Review: Alfa Romeo Tonale

The Tonale, Alfa Romeo’s small SUV, looks good from every angle, with the 20in alloy wheels and optional red Brembo brake calipers adding real visual appeal.

The front end, with its striking grille and headlights, brings a welcome touch of Italian flair to an SUV market increasingly crowded with similar-looking rivals.

Inside, quality is high. Soft-touch materials abound, while the 10.25in infotainment screen has crisp graphics and is easy to use. It’s also good to see physical buttons for the climate controls.

Less impressive are the oversized steering-wheel paddles for the gearbox, which can get in the way when using the indicator and wiper stalks. Unlike most keyless-entry cars, the start button is also mounted on the steering wheel.

There is plenty of room in both rows, with head, shoulder and leg room comparable with rivals. Three adults across the back might struggle, but two will be comfortable. The seats are supportive and offer plenty of adjustment, making it easy to find a good driving position.

The boot is roomy, although our plug-in hybrid version loses some capacity because of the additional batteries.

Out on the open road, the Tonale is enjoyable to drive, provided you don’t mind the light steering. Around town, however, it is less impressive, with speed humps and poorly surfaced roads sending unwelcome shudders through the cabin.

Acceleration is strong, with 0-62mph taking 6.6 seconds, giving the Tonale a suitably sporty feel. The gearbox also performed well, with no complaints from us.

Road noise was more disappointing, particularly on a noisy stretch of motorway I use regularly. The 20in wheels on our test car probably didn’t help, although they certainly looked the part. Wind noise, thankfully, was not an issue.

Equipment levels are generous, including cruise control, numerous USB and USB-C sockets, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging and a host of driver aids and alerts, some more useful than others.

The traffic-sign recognition system was having a bad day, frequently displaying the wrong speed. On one occasion it showed 145mph. More irritatingly, it insisted a 30mph limit was 5mph and beeped whenever we exceeded the supposed limit.

The Tonale is available as either a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, badged Tonale Ibrida and Tonale Plug-in Ibrida. There are two main trims, Ti and Veloce, plus the exclusive launch-edition Tonale Sport Speciale, which adds a gloss-black body kit with silver side-skirt accents.

Alfa Romeo suggests the plug-in hybrid can return around 200mpg, but that figure is difficult to replicate. Real-world economy depends heavily on how often you charge the battery and how much you rely on the petrol engine. As with most plug-in hybrids, regular charging is key to making the most of its electric capability and keeping fuel consumption down.

For buyers wanting something a little different, the Tonale offers distinctive styling, a well-equipped cabin and genuinely enjoyable driving manners.

Alfa Romeo Tonale Ibrida Plug-in

Price: £49,460 (£52,760 as tested)

Engine: 1.3 plug-in hybrid

Power: 266bhp

Torque: 199lbft

Transmission: Automatic

Top speed: 121mph

Economy: 201.8 to 217.3 mpg (WLTP)

0-62mph: 6.6 seconds

CO 2 emissions:77-85g/km