Italian Flair
Alfa Romeo, one of 16 Stellantis automobile brands sold throughout the world, is making its first foray into electric propulsion with the 2024 Tonale eAWD, which in Alfa speak means plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The Tonale is also the company’s first compact utility vehicle (CUV.)
The Alfa Romeo Tonale, built in Naples, Italy, and named after one of Italy’s highest mountain passes, is the next step for the company that began in Milan, Italy, in 1910. The Tonale PHEV fits in with the heritage of designing sporty and stylish performance cars while also taking them into “a new era of electrification.”
Electric/Gasoline Propulsion
The Tonale is only available as a plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive (AWD.) The 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine puts out 285 horsepower (hp), including 121 hp from the rear E-motor, and 347 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. The 6-speed automatic, with paddle shifters, can take the Tonale 0-60 mph in about 5.8 seconds, and up to a top speed of 125 miles per hour.
The driver-selectable drive modes—Dual Power/Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency—each adjusts the engine and electric motor’s power output and the driving dynamics.
Efficiency, Range and Charging
The term “range anxiety” often comes up when people new to electric cars discuss their concerns (fears?) of running out of battery charge and being left stranded. With the Tonale PHEV this is never an issue as there is an estimated gasoline and electric driving range of 360 miles.
The EPA rates the fuel economy at 29 mpg combined city and highway in gasoline-only mode, with a 77 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), which factors combining electricity and gasoline. MPGe is a measurement of how far a car can travel, electrically, on the same amount of energy as is contained in one gallon of gasoline.
This is only part of the story. To get the best efficiency, be as kind as possible to the environment and spend less time buying expensive gasoline, plug in often. When plugging in the 15.5 kilowatt battery to a full charge, the Tonale has an all-electric driving range of 33 miles. If you can plug in your mobile phone every night, it is just as easy to do the same with your Tonale.
Clean Fleet Report drove the Tonale PHEV 242 miles through the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego, averaging 57 mpg. We did this by fully charging the battery three times, driving close to the posted speed limits and, while negotiating stop-and-go city traffic, maximizing the brake regeneration that replenishes the battery when slowing or braking.
The 15.5 kWh battery with the onboard 7.4 kW inverter will take eight hours with a Level 1 charger (a common house 120-volt outlet). A Level 2, 240-volt charger, found at public charge stations and commonly installed in homes, will take 2.5 hours. DC Fast charging is not compatible.
Drivetime
With the Tonale all-new and the first plug-in hybrid from Alfa Romeo, the question loomed—would it continue Alfa Romeo’s performance heritage.
It does, beginning with a fully independent McPherson suspension with an electronically controlled dual-stage frequency selective damping suspension that uses a lower lateral link to determine wheel geometry. The frequency selective damping has two pre-set damping curves—Comfort for a softer suspension (the default suspension) and Sport, which stiffens the ride for enhanced cornering ability and better body control. Either of these two suspension modes can be selected in the three drive modes—Advanced Efficiency, Normal or Dynamic Driving.
Torque vectoring, all-wheel drive, bright red Brembo four-piston brakes, and 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Total Performance all-season tires complete the performance pieces on the Tonale.
It has the necessary components to be a full-on sports compact utility vehicle (CUV), but is it? A good place to start is—pull back the twin steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, select the Dual Power/Dynamic mode to deliver the best performance with sharpened throttle and steering responses and maximum power from the electric motor and gasoline engine. You will feel the 347 lb.-ft. of torque (with 184 lb.-ft. coming from the electric motor).
Whether you will be using the Tonale PHEV for in-town errands, short commutes or on the open road, there are efficiency options to enhance the experience, which begins with using the driver-selectable drive modes.
- Normal is the default mode to maximize efficiency and driving range. Note: We used the Dynamic mode (see below) for in-town driving and then Natural when on the open road.
- EV-Save reserves the battery charge to be used at a later time. This mode also charges the battery when driving.
- Advanced Efficiency is the all-electric mode providing 33 miles of driving with zero emissions.
- Dynamic Driving mode delivers the best performance, with maximum engine and electric motor power while also sharpening the throttle and steering responsesand transmission shift points. Dynamic Driving mode delivered 0-60 mph times of 5.6 seconds for the 4,133-pound Tonale.
So, is the Tonale PHEV is a sports CUV? The handling was solid with a lowered stance and near 50:50 weight balance, the ride was generally smooth, and the brakes strong and consistent. The AWD torque vectoring acts as an electronic limited slip differential, and the braking system which had a proper pedal feel, resulted in good control even when pushed above the posted speed limit on corners.
Overall, it is a fun CUV offering spirited driving, handling and sure braking. It will probably be used as a hauler for up to four adults, or for chauffeuring the kids in their car seats, but will always be nice to know it can be taken to the mountains to do some carving.
Italian Design
Alfa Romeo has a design that stays consistent with the brand’s Italian style and says the Tonale is: “Intended for a young, metropolitan and dynamic customer.”
