Turin - The new Alfa Romeo Tonale, unveiled in Italy on Tuesday, marks something of a turning point for the storied Italian brand, ushering in a new era of electrification, connectivity and (sorry to say it) mass appeal.
With the Mito and Giulietta now put out to pasture, Alfa Romeo is pinning its hopes on this new SUV to reclaim some ground in the compact premium market. The Alfa Romeo Tonale is in the planning for South Africa in late 2022, our local contact says.
Remaining relatively faithful to the concept car of the same name, the Alfa Romeo Tonale also introduces a new and evolved design language for the company, with a return to more rectangular ‘3+3’ headlights that flow into the grille (something we last saw on the 159), and full-length taillights.
Beneath the bonnet Alfa Romeo is taking a big step into the electrified era with two types of hybrid powertrain on offer.
At the lower end of the line-up you’ll find a 1.5-litre Miller Cycle turbopetrol engine paired with a 48-volt electric motor that can propel the car on its own in limited circumstances. In these models power goes to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and buyers can choose between output levels of 97kW and 120kW. These FWD variants come with an electronic self-locking differential and Alfa Romeo also claims to have given it the most direct steering ratio in the segment.
At the other end of the scale you’ll find a plug-in hybrid Q4 model featuring all-wheel drive and the ability to cover up to 80km of city driving on electric power alone. In this version the front wheels are powered by a 1.3-litre MultiAir turbopetrol engine while the back wheels are motivated exclusively by an electric motor. When everything is working in sync, the range-topping hybrid can sprint from 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.2 seconds.
Alfa Romeo Tonale buyers can also look forward to a highly digitised cabin, and this is also said to be the first vehicle in the world to feature an NFT (non-fungible token) certificate. Based on the ‘blockchain card’ technology concept, the new non-modifiable and confidential feature records the main stages in the life of each individual vehicle.
The central command centre in the Tonale is a smartphone-inspired 10.25-inch touchscreen featuring customisable widgets and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto as well as built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistance.
Further to that, owners can also choose their vehicle as a place to deliver Amazon packages thanks to a Secure Delivery Service that allows for remote access to the vehicle. This is but one of many Alfa Connected Services that are offered.
The Tonale is also the first Alfa Romeo to feature a digital instrument cluster, but thankfully it has been incorporated into traditional curvy cowls of the kind you’d expect from the brand and drivers can also choose between different layouts, including a Heritage display that emulates traditional instrumentation.
Watch this space for more local information on the new Alfa Romeo Tonale when it becomes available.