It has a difficult task: to proudly raise the fortunes of the Italian brand and to do so it relies on build quality, driving pleasure and technology. Here is Alfa Tonale, the first C-Suv of the Biscione which, awaited for years, is also the first hybrid car of the Italian brand of the Stellantis group. Tonale, in the range planned for launch, offers a 1.5 petrol engine in two power levels: 130 and 160 horsepower with 240 Nm of torque.
The less powerful version is the same as the one mounted on Jeep Renegade, Compass and Fiat 500 X, cars from which the new Alfa inherits the not young platform which, however, has been revised and corrected, especially on the suspension front, to offer handling and driving sensations like a true Alfa Romeo. Technical solutions have been introduced to “alfizzare” a base created for cars with a certainly not sporty character. In fact, we find systems such as brake by wire for regenerative braking, dynamic torque vectoring and electronic suspensions. The second unit, on the other hand, is an Alfa exclusive, and boasts a variable geometry turbo.
Hybridization, which anticipates the brand’s full electric future, takes place via a 48V 15 kW and 55 Nm electric motor which, when inserted in the double-clutch automatic transmission, is able to provide traction to the wheels even when the internal combustion engine is switched off thanks to the lithium-ion battery with a power of 22 kW and a capacity of 0.8 kWh. For this reason, Tonale’s hybrid powertrains exhibit an operation that is a cross between mild and full hybrid.
We tried Tonale on the roads between Como and Varese. The first impact with the car, 4.53 meters long, 1.84 wide and 1.60 high, is decidedly positive: the style is pleasant, far too conservative. It does not exhibit special effects and flashes of fantasy with the classic and immutable trilobe dominating the front. Tonale is very similar to the 2019 concept and with some details that highlight the kinship with other models based on the Small Wide platform. The quality of the painting of the assembly between sheet metal and panels is remarkable. On board, then, there is a surprise. The quality is, finally, very high (and here is all the promise of the Alfa Romeo driven by Jean-Philippe Imparato who put pressure on the Pomigliano factory) and we are not just talking about beautiful materials (like Alcantara) , but of smudge-free couplings between panels, various noises and weaknesses in the joints.
Alfa Romeo Tonale, live photos: this is how it is on the street
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The Tonale range is organized in a simple way: four outfits that fit together with two mild hybrid engines (pending the plug-in that will arrive in October). The trim levels are Super, Sprint, Speciale, Ti and Veloce. The 160 hp version is obtained only with the top variants. Prices range from 35,500 to 44,800. It is not given as a gift, it does not give discounts because Alfa now has to make margins and not gifts, but the equipment is very complete (only in the basic version the rear camera is missing) but the keyless is standard (the German competitors charge for it almost always) and the base color at no extra cost is a nice Alfa red. And there are basic things like Car play and Android Auto. With this equipment Tonale will have to contend with competitors such as Audi Q3 Sportback, Bmw X2, Cupra Formentor, Lexus Ux, Mazda Cx30, Mercedes GLA and Volvo Xc40.