Alfa Romeo Tonale first drive | a desirable compact SUV

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an all-new Alfa Romeo. The brand’s last ‘re-invention’ – they come around quite often – saw the Giulia and then Stelvio come to market, the latter in 2017. While the two cars were technically brilliant, thanks mainly to their multi-billion Euro Giorgio platform, a lack of electrified powertrains meant they never really resonated well in the fleet sector.

Things are changing at Alfa Romeo, however. The strategy is shifting toward a fully electric line-up by 2027 and the Tonale is the first car to play a part in that journey.

First revealed in 2019, the Tonale Concept is almost identical to the production version we’re driving today. It’s unmistakably an Alfa, with design cues linking it to the brand’s rich history.

Under the skin, the Tonale sits on a heavily modified version of the Jeep Compass platform. While that doesn’t exactly bode well for its ‘emotion’ and ‘passion’, it does enable the use of hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.

The range kicks off with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit, paired with a small motor and battery. It produces 160PS and emits from 130-142g/km of CO2.

Next year, a plug-in hybrid engine that’s shared with the Jeep Compass and Renegade 4XE models will join the line-up offering lower emissions and cheaper company car tax.

We were impressed by the Tonale when we climbed on board. For starters, there’s very little from the Stellantis parts bin inside. The interior feels bespoke to Alfa Romeo and has an air of prestige. It’s a comfortable and practical place to be, with a large central touchscreen and a good mix of materials.

The infotainment system is a big step up from that found in the Giulia and Stelvio, although we were a bit disappointed to see the departure of a rotary controller. Still, with crisp graphics and a responsive touchscreen, drivers should have no trouble getting to grips with the set-up.

A new digital instrument cluster further enhances the on-board experience. You can choose from a range of views, which include a dial set modelled on classic Alfa Romeo sports cars.

The Tonale sets off in silence, thanks to its hybrid motor, with the petrol engine discreetly firing into life as you get on the move. Power is directed to the front wheels via a seven-speed twin clutch automatic gearbox. For town and motorway driving the transmission is perfectly adequate, but when we hit the country lanes we found it a little unresponsive to shift down.

Drivability can be tailored using Alfa’s DNA drive mode selector. There’s Dynamic, Normal and Advanced Efficiency. Dynamic sharpens up the throttle response, adds weight to the steering and stiffens the suspension on cars with adaptive dampers. It also solves the lazy gearbox problem, but ends up being a little too eager to hold the revs high.

Overall, the Tonale is a well-honed compact SUV. It’s not quite got the poise of its stablemates, but it doesn’t really need to. This is a car designed to target the core crossover market, where styling, running costs and infotainment are the key criteria for drivers. Still, plenty of driver enjoyment can be had in the Tonale Hybrid.

Fuel consumption during our test was a little less than expected, with the Tonale managing mid-30s at best. One aspect of the car we did note was refinement. The car offers impressive insulation from the outside world and from its powertrain, making for relaxing long-distance trips.

The Tonale competes well with Audi’s Q3, BMW’s X1, and the Volvo XC40, but all of them can be had with a plug-in hybrid. For fleet customers, the Tonale plug-in hybrid is therefore likely to be the model of choice, but you’ll have to wait a few months to find out more about that.