Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce | Test Drive

19 June 2023 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

Words Matteo Lavazza / Photos S. Lomax

A new Alfa Romeo has come out. This is one of those arguments that every self-respecting car enthusiast awaits with anxiety and it doesn’t matter if with a pinch of fear, given that it is certainly not an easy task to continue the excellent journey undertaken with both the Giulia and the Stelvio. It’s called Tonale, paying homage to another scenic Alpine pass, it’s an SUV/crossover that fits just below the Stelvio and aims to offer those customers who have so far been satisfied with the not entirely convincing Giulietta, a more up-to-date alternative with the current trend – that of crossovers – without however giving up the driving pleasure so dear to the “biscione” from Arese. There’s a new Alfa in town, but we’ve decided to take it away from crossroads and residential areas, in search of that indispensable flavor that makes a car much more than a tasty new item on the price list.

That’s exactly how I would have chosen it, with this beautiful Verde Montreal (Montreal Green) which not only accentuates the sporty nature of a design not too far from the extraordinary concept presented at the Geneva Motor Show in the now distant 2019, but also allows us to emphasize the numerous references to the illustrious history of the brand. After all, the aesthetic aspect – whether we like it or not – is the catalyst that allows us to create an imprint with an object. If we decide to buy it, we would see it every day, so it needs to be something pleasant to look at and trust me that the Tonale is exquisitely beautiful. Especially at the front, with those thin lights that incorporate three elements like on the Brera (or the controversial SZ), passing through the horizontal line that joins the front and rear bonnet and is called GT Line, precisely to pay homage to another icon of its own family tree. At the rear we have a daring design, with a curved glass surface that creates a strong contrast with the light clusters, once again very thin and developed horizontally, joining from one end to the other and creating a very appreciable luminous signature at night.

Let’s get rid of the annoyance immediately, the Tonale has the platform of the Jeep Compass, but the similarities end here, given that Alfa engineers have worked hard not only to optimize its handling on the road, but also to emphasize driving dynamics capable of satisfying those who in an Alfa Romeo expect feedbacks of a certain kind. This means a special calibration of the suspension geometries, anti-roll bars, shock absorbers and wider track, still maintaining the compactness of a small-medium sized SUV, perfectly at ease in urban environments. Now that I’ve left the city, however, I really realize what the new Tonale is all about. It’s pure pleasure even just holding the steering wheel in your hands. Sportiness is offered to my eyes in the form of an ergonomic and incredibly refined design, taking up the brand’s fundamental stylistic features and applying them to a dashboard where you have everything you need, exactly where you want it to be.

In this regard we have two digital displays, the instrument panel in front of the driver which moreover has two so-called telescope eyelids, which wink at an analog taste and a 10.3″ touch screen raised in the centre, an infotainment system with an exceptional software and able to integrate with any 3.0 device. Fortunately we also have some physical keys, such as those for climate control and some shortcuts for the audio system, to the full advantage of limiting possible distractions while driving. Yes, because driving is all that really matters with the Tonale, also thanks to the new Mild-Hybrid engines that integrate a 20 horsepower electric unit in the gearbox, a 7-speed dual clutch very precise regardless of the driving mode selected.

The DNA of the Tonale, shown here in the Veloce trim level, changes according to the needs of the driver, with a 1.5-cc 4-cylinder turbo that delivers a total of 160 horsepower and 240 Nm of torque, the so-called intermediate step: more brilliant than the entry level 130 (diesel or petrol) and less demanding than the 280 horsepower PHEV. With a mass of 1,600 kg and dimensions slightly exceeding 4.5 meters in length and 1.6 in height, the Tonale is agile as well, but once set to Dynamic, it is there that the steering demonstrates how much people at Alfa have refined the reactions that the front wheels – those handling traction – are able to transmit between bends.

It is a usually utopian precision for an SUV of this kind, not markedly devoted to performance, which without ever devoting itself completely to an extreme driving style, supports a fast-paced approach, made even more insidious by a damp asphalt and some patch of snow on the sides. Great chance for hitting the large aluminum paddles fixed to the steering column, a feature that no competitor is able to boast. Regardless if I proceed slowly admiring the landscape covered by the white coat of late winter, or ask everything possible to the small hybrid engine, I have no other goal than to keep driving, sometimes just resting my fingertips on the steering wheel, getting in tune with that superfine calibration that immediately makes you forget the close relationship with the starting platform.

The Veloce set-up gives it a sportier aesthetic look, while as far as pure performance concern, the 160 horses are enough to move easily, but not such as to make it an alternative to the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Quite logical right? 8.8 seconds on the 0-100 kph, a maximum speed of 212 per hour and an electric propulsion unit that comes in handy when starting off and coasting, limiting consumption in those situations in which any engine is less efficient. And then there’s the start button on the left spoke of the steering wheel, a quirk to which one cannot remain indifferent. The Tonale is silent, has a roomy trunk, enough space behind for two or three adults and fuel consumption perfectly in line with what you would expect, provided that you are not always with the throttle on the floor.

With a starting price of €36,000 (130 bhp 1.6 diesel) and €38,500 (130 bhp 1.6 petrol) it is also very attractive on an economic point of view, but keep in mind that to be fully satisfied you will need to spend a little more. The version like the one of our test can in fact be defined as the perfect meeting point in terms of cost and performance: the 160 bhp 1.6 (from €41,000) delivers enough power and the Veloce trim level (from €45,300) refines a design that cannot do without 19” rims that properly fill the wide wheel arches. If then there is the possibility, obviously the Plug-In is an excellent answer to those who need more power, with a 280-hp 1.3, combined with Q4 permanent four-wheel drive (from €51,600). There is a new Alfa Romeo in town and it is the worthy granddaughter of Giulia and Stelvio. Then I imagine a Quadrifoglio version, but this is just my problem.