2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale: Alfa Gets Electrified With New Baby SUV
Competes with: Audi Q3, BMW X1, Jaguar E-Pace, Lexus UX, Mercedes-Benz GLA
Looks like: The Tonale concept from the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show — which is to say, a smaller Stelvio with updated lighting
Powertrains: Tonale Q4 has 256-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with nine-speed automatic transmission; Tonale Q4 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has 272-hp (combined), 1.3-liter turbo four-cylinder and 90-kilowatt electric motor with six-speed automatic; all-wheel drive for both
Hits dealerships: First quarter 2023
After revealing the Tonale concept in 2019, a subcompact SUV, Alfa Romeo is finally bringing it into production. (It’s pronounced “toe-nah-lay,” not “toenail.”) Not only will the Tonale double Alfa’s SUV lineup from one to two choices, but it also heralds the start of a new age for the Italian automaker: electrification. In addition to a turbocharged 2.0-liter, gas-only four-cylinder engine, the Tonale will be sold in the U.S. as a PHEV, the first electrified Alfa Romeo in this market. (Other markets will also get a diesel version and a traditional hybrid.)
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The Tonale also represents Alfa’s first consumer foray into a different field: nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, proving the technology can be used for something other than exchanging vast sums of money for drawings of apes.
Alfa Looks
The exterior of the Tonale looks a lot like that of its larger Stelvio sibling, with plenty of carlike, swooping lines, including what Alfa calls a GT line running along the side from headlight to taillight, with an additional character line on the doors. The LED headlights each have three lighting elements that look similar to Alfa’s long-departed SZ Zagato. In back, the LED taillights continue the three-element pattern, but they’re connected across the liftgate by an additional lighting element.
High-Tech Interior
Inside, the Tonale comes standard with a configurable 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster as well as a 10.25-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5, the latest multimedia technology from Alfa Romeo’s parent company, Stellantis. The Tonale will also have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Amazon Alexa capabilities. Upholstery choices will adhere to Alfa’s sporty history and include leather and Alcantara (simulated suede).
Tonale buyers can also opt to have vehicle data and maintenance history collected as a “blockchain card” NFT. Alfa Romeo says this sort of verifiable ownership and maintenance history will serve to improve the Tonale’s residual value and provide peace of mind to later owners.
High-Tech Safety
The Tonale comes with a host of standard advanced safety tech, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert and lane departure warning. Alfa Romeo says Level 2 driver-assist with Traffic Jam Assist is optional, meaning the Tonale should offer lane-centering steering of some type.
Going Electric
AWD is standard on the Tonale for North American markets regardless of drivetrain choice. Those drivetrains are either a gas-only 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pairs with a nine-speed automatic or a PHEV powertrain with a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and 90-kw electric motor, the latter drawing power from a 15.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack, mated to a six-speed auto. The 2.0-liter engine makes 256 hp, while the PHEV powertrain makes a total of 272 hp. In the case of the PHEV, the gas engine powers the front wheels while the electric motor drives the rear. Alfa Romeo says the PHEV will have more than 30 miles of all-electric range, though EPA fuel-economy figures are not yet available.
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Pricing and Release Date
The Tonale will be available in three trim levels: Sprint, Ti and Veloce, but pricing information will be released closer to when orders open in late 2022. Deliveries are expected to follow in early 2023.
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