The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale Breaks Cover As The Company's First Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle

Alfa Romeo unveiled the Tonale concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It is based on the same platform as the Jeep Renegade and will be the flag bearer for the automaker in the compact SUV segment. The SUV has been spotted many times in the past, and was even leaked a day before its launch.

Now, the compact SUV is finally here. It will be offered in three trims and two engine choices. One of these is a plug-in hybrid that puts out 272 horses. There’s no word on the pricing for now, but the Tonale will arrive in the U.S. early next year.

How Many Trims Will Be Offered On The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale?

Alfa Romeo will offer the Tonale in three trims – Sprint, Ti, and Volace.

How Is The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale On The Outside?

You cannot mistake the Tonale to be anything other than an Alfa Romeo. It looks like a baby Stelvio and isn’t too different from the concept model unveiled in 2019. Up front, you’ve got the signature Alfa Romeo grille called the ‘Scudetto’ shield. The only difference here is that it isn’t part of the bumper, unlike other models. The 3+3 LED headlights and the DRL combination gives the Tonale a very aggressive, menacing look.

The Tonale will be available with ‘teledial’ alloy wheels. We saw them on the concept and loved them, and we’re glad to see them on the production model as well. As you can see, it is a telephone dial design that has been evolved for modern times. Alfa Romeo will offer four wheel sizes on the Tonale – 17-, 18-, 19-, and 20-inch.

The taillights follow the same three-element design and it looks pretty cool. They are connected by an LED strip. There’s the Alfa Romeo badge in the middle here with a stylized ‘Tonale’ branding underneath it. Overall, we find the Tonale to have a very smart design; but, looks are subjective, so, to each his own. As for the dimensions, the Tonale is 178.3 inches long, 72.4 inches wide, and 63 inches tall.

How Is The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale On The Inside?

Behind the chunky steering wheel is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The touchscreen on the center console measures 10.25 inches and is powered by the UConnect 5 infotainment system. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This combined 22.5-inch setup is the best you can have in this segment.

What Powers The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale?

The Tonale will be offered with two engine options – a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged plug-in hybrid mill.

The plug-in hybrid engine comes with a 15.5 kWh battery pack that powers the rear-mounted motor. The automaker claims that you can run 30 miles on electric power alone. It takes 2.5 hours to fully charge when using a Level 2 charger. It will also come with three driving modes – Natural, Advanced Efficiency, and Dynamic.

The 2.0-liter engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system, whereas the 1.3-liter plug-in hybrid is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox that routes power to the front wheels exclusively.

Alfa Romeo also noted the base Sprint trim will be available only with the 2.0-liter engine option, whereas the top-spec Volace will be offered only with the 1.3-liter plug-in hybrid. The mid- Ti trim can be had with either of them.

Alfa Romeo will also offer two 1.5-liter hybrid mills and a diesel engine outside the U.S.

Conclusion

Given that the automaker has just two cars in its lineup currently – Giulia and the Stelvio . So, the Tonale could very well be a make-or-break product for Alfa Romeo. It seems to be a good offering overall – smart looks, good tech, plug-in hybrid engine.

Interestingly, each Tonale will come with an NFT. It will register all the information about the vehicle and will be periodically updated when you bring it to the dealership for any services or repairs. This will ensure there’s a permanent log of the car and will maintain transparency. This will be handy for the buyer as well as the seller when it hits the used car market. However, this will be an optional program. Alfa Romeo hasn't yet stated which company it will partner with for this.

FAQ

Q: What Are The Safety Features Offered On The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale?

The Tonale will come with safety and driver-assistance features like:

- Adaptive Cruise Control

- Blind-Spot Monitoring

- Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection

- Lane-Keep Assist

- Rear Cross-Path Detection

For extra moolah, you can opt for Level 2 autonomy that will include Traffic Jam Assist. Here, the SUV will be able to adjust the speed and steer the vehicle.

Q: How Many Trims Are Offered On The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale?

The Alfa Romeo Tonale will be offered in three trims – Sprint, Ti, and Volace.

Q: Is The 2023 Alfa Romeo A Plug-In Hybrid SUV?

In the U.S., the Alfa Romeo Tonale will be offered with an option of two engines, one of which is a 1.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. It will make 272 horsepower combined. A six-speed automatic gearbox will channel the power to the front wheels exclusively.