2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV brings hybrid performance to revitalize stylish Italian brand
Alfa Romeo’s meager model line will get a badly needed infusion of fresh blood when the Tonale compact SUV arrives in January 2023.
Armed with standard all-wheel drive and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain delivering 272 horsepower and better than 30 miles of all-electric range, the Tonale will compete with models like the BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA in one of the luxury market’s top-selling segments.
The Tonale signals the beginning of Alfa’s transition to electric power, which will include a fully electric vehicle in 2025 and an all-EV lineup by 2028, Larry Dominique, head of Alfa Romeo North America, told me.
Alfa’s return to North America started strong with the dynamic and distinctive 2017 Giulio sport sedan and 2018 Stelvio midsize SUV, but its momentum stalled due to quality woes and a lack of new models.
“Alfa Romeo will be the first Stellantis brand to go all EV in North America,” Dominique said. Stellantis’ other brands include Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler Fiat, Peugeot, Opel, Citroën, DS and Abarth.
Alfa is Stellantis’ global luxury brand. Alfa's cars and SUVs command prices similar to Mercedes and BMW, Dominique said.
Alfa is potentially a major money maker, but leading luxury brands outsell it by orders of magnitude. Mercedes sells more vehicles in the U.S. in a month than Alfa’s total of 18,350 for all of 2021.
The Tonale should be Alfa’s top seller, attracting new buyers with prices lower than the Giulia and Stelvio, which start at $42,950 and $45,150, respectively, according to KBB.com. Tonale prices haven’t been announced, but will probably start in the mid-$30,000s.
In a video briefing from brand headquarters in Italy, global Alfa boss Jean-Philippe Imparato said the Tonale’s design, handling, software and connectivity will set it apart from competitors.
How big, how powerful?
At 178.3 inches long, the Tonale is slightly bigger than the GLA and X1. It should offer more passenger and cargo space than those small SUVs, but its chief calling cards will be style, handling and features, Dominique said. It’s about 2.3 inches shorter than a Lincoln Corsair, though Lincoln is not one of Alfa’s prime competitors. The Tonale is 63 inches tall and 72.2 inches wide, dimensions that put it in the heart of the compact luxury SUV market.
All-wheel drive will be standard on Tonales sold in the U.S.
The base drivetrain is a 256-hp four-cylinder engine linked to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The top model will be a 276-hp plug-in hybrid that uses a 1.3L turbocharged engine to power the front wheels and has an electric rear axle. The plug-in hybrid, or PHEV, will be able to go more than 30 miles on a fully charged battery, and up to 600 miles combined battery and gasoline range.
Alfa Romeo will sell less powerful gasoline hybrids, front-wheel-drive models and a diesel Tonale in other parts of the world, but the U.S. is only slated for the two sportiest and most powerful models.
The PHEV will have a 52% front-48% rear weight distribution, a balance that lends itself to stability and good handling on twisting roads.
The weight distribution of other models hasn’t been revealed, but they’re likely to be more nose heavy, and correspondingly a bit less sporty.
Dominique expects the powerful and well-equipped PHEV to be the best selling Tonale in the U.S. That almost certainly means it’ll also be the brand’s top seller.
The Tonale will have three trim levels.
In ascending order:
Sprint
TI
Veloce
Unique face, familiar profile
The Tonale’s nose is visually arresting and immediately recognizable as an Alfa. Three square projector LED headlight beams frame the deep triangular grille and Alfa badge that have been the brand’s signature for decades. The taillights mirror the three-light layout, with a narrow red light bar across the tailgate.
The body side has a pronounced shoulder line running from front to rear along the bottom of the windows. A character line runs along the doors and fenders from the front wheel well to taillights.
Photos of the Tonale’s forward-leaning stance, wide track and flared fenders recall the larger Stelvio.
The SUV uses a nearly completely reengineered version of the CUSW architecture Stellantis uses for the Jeep Cherokee and other vehicles. Everything but the section under the passenger compartment has changed significantly.
Changes to the architecture include:
Wider track
More aluminum to reduce weight
Weight distribution changes to improve handling
Structural reinforcements
New front and rear suspension
New steering gear and rack
Alfa engineers say the architecture will make the Tonale one of the most responsive and sporty small SUVs on the road, and the PHEV’s power and torque — “electrification according to Alfa Romeo” — will “reinvent sportiness for the 21st century.”
Alfa builds the Tonale in Pomigliano D’Arco, just north of Naples and Mount Vesuvius in southeast Italy.
Luxury and connectivity
The interior features a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.25-inch touch screen rising above the center stack.
The gauges — including a big tachometer and speedometer — recall the analog instruments of previous Alfas, but the layout is configurable. Aluminum paddle shifters and normal and dynamic driving modes are standard.
The infotainment system uses Stellantis’ latest Uconnect 5 interface and the Android operating system. It’s compatible with Alexa and Google Home Assistant. The connected navigation system can search for businesses and compute the vehicle’s range when mapping.
The Tonale can get over-the-air updates and has a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Harman Kardon audio will be available.
Every owner will get an NFT blockchain card that identifies their vehicle, tracks service and maintenance at Alfa dealers and more.
Alfa didn’t provide a good look at the interior, but it’s safe to expect the appealing shapes and materials common to Italian design.
Alfa was founded in Milan in 1910. It built fast and beautiful vehicles for decades, but has never approached the sales of leading luxury brands.
The Italian government ran Alfa for decades. Quality issues plagued the brand, which Fiat acquired in 1986, on the promise of revitalizing and expanding its model line.
Those promises have yet to materialize. The Tonale and shift to electrification are the latest attempt.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2023 plug-in hybrid Tonale compact SUV kicks off Alfa Romeo's EV push
