Anyone who used to be a fan of the Alfa Romeo brand is unlikely to recognize it today. By itself, the Giulia is still a typical Alfa: slim and agile, with a powerful engine and utterly sporty. On the other hand, the Stelvio and Tonale represent the new Alfa – SUVs like them will be the future of the brand but of course it will be electric. An electric version of an existing model will arrive in 2024, the first pure electric vehicle in 2025, and from 2027 all Alfas will be fully electric with batteries in the underbody (also interesting: will the Alfa be able to get out of the crisis??).
But there’s something new: CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato says Alfa is on track economically. It has reduced production for efficiency and invested in quality control at the same time: If more than 80 percent of the newly launched Tonale is delivered with the best equipment, customers actually have cars that are better machined than ever before in Alfa history. A fifth of the shades are already sold online; this lowers selling costs. And the agency sales model will begin next year in many European markets: Customers contract with the manufacturer, the garage owner only acts as an intermediary and takes care of the service. Then it will also end with dealer discounts.
280 hp and lots of tweaks
However, for the big breakthrough, the tonal still lacks an upper variant. It will now be available in early 2023 in a plug-in hybrid version called the Tonale PHEV Q4 with a system output of 280 hp. And complex drive technology: A 180 hp petrol engine with a displacement of only 1.3 liters and a small 45 hp (33 kW) electric motor act as a starter generator on the front axle. A 122 hp (90 kW) electric motor propels the rear axle, providing electric all-wheel drive and all-electric driving for up to 69 kilometers. In the city where a lot of energy can be recovered through recovery, there must be even 82 kilometers.
A retractable sun visor behind the front grille provides improved aerodynamics, the battery is positioned so that the weight distribution is nearly balanced in 53:47, and the torque steering – braking the wheel on the inside of the bend – is particularly fast going. in the corners. The 15.5 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery charges three kilowatts in 6.5 hours or 7.4 kW in two hours. As with all plug-in hybrids, there is no true fast charging.
Maintains car driving style
In any case, the new upper drive makes a real difference. Especially the 130 hp petrol engine in the base version moves rather hesitantly, but the 280 hp in the PHEV Q4 goes strong. With an all-weather driving program, some feel sleepy, in Sport everyone puts their whole heart and soul into it, but then the battery drains quickly. Striking: The interaction between the combustion engine and the electric motor on the rear axle is much more precise and smoother than in other plug-in hybrid models from the Stellantis Group. And sound? It’s certainly not quite as sharp as on the Alfa four-cylinder engines of the 1970s – if you go uphill quickly, the top tone feels pretty taut.
Still: The two electric motors don’t make the Tonale a hot athlete, but it does provide a driving performance that’s up to its status and saves fuel if you charge it carefully. Meanwhile, Tonale controls this himself: using blockchain technology, the car digitally documents how it is driven and how often it can be plugged into the charging socket. This is also part of Imparato’s quality offensive – anyone who buys a used Alfa in the future should be able to control how the car was treated by the previous owner. It is not yet known how the most expensive tonal will be priced back. Based on current pricing, the add-on athlete should start at around 60,000 francs.