Road Test Review: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce PHEV – Italian Flair

 Alfa Romeo Tonale is the Italian brand’s biggest gamble yet as the company attempts to expand its reach into the utility vehicle segment while also providing a new gateway into the brand for new buyers. 

Alfa Romeo, one of sixteen Stellantis automobile brands sold throughout the world, is making its first foray into electric propulsion with the 2024 Tonale eAWD, which in Alfa speak means plug-in hybrid or PHEV. The Tonale is also their first compact utility vehicle (CUV.) 

 The Alfa Romeo Tonale, built in Naples, Italy, and named after one of Italy’s highest mountain passes, is the next step for the company that began in Milan, Italy in 1910. The Tonale PHEV fits in with their heritage of designing sporty and stylish performance cars while also taking them into “a new era of electrification.” 

Electric/gasoline propulsion 

The Tonale is only available as a plug-in hybrid and with all-wheel drive (AWD.) The 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine puts out 285 horsepower (hp) including 121 hp from the rear E-motor, and 347 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque. The 6-speed automatic, with paddle shifters, can take the Tonale 0-60 miles per hour in about 5.8 seconds and has a top speed of 125 miles per hour. 

The driver-selectable drive modes, Dual Power/Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency, each mode adjusts the engine and electric motor’s power output and the driving dynamics to help the Tonale deliver optimum responses in any driving situation. 

 Efficiency, range, and charging 

The term “range anxiety” often comes up when people new to electric cars discuss their concerns (fears?) of running out of battery charge, and thusly be left stranded. With the Tonale PHEV this is never an issue as there is an estimated combined gasoline and electric driving range of 360 miles. 

The EPA rates the fuel economy at 29 combined city and highway in gasoline-only mode, with a 77 combined MPGe, miles per gallon equivalent, when combining electricity and gasoline. MPGe is a measurement of how far a car can travel, electrically, on the same amount of energy as is contained in 1 gallon of gasoline.  This though is only part of the story to get the best efficiency, being as kind as possible to the environment, and spending less time buying expensive gasoline. When plugging in the 15.5-kilowatt battery to a full charge, the Tonale has an all-electric driving range of 33 miles. If you can plug in your mobile phone every night, it is just as easy to do the same with your Tonale. 

Headlight News drove the Tonale PHEV 242 miles through the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego, averaging 57 mpg. We did this by fully charging the battery three times, driving close to the posted speed limits, and while negotiating stop-and-go city traffic. The slow pockets of traffic also maximized the brake regeneration that replenishes the battery when slowing or braking. The 15.5 kWh battery with the onboard 7.4 kW inverter will take 8 hours with a Level 1 charger that uses a 120-volt common house outlet. A Level 2, 240-volt charger, found at public charge stations and commonly installed in homes, will take 2.5 hours. DC Fast charging is not compatible. 

Drivetime  

With the Tonale being all-new and the first plug-in hybrid from Alfa Romeo, the question loomed if it would continue Alfa Romeo’s performance heritage. 

It begins with a fully independent McPherson suspension with an electronically controlled dual-stage frequency selective damping suspension, that uses a lower lateral link to determine wheel geometry. The frequency selective damping has two pre-set damping curves of Comfort for a softer suspension (the default suspension ) in the Advanced Efficiency drive and Normal drive modes. The second setting of Sport stiffens the ride for enhanced cornering ability and better body control, and is the default suspension setting in the Dynamic drive mode. 

Torque vectoring, all-wheel drive, bright red Brembo four-piston brakes, and 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Total Performance all-season tires complete the performance pieces on the Tonale. 

It has the necessary components to be a full-on sports compact utility vehicle (CUV), but is it? A good place to start is when pulling back on the twin steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, then selecting the Dual Power/Dynamic mode delivers the best performance that sharpens the throttle and steering responses and maximizes power from the electric motor and gasoline engine. You will feel the 347 lb-ft of torque, of which 184 lb-ft comes from the electric motor. 

 

Whether you will be using the Tonale PHEV for in-town errands, short commutes or on the open road, there are efficiency options to enhance the experience which begins with using the driver-selectable drive modes. 

 

• Natural is the default mode to maximize efficiency and driving range. Note: We used the Dynamic mode (see below) for in-town driving and then Natural when on the open road 

 

• E-Save reserves the battery charge to be used at a later time. This mode also charges the battery when driving 

 

• Advanced Efficiency is the all-electric mode providing 33 miles of driving with zero emissions 

 

• Dual Power/Dynamic mode delivers the best performance, with maximum engine and electric motor power while also sharpening the throttle and steering responses, and transmission shift points.

 

The Dual Power/Dynamic mode delivered 0-60 mph times of 5.6 seconds for the 4,133 pound Tonale in what Alfa Romeo says “electrification serves the brand with the mission of reinventing sportiness for the 21st century” 

So, is the Tonale PHEV is a sports CUV? The handling was solid with a lowered stance and near 50:50 weight balance, the ride was generally smooth, and the brakes strong and consistent. The AWD torque vectoring acts as an electronic limited slip differential, and the braking system with a proper pedal feel, resulted in good control even when pushed above the posted speed limit on corners. 

Overall it is a fun CUV offering spirited driving, handling, and sure braking. It will probably be used as a hauler for up to four adults, or for chauffeuring the kids in their car seats, but will always be nice to know it can be taken to the mountains to do some carving. 

