Alfa Romeo has been back on sale in the U.S. for nearly a decade. But odds are there are still a lot of you who still have no clue what/who/where an Alfa Romeo is. That’s really a shame as they have some of the best driving cars on the market with a highly specialized Alfa Romeo 4C (ultra low volume sports car) and even the Compact Sport Sedan Giulia and Compact Sport Utility Stelvio are standouts in terms of driving dynamics. You don’t even have to go all the way up to the insane Quadrifoglio models of the Giulia and Stelvio to feel that sharpness and focus. But that’s not to say that Alfa Romeo’s are one-trick ponies.
The team steering and developing Alfa Romeo has a tricky task of both introducing new consumers to what an Alfa Romeo is, as well as overcoming some older stigmas of unreliability that plagued the brand in the past for those that were aware of it. Luckily they seem to finally be hitting a stride right as this new model, the Tonale, hits the market, pegged to become the brand’s volume leader.
The brand has been focused on quality of product and the customer experience and recently were rewarded through recognition in owner surveys fielded by J.D. Power that put Alfa Romeo at the top of the premium brand lists for initial quality as well as sales/customer satisfaction. That ought to help quell some uneasiness.
So, what does this new Tonale have product wise? First off, it’s a subcompact crossover, with a length of 178″ – this puts it squarely in the likes of the new BMW X1 and the Audi Q3, a bit shorter than a Lexus NX but slightly longer than the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class or Volvo XC40. It’s also Alfa’s first electrified vehicle, solely offered as a plug-in hybrid with , as the brand marches towards electrification with their first full EV due in summer 2025.
Power comes from a tiny 1.3-liter turbo 4-cylinder that itself puts out 180 horses, but with the plug-in hybrid system total power is a class-leading 285 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard as is a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the plug-in side of the equation is good for 32 miles of all-electric range. The powers that be at Alfa promise that the Tonale, named after a mountain pass in Italy, will live up to the dynamic prowess set by the pricier kin.
Design is also where Alfa leans on its own Italian flare to spice things up. There are definitely curves and haunches and unique lighting design that is unmistakably Alfa. Even at this smaller scale, I must say the design works. It also helps to have it offered in bright colors, which Alfa is also has with a great Misano Blue, the Alfa Rosso (Red) and this exquisite (but also pricey, $2,200) Verde (Green). 18″ to 20″ wheels are offered, including in the telephone dial-esque brand trademark 5-hole design.
Pricing for the entry Sprint trim starts at just over $44,000 with destination, but in the current leasing market – a bank could offer up to as much as $7,500 in lease cash discounts, which should help bring it back down a bit. Next up is the Ti for about another $2,700 while the top spec Veloce jumps up $4,000 from there.
Standard (and not typical for many European brands) are features like a full suite of safety tech including adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist and front and rear parking sensors. Heated front seats and steering wheel are also standard along with heated power-folding mirrors. Power front seats with 4-way lumbar control on driver and passenger seats are also nice to see standard. Same for the 12.3″ fully digital instrument cluster and 10.25″ touchscreen infotainment system with wireless support for CarPlay and Android Auto and embedded GPS navigation.
You do need to step up to the Ti for things like a power rear lift gate or available leather seating and available Sunroof (both still optional on Ti). Ti buyers can also spec an up level Harman Kardon sound system, memory seating and a high-performance driving package the splashes some color on the brakes and gives you some massive paddle shifters.
The Veloce nets you a two-mode adaptive suspension, dual exhaust tips, those beefy paddle shifters and perforated Alcantara seats. All the options from the Ti are still largely optional here as well. I don’t quite agree with that strategy as it can create some buyer confusion of what to really build out, but that is fairly common for the Stellantis playbook.
Will all this net out the Alfa Romeo brand with a slew of new buyers? We’ll wait to see how initial lease deals look and of course a first drive. Stay tuned!