The Tonale has a pointed, beak-like front end with the distinctive V Scudetto grille, a 3+3 Tribolo LED headlight design provides bright lighting, dynamic turn signals and a “welcome and goodbye” feature. The LED three tail light design continues with a strip that runs the full width of the keyless handsfree power lift gate.
The exterior is sleek and, being truly Italian, it is also sexy! The diamond-cut five-hole wheels are unique to the industry and looks sharp.
Color choices bring a bit of the Italian language to the States with Milano White, Alfa Black, Alfa Rosso, plus metallic colors of Grigio (Gray) Ascari, Misano Blue, and Verde (Green) Fangio which was the eye-catching paint on our test Tonale (and has a $2,200 premium).
Interior
The fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel has integrated turn-by-turn navigation and a large 160-mph speedometer. Additional information includes a G-Meter, tachometer, sport mode gauges and the eDrive modes of Hybrid, EV Save, and EV Only. The cockpit layout has some unique placements with the Start/Stop button on the steering wheel and the suspension adjustment wheel down low by the driver’s right knee.
The most curious item is the size of the giant paddle shifters, which are shared with the Maserati Grecale Modena Hybrid. They’re so large and so close to the steering wheel the audio adjustment buttons were difficult to use, therefore defeating their convenient location. Almost every time I went to change a pre-set channel or adjust the volume I inevitably pulled on one of the paddles, causing the Tonale to either up or down shift.
The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen is home to the Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system with UConnect 5 that includes AM/FM HD radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, Amazon Alexa integration and navigation. The screen also displays climate controls, and is the media hub for Bluetooth, streaming audio, vehicle settings and other controls. The Tonale has wireless phone charging and a universal garage door opener.
Our Tonale came with the Customer Preferred Package ($2,500) that included perforated leather ventilated seats and the above-mentioned Harmon Kardon sound system. Standard on the Tonale Veloce trim were aluminum door sills, a flat-bottom, heated leather-covered steering wheel with controls for the radio and cruise control, and heated 8-way power adjustable front seats with lumbar and memory.
The rear seat folds 40:20:40, with a ski pass-thru door; when the seat’s down, it provides 50.5-inches of cargo space. The rear seat is a bit tight for larger adults but otherwise comfortable. The fold down center armrest has cup holders that join the rear ventilation vents and power ports in the center console.
Interior Convenience Features
Interior features, standard or with a package, include a power moonroof, remote start, a 360º rear view camera, compass, dual zone automatic climate control with an air filtration system, tilt and telescoping steering column, height adjustable front seatbelts, 12-volt power outlets in the front and second row seating and cargo areas, and USB A and C data and power ports (front and rear), and rear cargo area LED lights.
Safety and Convenience
The 2024 Tonale was equipped with Active Driving Assist, a Level 2 hands-free system. After setting the adaptive cruise control, hands can be released from the steering wheel for 10 seconds. Additional safety features include seven airbags, drowsy driver detection, traffic sign recognition, a rear backup camera with rear park assist, forward-facing off-road camera, full speed forward collision warning, blind spot and cross path detection, electronic stability control and roll mitigation, four-wheel ABS, a tire pressure monitoring system, and hill start assist. Two safety features that were not available were a head-up display and auto hold.
Pricing
The 2024 Tonale comes in four models with several available options and packages. Including the mandatory $1,595 destination fee, these are the base prices.
- Sprint $45,440
- Speciale $51,095
- Ti $48,095
- Veloce $52,635
Warranties
- Hybrid System – Eight years/100,000 miles
- High Voltage Battery – Eight years/100,000 miles
- Powertrain – Four years/50,000 miles
- Basic – Four years/50,000 miles
- Roadside Assistance – Four years/Unlimited miles
Observations: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce eAWD
The Tonale is the sister car to the Dodge Hornet, both coming off the assembly line at Pomigliano, Italy. The Tonale and Hornet differ in appearance with the former having more Italian flair, which is expected, while the Dodge Hornet offers more performance and driving attributes.
The efficiency and driving range is why you would buy a plug-in hybrid. The key to maximizing the cost savings of a PHEV is to plug in every night or, if possible, when at a destination during the day. Doing so will lessen the time spent buying expensive gasoline. If you did plug-in every night, you can do the math on how much money you would not be spending on gasoline for your everyday local in-town or commuting driving.
The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale is great looking, and when in the Dual Power/Dynamic drive mode and the suspension set to Sport, you can feel the Alfa Romeo racing heritage. However, I never got that excited about the overall feel, even though there was never a time that losing grip on mountain curves was a worry, or it wasn’t comfortable and compliant at freeway speeds.
This is why it is important you take the time to visit an Alfa Romeo dealer, take it for a lengthy test drive under different driving conditions, and see if it is right for you and your driving lifestyle. If so, you will have a comfortable, efficient road car with good handling that will be fun to drive while showing off Italian style and flair.
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Story and photos by John Faulkner.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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Author John Faulkner
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