DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
THE ALFA ROMEO TONALE IS A MILD HYBRID SUV THAT’S CLASSY INSIDE AND OUT
LUCKILY, the Alfa Romeo Tonale is better at going forwards than it is backwards. Our street is a narrow cul de sac with no turning circle at the end and, since we live at the end of it, we’re good at reversing.
I’ve not measured it but it must be at least 100 metres long.
The Tonale in reverse lurches and jolts, its seven-speed double clutch gearbox seemingly baffled by the manoeuvre.
However, it is a smart looking motor, and Alfa Romeo is a fantastic name that conjures up images of pre and post-war racing glories.
The modern age has seen the company struggling – it made many good cars in the 1970s but hit a low patch in the 80s that continued until Alfa launched the current wonderful Giulia saloon seven years ago.
The Stelvio SUV is good, too and the word is that Alfa now has black ink in its accounts book.
The Tonale should seriously help with financial matters because the compact crossover segment in which it sits is booming. So, is it any good?
We’re driving the top of the range Veloce. It’s the first electrified car Alfa Romeo has built so far. A PHEV version is coming next year but for now we have this mild-hybrid powertrain with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 158bhp.
There’s a 20bhp electric motor that is fitted to the gearbox, so unlike most mild hybrids this car can move at low speed on electric power only. Alfa says 70% of buyers will choose the Veloce with the rest opting for the entry level Ti. The Ti costs £39,995 versus £42,495 for our Veloce in stunning metallic blue.
Vital statistics include 0-62mph in 8.8sec and a top speed of 130mph. The Tonale PHEV will offer 271bhp so expect that to have red-blooded performance. It is also four-wheel drive, unlike our front-wheel-drive car.
Alfa Romeo is good at interiors and the Tonale doesn’t disappoint. The Alcantara trim looks very smart and the quality looks more than acceptable. There are two huge paddles behind the steering wheel which you can use to manually change gears in the seven-speed auto.
On the centre console, a rotary dial is used to select between different driving modes. Alfa calls it DNA, with the D standing for Dynamic, N for natural and A for Advanced efficiency mode.
In the middle of the knob is a button which, when activated, puts the adjustable dampers into their softest, most comfortable setting – even if you’re in Dynamic mode.
Thankfully the Tonale is much smoother going forwards than backwards in reverse. It’s not perfect by any means though as the gearbox isn’t as seamless as other double-clutch units. Selecting gears manually offers good results and I found that the car was at its best in D mode. The steering has more feel, for one thing.
Alfa claims 44.8-49.6mpg for this model and in our hands we managed 40mpg driving normally with a bit of motorway.
Every Tonale gets a 10.25in infotainment screen. It’s a more modern system than the ones fitted to the current Giulia and Stelvio but annoyingly it doesn’t have their rotary controller.
At least all of the heating controls are operated by proper old school buttons. Front and rear legroom is generous and there’s plenty of headroom in the back.
The boot holds 500 litres which is about average for this class of car and there’s some underfloor storage space, although your shopping bags will have to share their lodgings with the car’s emergency puncture repair kit.
Buyers have a massive choice of compact crossovers to choose from, and many of them are bland and without sparkle.
The new Alfa Romeo Tonale isn’t without flaws but it’s an interesting alternative to what’s currently available.
Buyers of crossovers have massive choice but many cars lack sparkle