All through last month, we've been getting information on the Alfa Romeo Tonale, an all-new Italian crossover sure to have loads of style. The concept version was stunning when we first saw it in 2019, and the teasers we've been provided with since then have indicated that it would retain most of its original styling elements, while images leaked later in the year reinforced the idea that it would be quite a looker. But then the crossover was delayed because the brand's new CEO wasn't happy with what he saw. But now that's all in the past, has the production-spec Tonale lived up to its billing? Take a look for yourself.
We'll let you mull over the styling yourself while we unpack the powertrain offerings, of which there are two. The first is the PHEV Q4 AWD, which arrives with a six-speed automatic transmission and a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Alongside a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that feeds a 90-kW electric motor, this system produces a best-in-class 272 horsepower. It's also capable of an all-electric range of 30 miles.
Alternatively, there's the Q4 AWD. This offers a 2.0-liter turbo-four mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. This also boasts a "best-in-class" rating, this time for its standard horsepower rating of 256 hp. You also get 295 lb-ft of torque, while stop-start technology helps the unelectrified powertrain improve emissions.
Each version of the SUV will be equipped with three driving modes: Dual power/Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced efficiency. These are pretty self-explanatory, but something that may take some time to fully understand is the decision to offer a strange kind of world exclusive. The Tonale becomes the first car on the market equipped with a non-fungible token (NFT) digital certificate.
"Uniquely linked, the Tonale NFT certifies the car upon purchase, then evolves to represent its use during the car's life cycle, with major benefits in terms of protecting residual value." This is a mainstream Alfa Romeo, so preserving as much value as possible in the used car market is surely a good idea.
As a Stellantis product, the Tonale comes standard with Uconnect 5 infotainment software on a 10.25-inch touchscreen display. A 12.3-inch driver info display is also included, as are over-the-air updates, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and in-vehicle Amazon Alexa. In terms of safety, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, dynamic cruise control, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection are all standard. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention assist, rear seat reminder, and lane keep assist functions are also thrown in. Level 2 autonomy with stop-and-go is optional.
Beyond the mainstream highlights, the Tonale boasts a design penned by the Design Studio at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo. Measuring 178.3 inches in length with a width of 72.4 inches, it shouldn't be tricky to park. Alfa says that it was designed for the "young, metropolitan and dynamic customer." Yet it displays callbacks to earlier Alfas, most notably with the "GT Line" running from the rear to the headlights, which is intended to remind onlookers of the Guilia GT Junior of the 1960s. The 8C Competizione is also supposed to be referenced here, with familiar features like the Trilobo-inspired headlight design and Scudetto grille shield.
The headlights are full-LED units intended to call to mind the gorgeous SZ Zagato or the 1991 Proteo concept car. The taillights follow a similar design, but that's about all we know. Colors and wheel options will surely be revealed soon.
This should be far more than just a pretty pavement hopper. Alfa promises "sports car-like impeccable dynamic behavior, proven by the best weight distribution and the most direct steering in its segment (13.6:1 ratio)." Brembo supplies four-piston brakes while MacPherson suspension with frequency selective damping shock absorbers further enhance handling. Optionally, adaptive suspension with electronically controlled damping is also available.
Alfa Romeo will offer three variants of the Tonale at launch: Sprint, Ti, and Veloce. It's unclear if any of these trims will be exclusively mated with one engine or the other, but we'll give our impressions on each soon - the 2023 Tonale hits North American showrooms early in 2023. We'll provide pricing and other pertinent info as it becomes available.