stellantis components bin, the automaker went all-in. As an alternative of going for the STLA Medium structure which might be broadly utilized in a number of years, the Tonale relies on an improved model of the FCA Small Broad platform discovered within the similarly-sized Jeep Compass – thus the similar 103.8 in. (2,636 mm) wheelbase.

Nonetheless, engineers made an effort to distinguish it from its sibling by including distinctive touches just like the brake-by-wire system from the Giorgio platform with Brembo calipers, wider tracks, faster steering, and new impartial suspension with both the usual Koni FSD dampers or a extra refined energetic suspension. We’re wanting to see how this new setup works in actual life once we get the prospect to drive the SUV someday within the subsequent few months.

By way of powertrains, setting apart the 1.6-liter turbodiesel with 128 hp (95 kW / 130 PS) that may in all probability be discontinued in a few years, and the US-only turbo 2.0-liter petrol with 256 hp (190 kW / 259 PS), the Tonale will get an electrified vary. The turbocharged 1.5-liter petrol engine is out there in two totally different energy guises, with 128 hp (96 kW / 130 PS) or 158 hp (118 kW / 160 PS), at all times mixed with a 48V gentle hybrid system contributing an additional 20 hp (15 kW / 20 PS). The extra highly effective model has the Alfa-specific Variable Geometry Turbo, whereas in each instances energy is transmitted to the entrance axle by means of a seven-speed dual-clutch automated gearbox, with all variants of the Tonale being auto-only.

Those that need extra energy will go for the flagship This autumn plug-in hybrid variant, which is the one one providing all-wheel-drive. The system includes a turbocharged 1.3-liter petrol engine and a rear-mounted electrical motor producing a mixed 272 hp (203 kW / 275 PS), which is greater than within the Jeep Compass 4Xe sibling. On the identical time, the bigger 15.5 kWh battery gives a WLTP vary of 37 miles (60 km) in EV mode. Alfa Romeo is reportedly engaged on an much more highly effective Quadrifoglio variant of the Tonale which might arrive in a number of years’ time if it will get the inexperienced mild, alongside a totally electrical model of the SUV.

Rivals and Pricing

Rivals within the premium compact SUV section embrace the BMW X1 which has simply acquired a brand new technology, the Audi Q3, the Lexus NX, the soon-to-be facelifted Mercedes-Benz GLA, in addition to the lately up to date Volvo XC40 and DS 7 Crossback. You too can evaluate it with top-of-the-range variations of non-premium C-SUVs that are too many to take be aware.

Pricing of the Alfa Romeo Tonale places it proper in opposition to the competitors, though the Italian firm has but to announce the price of the PHEV variant that may arrive within the coming months. In Greece, the mannequin begins from €37,300 ($37,488) for the entry-level Tremendous and goes as much as €47,000 ($47,228) for the full-spec Speciale. In Italy, the launch version was priced at €39,000 ($39,253) with beneficiant tools.

So this was our detailed take a look at the primary all-new Alfa Romeo mannequin since 2016. We’re trying ahead to driving the Tonale when the primary press vehicles change into out there, and checking if the guarantees made by its exterior design are met by way of efficiency and driving dynamics.

Images by Thanos Pappas