2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV

　　2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Review

　　byBrian WongSenior Reviews Editor

　　Brian Wong has worked in the automotive industry since 2010, writing over 1,000 car-related articles and testing and reviewing hundreds of vehicles over the course of career. Brian is a senior reviews editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Cars.com, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports. Brian has also been featured on MotorWeek as an expert for several car comparisons. He loves convertibles (the smaller the better) and hates paying for parking, so Los Angeles is both the right and wrong city for him.

　　1/18/2023 (updated 5/11/2023)

　　

What You Need to Know

A new crossover SUV that slots beneath the StelvioComes exclusively with a plug-in hybrid powertrain; about 30 miles of EV rangeStandard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and adaptive cruise controlKicks off the first Tonale generation

　　What is the Tonale?

　　The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale (pronounced toe-nahl-ay) is the brand's newest entry point to its lineup in the United States. It's a crossover SUV that slots beneath the brand's Stelvio, but the Tonale isn't just another small SUV. It signals a major change at Alfa Romeo: The Tonale is a plug-in hybrid and signifies the company's first step into an electric future in which it says every new Alfa after 2025 will be an EV.

　　There's a lot to like right off the bat with the new Tonale. Its fresh interior technology interface solves a pain point with past Alfas and the new electrified powertrain offers around 30 miles of all-electric range. What Alfa is hoping for is that the Tonale helps it break into new ground, but it still looks and (more importantly) feels like an Alfa Romeo from behind the wheel.

　　On paper, it looks like the Tonale has the right stuff, but it's jumping right in the mix of other well-established extra-small luxury crossover SUVs such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLB. Will the Tonale's plug-in hybrid powertrain help it stand out? Let's find out.

　　What's under the Tonale's hood?

　　Every Tonale comes with the same plug-in hybrid powertrain and standard all-wheel drive. A small turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine drives the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 121-horsepower electric motor powers the rear wheels. Put it all together and you get all-wheel drive and a peak combined output of 285 horsepower. The latter is pretty stout for this class; BMW's X1 makes 241 hp, for example.

　　You also get plug-in hybrid capability with the Tonale. Fully charge the 15.5-kWh battery pack and the Tonale can go approximately 30 miles on all-electric power, according to Alfa. (The official EPA range wasn't available as of this review's publication.) As with other plug-ins, frequently recharging the Tonale can really help save on gas. With a Level 2 (240-volt) power source, Alfa says the battery can be fully charged in about 2.5 hours.

　　How does the Tonale drive?

　　The Tonale's drive selector, in a hint toward the brand's emphasis on heritage, allows you to shift between three drive modes that have conveniently been coined "DNA," with a fourth reduced traction control mode on top for added hijinks. The most efficient mode is A, an EV-only mode that Alfa calls "Advanced Efficiency," while the standard mode, called N (for Natural), uses the electric motor to get going and kicks on the 1.3-liter engine in second gear. The D mode (Dual Power) asks for the most from both the engine and electric motor and is best suited to more spirited driving.

　　In the A (EV) mode, the Tonale has plenty of pep to get around the city and even to hop on the highway — the vehicle has a top electric-only speed of 78 mph. If you ask for more power than the electric motor can provide, there's a noticeable detent in the throttle so you can push past it to turn the gas engine on or ease off if you want to remain moving solely on battery power. It's an approach that we like because it gives the driver more control over how the vehicle can be driven. Behind the shifter there's also an eSave button that allows you to hold the state of charge or use the gas engine to put some juice back into the battery while on the move.

　　Other than that, the rest of the Tonale is pretty much set. There are two brake regenerative levels (normal and high), but you can't control which one the vehicle uses. High regen is locked with the Dual Power drive mode, and the other two drive modes only offer normal regen.

　　This philosophy also extends to the suspension. There are two settings, but those are once again locked into the drive modes as the dampers are either firmed up (in Dual Power mode) or slackened off (in Natural and Advanced Efficiency). The steering response gets sportier as you make your way from Advanced Efficiency to Dual Power. I preferred both of those settings on my drive but wanted to use them with the EV-only mode and that isn't possible. A bit more flexibility would make the Tonale even more enjoyable.

　　How's the Tonale's interior?

　　The Tonale's interior space is a mix of old and new. Some expected Alfa traits we love thankfully remain. The perfectly sized steering wheel with the start button mounted on it and delightfully large aluminum shift paddles found in other Alfas are still here, and the seats look familiar but feature a slightly different design. Top-trim Tonales will be coated in swaths of vegan leather and faux suede, but seats in all Tonales get a neat multicolor pattern on the inner part of the cushions.

　　The outer air vents feature a familiar, circular design, while the inner ones have been slimmed down to accommodate the climate controls and new infotainment display. All of the climate controls rest underneath the infotainment screen and are all physical, a breath of fresh air as most automakers move to on-screen or touch-sensitive controls for managing the cabin temp.

　　But the part of the Tonale that surprises the most is its back seat. Though the Tonale is about 6 inches shorter than Alfa's other SUV, the Stelvio, it somehow manages to offer more rear legroom. It's surprisingly roomy, enough so to fit adult passengers for longer trips. Those passengers get their own air vents and USB ports for charging. For a company that has traditionally treated rear passenger space as a secondary priority in its vehicles, this is a wonderful change.

　　How's the Tonale's tech?

　　The infotainment screen houses Uconnect 5, software that will be familiar to anyone who's used to a modern Jeep, Ram or Dodge. The system features a customizable home screen to make navigating to your most used apps easier, and the system comes standard with wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wireless charging pad also comes standard, in a nice bit of symmetry. The Tonale also has Alexa built in, which means you can control the car from your phone and it will understand natural language for voice commands.

　　The gauge cluster, however, hasn't been cribbed from other Alfas (though it is shared with the Dodge Hornet) and is now a customizable 12.3-inch display. The graphics on screen can mimic analog gauges, show a full-screen map, or give the driver tips on how to drive the PHEV powertrain most efficiently.

　　Another way the Tonale differentiates itself from the competition is standard safety equipment. Adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot warning and lane keeping assistance are found on all trim levels, and these are usually features you have to pay extra for in the luxury small SUV space.

　　zzdcar says

　　The Tonale keeps enough of the brand's DNA to feel like an Alfa, with an added dash of practicality that was sorely needed. It does get more expensive than competitors like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 but offers the only way to a PHEV powertrain in this segment.

　　zzdcar Latest Alfa Romeo Tonale News

　　Road Trip! This Is How the New 2024 Alfa Romeo Fared on a Journey to the Las Vegas Grand Prix

　　The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale Is Gorgeous, Exciting and All Sold-Out

　　Alfa Romeo Is Betting the Tonale Will Bring New Buyers to the Brand

　　Driven: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Leads Alfa Into the Future

　　

Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV Insights

Trim:Tonale Sprint

　　Sprint 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6A) - $42,995 MSRPTi 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6A) - $44,995 MSRPVeloce 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6A) (Most Popular) - $47,495 MSRP

　　

All Electric Range

　　EPA Estimated Range not available

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors | OpenStreetMap

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　No battery warranty information available

　　

Charging at Home

　　No charging time information available

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　No rebates available in 58067

　　See All PHEV incentives

　　

Cost to Drive

　　Not Available

　　Tonale

　　vs

　　$167/mo

　　SUV Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　See All PHEV Insights