Some three years after the concept car of the same name debuted at the 2019 Geneva motor show, the wraps have been taken off the showroom-bound version of the 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Italian company's first offering in the 'C-SUV' segment, currently lead in Ireland by the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage.
Hybrid versions of the Alfa Tonale
Though there is mention of a 130hp diesel engine for the Tonale in the launch material, Alfa Romeo is, understandably, focusing on its new hybrid power options - as this car will be the brand's first to feature meaningful electrification. There are two disparate hybrid powertrains to choose from.
The entry-level is an advanced new system that seems to sit somewhere between current mild-hybrid setups and fully hybrid. It uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch 'TCT' automatic gearbox and a 48-volt system including a belt-driven starter-generator and a 15kW (20hp)/55Nm electric motor. Maximum outputs of 130hp and 240Nm are quoted for the basic version, while a higher-spec option uses a variable geometry turbocharger to produce up to 160hp. The hybrid Tonale can move under electric power alone for short periods.
Where most versions of the Tonale will send their engine output to the front wheels only, Alfa Romeo has confirmed that there will be a new plug-in hybrid with 'Q4' four-wheel drive. This uses a 1.3-litre 'MultiAir' petrol engine to drive the front wheels and an electric motor on the rear axle for peak power of 275hp. Its battery pack has a 15.5kWh capacity (charging in 2.5 hours on a 7.4kW charger) and Alfa quotes an electric-only distance of more than 60km on the WLTP combined cycle. This version of the Tonale also dispatches the 0-100km/h time in just 6.2 seconds.
Emissions and fuel economy figures have yet to be confirmed.
Sporting looks and chassis
In an attempt to live up to the sporting looks of the Tonale, Alfa Romeo is promising that the new SUV will come with 'best-in-class' driving dynamics. To that end, it claims that the car has 'perfect' weight distribution and the most direct steering system in the sector. Take a look through the image gallery and you'll see it also comes with a compact three-spoke steering wheel with massive aluminium gearchange paddles behind.
The standard suspension setup uses Frequency Selective Damping, while an adjustable system called Alfa Active Suspension will be offered as an option on most variants. That'll be tied in with the 'D.N.A.' driving mode selector. The chosen setting also affects the electronic differential function and even the braking. Indeed, the Tonale debuts a new 'Integrated Brake System' with brake-by-wire functionality and Brembo components.
What's Italian for NFT?!
Still think that NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are just for weird online art? Well, Alfa Romeo has found another use for the blockchain technology, linking each example of the Tonale with a unique NFT digital certificate. The idea is that this can be updated with the service history and any other data relevant to the car, giving future buyers confidence in its authenticity. It's an interesting way to try to shore up future residual values.
That's not the only technology to be found in the Tonale, of course. It gets a new Android operating system and interface. Digital instruments are rendered on a 12.3-inch TFT screen allowing Evolved, Relax and Heritage design themes. The central touchscreen is a 10.25-inch system and it can be operated via a rotary controller, too.
Connectivity is built into the system, of course, with a 4G sim card and Alfa Connect Services. The Amazon Alexa voice assistant is also included. A wide suite of active and passive safety functions is promised, too.
Irish pricing for the Alfa Romeo Tonale has yet to be confirmed and it's expected to arrive in Ireland in the latter half of 2022.