New Alfa Romeo models don’t come around very often and until recently, the Milanese brand only had 2 products in its line-up, which limited its appeal. Compact crossovers, however, are all the rage and that’s why the launch of the Tonale is so significant for Alfa Romeo. Dieter Pey drove the newcomer in the Western Cape recently.
What is it?
The Tonale is a premium small crossover, which is to say it’s Alfa Romeo’s answer to the Audi Q3/Q3 Sportback BMW X1 Lexus UX Mercedes-Benz GLA GLB Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40, but it also competes with models such as the Hyundai KonaMazda CX-30 and Volkswagen T-Roc. Produced in the Stellantis group’s factory in Naples, it rides on a modified version of the Jeep Compass’ crossover platform and is notably the first Alfa Romeo model to be electrified.
It also debuts a new powerplant – a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol engine combined with a hybrid battery and -motor. The mild-hybrid component assists the petrol engine at slow speeds, which benefits fuel economy – especially if you’re driving in congested city traffic. Out on the open road, it provides up to 15 kW/55 Nm of boost at full acceleration to help you execute swift overtaking manoeuvres. Alfa Romeo claims an ambitious average consumption figure of 5.7 L/100 km.
There are 3 derivatives in the Tonale’s launch line-up. The “entry-level” Ti version comes standard with many features, such as 18-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, auto lights and wipers, keyless entry and start, electrically adjustable and folding side mirrors, a wireless charging pad, adaptive cruise control, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, a 10.25-inch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, electrochromic rear-view mirror, dual-zone climate control, a reverse-view camera and an electrically operated tailgate. What’s more, it is fitted with an admirable number of safety features… far too many to mention here.
The Speciale incorporates a few (largely cosmetic) upgrades, such as larger (20-inch) wheels, red brake callipers, a black grille surround, column-mounted aluminium shift paddles and metallic pedals, while the top-of-the-range Veloce has slightly smaller wheels (19-inch), but comes with the “DualStage Valve” adaptive suspension with electronic dampers. There are 7 colours to choose from and you can specify heated, full (as opposed to partial-) leather seats at extra cost.
First impression of the Tonale
The launch event started at Vrede Hotel near Cape Town Airport. In the parking area awaited 10 beautiful Alfa Tonales in a range of colours. Critics may say that the majority of compact crossovers look far too alike (their shapes are admittedly rather uniform), but the Tonale is instantly recognisable as an Alfa Romeo. Notable styling cues of the pretty 2019 concept car, such as the triple-element LED headlamps and recessed shield grille, have been carried over.
The interior looks neat, fashionable and of high quality. Hard plastic panels can be found on the top of the dash and the side of the transmission tunnel, but the steering wheel is trimmed in leather and feels pleasingly tactile. The Veloce and Speciale derivatives come with billet aluminium paddle shifters that are mounted to the steering column; in other words, they do not move in concert with the steering wheel, which explains why they are so generously sized.
That helps to make them easily reachable when the ‘wheel is turned sharply (and they are) but seeing as it is unlikely that you will use them often in everyday driving conditions, they can get intrusive. To use the indicator or wiper stalks, you need to reach around the paddles and, on quite a few occasions, I knocked the paddle when reaching for the indicator stalk…
What is the Tonale like to drive?
My co-driver and I drove a grey Tonale 1.5T Hybrid Speciale at the launch event. I drove the first stint (70 km from Cape Town Airport to Wellington). The 118 kW/240 Nm engine is admirably quiet, but that refinement is undone by the road noise generated by the 20-inch tyres, especially on coarse road surfaces. I expect the 18-inch tyres (as fitted to the Ti) will be markedly quieter.
We soon reached Wellington, where we had a driver change and continued along the route, which took us through the newly revamped Bainskloof Pass. The front passenger seat is just as comfortable as the driver’s – the backrests are a bit hard and upright, but the material is soft. The electric seat controls are easy to use and there’s plenty of legroom. The capacious glovebox is another impressive feature; it seems so few modern cars have large cubbies.
We parked in Bainskloof to take a few pictures; the Tonale is so photogenic. The exterior design is said to have been inspired by those of grand tourers (GTs) and the characteristic headlight design (echoed in the tail-light clusters) beautifully compliments the car’s curves. The Tonale comes with adaptive LED headlamps, which, apart from the auto high-beam function, alters the lights’ illumination distance based on vehicle speed. At night, the high beams bend around oncoming vehicles to help maintain good visibility without dazzling those vehicles’ drivers.
After lunch, it was my turn to drive again, and we headed over Du Toitskloof Pass. The Tonale offers Normal, Dynamic and Adaptive drive modes (selectable via the DNA dial on the centre console) and I duly selected Dynamic Mode to see how the car would handle the pass’ twists and turns.
The Tonale is fitted with frequency-selective-damping-enhanced independent MacPherson suspension and an electronic self-locking differential, which are said to aid the model’s body control and handling ability respectively. I was very impressed with how well the (front-wheel-drive) Alfa gripped the road/suppressed the tendency to understeer. The Du Toitskloof Pass isn’t the smoothest surface for dynamic driving, but it proved a good test of the Tonale’s suspension.
When executing aggressive pull-aways, I didn’t experience wheelspin or feel the traction control kick in momentarily. Alfa Romeos are renowned for being engaging driver’s cars, but the Tonale feels like… well, a sensible family car. The 1.5-litre variable geometry turbo engine (with the mild-hybrid setup, to reiterate) doesn’t feel particularly punchy, and it exhibited a throttle-control quirk that made dynamic driving awkward. The throttle response seems delayed; when you floor the long pedal to accelerate out of a corner, the power only kicks in after a second and when you don’t want the power to kick in, well, it does.
Still, we covered a considerable distance with the Tonale and it was pleasingly comfortable to drive (in a measured way, which is what you are supposed to do on the daily commute). As for driving in an urban environment, the Alfa’s suspension handled speed bumps very well. The newcomer’s performance is quite adequate for everyday driving and the lane-keeping feature is great; it is not overly invasive and the onboard notifications are not intrusive.
The adaptive cruise control is another great feature when you are driving to (or from) your workplace in peak-hour traffic or hitting the long road to your getaway destination.
At the end of the evaluation drive, we saw an indicated consumption figure of around 8 L/100 km, which isn’t nearly as good as the claimed 5.7 L/100 km, but we did drive quite spiritedly at times and expect that number to level out around the 7 L/100 km mark in the long run.
Alfa Romeo Tonale pricing and after-sales
| 1.5T Hybrid Ti | R739 900 |
| 1.5T Hybrid Speciale | R799 900 |
| 1.5T Hybrid Veloce | R819 900 |
Prices include a 5-year/100 000 km warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.
Get a quote / Request a test drive
Summary
The Tonale is a beautiful car, which, to be fair, was job number one (it’s an Alfa Romeo!), but it comes very well (if not comprehensively) specified and has a plethora of standard safety features. The pick of the range is probably the most affordable derivative – the Ti (the huge wheels are a blessing and a curse, besides, the shift paddles are a bit out of place on a compact crossover, anyway). The Alfa Romeo’s load bay is reasonably sized (with a false floor for extra space on those versions with a tyre inflation kit instead of a spare wheel). It is truly a distinctive product and, in a market full of good, but same-same models, that’s a big plus. Why blend in when you can stand out… and with some panache?
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