 

Italian Design

Alfa Romeo has a design that stays consistent with the brand’s Italian style and says the Tonale is “Intended for a young, metropolitan and dynamic customer.” 

The Tonale has a pointed, beak-like front end with the distinctive V Scudetto grille, and a 3+3 LED Tribolo headlight design provides bright lighting, dynamic turn signals, and a “welcome and goodbye” feature. The three LED tail light design continues with a strip that runs the full width of the keyless hands-free power lift gate. The exterior is sleek and, being truly Italian it is also sexy! The diamond-cut five-hole wheels are unique to the industry and they look sharp. Color choices bring a bit of the Italian language to the States with Milano White, Alfa Black, Alfa Rosso, and metallic colors of Grigio (Gray) Ascari, Misano Blue, and Verde (Green) Fangio which was the eye-catching paint on our test Tonale and has a $2,200 premium. 

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Interior

The fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel has integrated turn-by-turn navigation and a large 160-mph speedometer gauge. Additional information includes a G-Meter, tachometer, sport mode gauges, and the eDrive modes of Hybrid, EV Save, and Electric only. The cockpit layout has some unique placements with the Start/Stop button on the steering wheel and the suspension adjustment wheel down low by the driver’s right knee. 

The most curious is the size of the giant paddle shifters, which are shared with the Maserati Grecale Modena Hybrid, that are so large and so close to the steering wheel the audio adjustment buttons were difficult to use, therefore defeating their convenient location. Almost every time I went to change a pre-set channel or adjust the volume I inevitably pulled on one of the paddles, causing the Tonale to either up or downshift. 

 

The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen is home to the Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system with UConnect 5 that includes AM/FM HD radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, Amazon Alexa integration, and navigation. The screen also displays climate controls, and is the media hub for Bluetooth, streaming audio, vehicle settings, and other controls. The Tonale has wireless phone charging and a universal garage door opener. Our Tonale came with the Customer Preferred Package ($2,500) that included leather perforated and ventilated seats and the above mentioned Harmon Kardon sound system. Standard on the Tonale Veloce trim were aluminum door sills, a flat-bottom heated leather-covered steering wheel with controls for the radio and cruise control, heated 8-way power-adjustable front seats with lumbar, and memory. 

The rear seat folds 40:20:40, with a ski pass-thru door, that when down provides 50.5-inches of cargo space. The rear seat is a bit tight for larger adults but otherwise comfortable. The fold down center armrest has cup holders to join the rear ventilation vents and power ports in the center console. 

 Interior Convenience Features 

Interior features, standard or with a package, include a power moonroof, remote start, a 360º rearview camera, compass, dual-zone automatic climate control with an air filtration system, tilt and telescoping steering column, height adjustable front seatbelts, 12-volt power outlets in the front and second row seating and cargo areas, and USB A and C data and power ports (front and rear), and rear cargo area LED lights. 

 

Safety and Convenience

The 2024 Tonale was equipped with Active Driving Assist, which is a Level 2 hands-free system. After setting the adaptive cruise control, hands can be released from the steering wheel for ten seconds. Additional safety features include seven airbags, drowsy driver detection, traffic sign recognition, a rear backup camera with rear park assist, forward-facing off-road camera, full-speed forward collision warning, blind spot and cross path detection, electronic stability control and roll mitigation, four-wheel ABS, a tire pressure monitoring system, and hill start assist. Two safety features that were not available are a heads-up display and Auto Hold. 

Pricing

The 2024 Tonale comes in four models, and several available options and packages. Including the mandatory $1,595 destination fee, these are the base prices. 

•  Sprint                   $45,440 

•  Speciale                $51,095 

•  Ti                         $48,095 

•  Veloce                  $52,635 

 

 

Warranties

• Hybrid System Eight years/100,000 miles 

• High Voltage Battery     Eight years/100,000 miles 

• Powertrain          Four years/50,000 miles 

• Basic                           Four years/50,000 miles 

• Roadside Assistance      Four years/Unlimited miles 

 

 Observations: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce eAWD

The Tonale is the sister car to the Dodge Hornet, both coming off the assembly line at Pomigliano, Italy. The Tonale and Hornet differ in appearance with the former having more Italian flair, which is expected, while the Dodge Hornet offers more performance and driving attributes. The efficiency and driving range is why you would buy a plug-in hybrid. The key to maximizing the cost savings of a PHEV is to plug-in every night or if possible, when at a destination during the day. Doing so will lessen the time spent buying expensive gasoline. If you did plug-in every night, you can do the math on how much money you would not be spending on gasoline for your everyday local in-town or commuting driving. 

The Tonale is great looking, and when in the Dual Power/Dynamic drive mode and the suspension set to Sport, you can feel the Alfa Romeo racing heritage. However, I never got overly excited about the overall feel even though there was never a time that losing grip on mountain curves was a worry or it wasn’t comfortable and compliant at freeway speeds. 

This is why it is important you take the time to visit an Alfa Romeo dealer, take it for a lengthy test drive under different driving conditions and see if it is right for you and your driving lifestyle. If so, you will have a comfortable, efficient road car with good handling that will be fun to drive while showing off Italian style and flair. 

 

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 John Faulkner has 40 years of experience branding, launching and marketing automobiles at each of the Detroit Three as well as several Japanese brands. Faulkner is the Road Test Editor/Senior Writer at Clean Fleet Report, and is a journalist member of the Motor Press Guild and Western Automotive Journalists.