2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale ushers in brand’s electrified era
2023 Tonale is Alfa Romeo's first electrified model
Alfa Romeo’s 2019 concept car revealed at the Geneva Motor Show is finally here. This compact SUV was initially slated to debut last year but was delayed due to performance and range issues, and the global semiconductor shortage.
Named after one of the winding roads in the Italian Alps, the 2023 Tonale doesn’t deviate much from the concept model in shape, form, and features. It will be the first C-segment SUV from Alfa Romeo and also the first model to come with a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant.
The marque calls the design ‘distinctive, sensual, and forward-looking.’ It's 4,530 mm long, 1,840 mm wide, and 1,600 tall. For perspective, it is shorter, thinner, and smaller than a RAV4, but not by much.
At the front are Tribolo-inspired ‘3+3’ LED headlights taken from the SZ Zagato. The three modules simultaneously provide daytime light, turn signals, and the ‘welcome and goodbye’ feature. The taillights follow the same design and for a sine curve that wraps around the rear of the vehicle.
Inside, it uses unique patterns, logos, and colors that relate to the brand, along with aluminum accents, and leather/Alcantara suede. As the Tonale comes with NFT (non-fungible token) technology, Alfa Romeo claims to be the first automaker to link a model with an NFT digital certificate. This will be used to record vehicle data, including maintenance records, which raises the residual value of the vehicle.
Its infotainment system comes with Uconnect 5 in-car technology that offers several fully customizable interfaces, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Alexa, and the Alfa Connect mobile app (remotely start the engine, lock or unlock doors, call SOS, etc.)
The Tonale will come with two powertrain options, a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo engine with 256 PS and 400 Nm of torque mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.3L four-cylinder turbo engine assisted by a 15.5-kWh ion battery with a 90 kW electric motor that sends a best-in-class 272 PS to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Alfa Romeo offers three driving modes in the Tonale PHEV – Dual power (maximum output from both engine and motor), Natural (Balanced output from both engine and motor), and Advanced Efficiency (full-electric mode with a total range of more than 49 kilometers).
Level 2 autonomous driving is also available in the Tonale. Its advanced driver-assist systems include Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Centering, and Traffic Jam Assist. These work in conjunction with standard features like Automatic Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Assist, Blind Spot Detection, and Rear Cross Path detection.
It also boasts of being the only model in its segment that comes standard with an Integrated Brake System (IBS) and available fixed aluminum shift paddles. It also comes with Brembo brakes and a fully independent MacPherson suspension system with Frequency Selective Damping shock absorbers.
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale will be available in three trims, the Sprint, Ti, and Veloce.
