Alfa Romeo
When it comes to indulging in something different that doesn’t follow the typical crossover crowd, Alfa Romeo has something special to offer in the form of their compact Tonale. Such a vehicle has been an attempt to gain more recognition in the United States in capturing the healthy sales of crossover utility vehicles. From its exciting introduction in 2022, the Tonale continues on with new trims that attempt to inject something special that you can easily miss, such as in my Tonale Tributo Italiano test vehicle.
The Tonale Tributo Italiano EAWD trim takes up the space for the top trim of the new Tonale but does so without changing much other than having a few special touches, such as embroidered ‘Tributo Italiano’ headrests, accented interior trim details, a black roof, body-colored lower body-kit, and Italian flag accents on the exterior mirror caps. Otherwise, you’re dealing with the same Tonale EAWD plug-in hybrid setup, which tends to be an interesting drivetrain offering.
The 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine returns, as does the rear electric motor, to power the rear wheels. The engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, and working in harmony with the electric motor, there’s a good bit of mid-range grunt up to its full potential of producing 285 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque.
The estimated 30 miles of electric-only range is a nice benefit. Again, just like in my previous review, I managed 31 miles in an all-electric drive. Using the onboard 7.4-kW charger and my home Level 2 setup (240V, 40 amps), a full charge took just under 3 hours. Unfortunately, DC fast charging isn’t an option since there’s no compatible CCS port or onboard support for it.
Driving around town without charging up the 15.5-kW battery you’ll expect to match the 29 mpg EPA estimate but expect that figure to decline quickly if you ever use the clever e-Save function to retain the charged battery energy and slightly charge up the battery when driving.
As I’ve explained in my previous review of the Alfa Romeo Tonale EAWD, it does its business with some inconsistent methods but eventually impresses with its lively spirit on the road. That spirit, wrapped up in an Italian flare, gets you up to 60 mph in about 5.6 seconds and provides the versatility of driving about 30 miles on electricity alone – abet down on power as the motor at the rear wheels is only good for 121 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque alone. There’s a welcoming balance of the Tonale that excites you with its simulated torque vectoring multiple “DNA” drive modes and adaptive dampers.
Just like in my previous review, the 6-speed transmission continues to be busy downshifting constantly when on the highway, even when just a little power is demanded. Moreover, the powertrain’s management of the electric motor and turbocharged engine continues to be a little harsh and is still in need of some refinement. Still, that doesn’t keep the Tonale from having an edge because of its demeanor of being more on the sporty side of things instead of luxurious.
Speaking of luxury, the interior is a nice space, though in a small, compact form. That smallness, mimicked from its Dodge Hornet counterpart, holds is Italian design well. There’s just the fact that many characteristics are just different from what you expect in competitors – not necessarily a bad thing for those who enjoy being different. The front heated seats are on the small side but provide just enough support and comfort to match its compact Italian spice. The 10.25-inch infotainment unit with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration has a learning curve that will take a while to overcome for most, including the idea of dealing with the smallish onscreen button functions. The voice interaction works well, bringing up core vehicle function access by simply saying, “Hey, Alfa.” Otherwise, there’s a looming minimalistic approach to things, such as the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that continues to be somewhat frustrating to customize viewing features.
Cargo space is respectable for a compact crossover, offering 23 cubic feet behind the rear seats and expanding to 51 cubic feet with the manual 60/40-split seatbacks folded flat—all accessible via a power liftgate.
Every Tonale trim comes standard with a full suite of active safety features, including blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, forward collision warning with emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera system.
Alfa Romeo keeps the Tonale’s premium plug-in hybrid positioning in check with a starting price of $46,035 for the base trim, though a few grand more than last year’s plug-in hybrid base trim. My fully optioned Tonale Tributo Italiano tester rang in at $59,590, including a $1,995 destination charge.
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