Alfa Romeo Tonale debuts as the brand’s first PHEV

KUALA LUMPUR: Alfa Romeo first introduced the Tonale SUV in the concept form at the 2019 Geneva auto show, and now after a long wait of three years, the Italian luxury carmaker unleashed its production version. This new Alfa Romeo SUV competes against the likes of some very established players, including BMW X1, Mercedes GLA, and Audi Q3. Let’s see what it has to offer.

The all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale is the brand’s first plug-in hybrid model. The electrified drivetrain comprises a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor combinedly delivering a total system output of 272 hp. It is mated to a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that offers an all-electric range of 30 miles.

The other engine options to be available with the Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV are two conventional hybrids and a regular internal combustion engine. All coupled with automatic transmission and both all-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive configurations.

The new Tonale underpins an existing FCA platform with a wider track and modifications to accommodate hybrid drivetrains. The SUV measures 4530 mm in length, 1600 mm in height, 1,840 mm in width, and has a wheelbase of 2,636 mm.

Design-wise, the SUV gets the brand’s usual traits like a triangular front grille, slim LED headlamps, and a wide air intake painted in black. Other highlights are the full-width LED tail lights and 19-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale has a posh interior decked up with leather and aluminum bits. It is outfitted with tech goodies like a 10.25-inch touchscreen display paired with Uconnect 5, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto support, in-car Amazon Alexa, and wireless charging.

Ensuring the safety of the passengers on board are advanced driver-assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, forward-collision warning, dynamic cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection.

Price and availability

Alfa Romeo’s new SUV will hit the European market later in 2022, followed by the USA early next year. There is no information available about Tonale’s price yet.

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