Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV 270hp TEST DRIVE: has it finally got all the makings of a true Italian premium SUV?

Just over three years after its arrival in dealerships, the Alfa Romeo Tonale 2.0 is already here! Its mission is essential for the brand: positioned in the C-segment of premium SUVs, it comes up against established benchmarks such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA. So why the change? To correct certain weaknesses that have been identified as crucial in this segment. Yes, the Tonale 2.0 isn't just a new front bumper: it's much more than that.

On the outside: are you more conservative or progressive?

Before turning to the exterior, the most visible part, I'll start with personalization. Let's be clear: when the Stellantis Group was founded, the watchword was "profitability". As a result, the customization options we had enjoyed in the past were greatly reduced. For a premium brand, this may have been perceived negatively: few exterior colors, interiors, rims or calipers. On this point, a real effort has been made: three new exterior colors, two new interiors and a new wheel design. It's already better!

The exterior colors are all interesting: from the powerful Brera Red to the chic Verde Monza Green and the flashy Giallo Ocra. The new three-hole rim, moreover, makes the link with the design inaugurated by the Alfa Romeo Junior. If I had to quibble, I'd say that yellow or blue calipers are still missing - here, you can only choose between black and red. But this is a real step forward in terms of personalization.

Unless you've never seen this car in your life, the front bumper is certainly the most noticeable new feature! Already, hurrah: a beautiful scudetto in the purest tradition! Alfa Romeo. It goes a step further, taking design cues from the 33 Stradale supercar. Here, too, we can quibble about the fact that there's no choice of color: black or gray, for example.

Overall, the design is sportier, more aggressive and more in tune with the times. And I can tell you that most of the people I've shown it to like it. A little design aside: I always like to recall an explanation given by a car designer with whom I had a chance to chat. He explained to me that the first version of a car's design is the purest, the one that comes closest to the initial concept, while subsequent versions try to follow the trend. And indeed, it works. So you can choose between the old Tonale design, faithful to the original, and the new, more modern and assertive one. I close the parenthesis.

Still on the subject of the bumper, I think Alfa Romeo could have done as other manufacturers have done with their S-Line, Pack M, etc. finishes: offer a "wise" bumper, faithful to the original design, for the base versions, and reserve this new, sportier bumper for the Veloce finishes or a paying optional pack. The new, sportier bumper is reserved for the Veloce trim level, or for a paying optional pack. It's a strategy that works well elsewhere, and could have been judicious here too.

A technical point concerning this new bumper: beyond its more modern design, it also incorporates aerodynamic functionality with side air intakes designed to optimize flow, and central openings around the scudetto to improve engine cooling.

Better inside

Inside too, the Tonale 2.0 benefits from a number of welcome new features. Before talking about these additions, let's recall the already emblematic elements: the handsome Alfa Romeo steering wheel with its directly integrated start button, just like on a Ferrari, or the aluminum paddles, in the pure tradition of the Giulia, Stelvio and even... Maserati! In short, Italian class.

The center console has also been successfully redesigned, adopting the new gear selector already introduced at the beginning of 2025. Of course, compared to a Giulia or a Stelvio, we're not quite in the same universe, but the level remains very decent compared to the competition. Finally, it's worth noting that the Tonale is currently the only model in the brand not to have the screen integrated into the dashboard.

Among the most visible interior innovations is the return of red leather. Although it will probably not account for the majority of orders, it remains a great Alfa Romeo classic. The other new feature is an elegant black and white Alcantara combination. Ah, I'd also have loved to see a tobacco or camel shade, it's so beautiful... Maybe for the Tonale 3.0!

Technologies are perhaps the least visible, yet most important, of our new products.
I'm not going to list them all, but the arrival of the 360° camera with "drone" view is more than welcome, almost indispensable in this segment. The Tonale 2.0 also features Level 2 driving aids and automatic parking (which, personally, I never use: every time I do, it takes longer... and scares me a bit!). Another appreciable detail for a premium SUV: heated and ventilated front seats, as well as a heated steering wheel and even heated windshield washer nozzles. Enough to face winter in total comfort.

For the rest of the infotainment, plug in your iPhone or Android smartphone to take advantage of CarPlay or Android Auto, and that'll be more than enough (I've been using just that for years on all my cars). Some may say that the screen is a little small... but then, you're in an Alfa Romeo, not a Tesla! Another very interesting point: the induction charger for smartphones is ventilated, allowing the phone to cool down while charging. Clever and well thought-out!

Small technical evolutions

The day after the presentation of the new Tonale, I published a comparative article showing, factually, that the new Tonale seemed less "Veloce" than the old one. At least, on paper. Compared to the first version, the front and rear tracks have been widened by one centimetre. According to Alfa Romeo, the chassis setup has also been reworked to deliver a sportier driving feel. McPherson suspension and Brembo brakes are still on the program, of course.

On the engine side, the power of the 1.3L 4-cylinder increases from 280 to 270 hp, with a notable reduction in the thermal part, from 180 to 150 hp. The unit is still mated to the C635 DDCT 6-speed automatic gearbox, well known to the Group since it is already found on the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Giulietta and even the 4C!

In the end, from what I understood at the press presentation, the main work focused on the software: electric motor and battery management. The aim is to deliver better behavior, with more constant and linear power in use.

At the wheel

I always have a hard time when testing an Alfa Romeo. After three years of owning the excellent Giulia, my subconscious has set it up as the absolute benchmark of driving pleasure a car can offer. So, when I've tried the Tonale in 2022, the Junior Veloce 280 bhp or the Junior 145 bhp Q4, I always have, somewhere in my "cellular" memory, the memory of the sensations of the Giulia.
And yet, in all rationality, neither the Junior, with its eCMP platform, nor the Tonale, based on a Fiat platform, can compete. I know... but that emotional reference remains engraved in my mind. In a way, it's become my automotive madeleine de Proust.

And it's possible to come close. The 280 hp Junior Veloce, thanks to the wizard Domenico Bagnasco, has proved particularly surprising. So, when this same wizard explains at the press conference all the evolutions made to this Tonale 2.0 to rediscover this driving pleasure, even to the point of comparing it to the Stelvio on one of the presentation slides... the promise is enormous.

Without further ado, here's my review. The driving feel in N mode is astonishing. Whether at 20 km/h or 100 km/h, you almost feel like you're driving a Fiat 500, as the steering is so supple and there's no real feedback from the road. I was able to take tight bends at 90 km/h without perceiving any real feedback from the steering wheel. A bit like the Fiat City mode, for those who know it, but applied at high speed. A rather disconcerting feeling. Conversely, in D mode, the steering becomes much firmer, but feedback remains limited, which is just as disturbing.

Power-wise, it's hard to say whether the car develops 220, 250, 270 or 300 hp... What I can say is that it pushes hard. Whether on winding roads, overtaking or merging, the Tonale PHEV delivers satisfying and reassuring power. The natural sound of the electric motor during acceleration and deceleration is even pleasant to the ear.

On the other hand, the robotized gearbox is too slow when shifting gears in manual mode. For downshifts, it's fine, but it's clearly preferable to leave it in automatic mode. There's easily a split-second delay between the moment I press the paddle and the gear change, which is quite disturbing. With the auto gearbox, on the other hand, management is smoother and this sensation disappears. How strange!

This is a Veloce version: the power and handling are there, but I didn't feel the direct connection with the road that I expect from an Alfa Romeo. I'd even go so far as to say that the Junior Veloce 280 hp's feel may have convinced me more. The comparison with the Stelvio, mentioned at the press conference, was a bold one. While, on paper, the Tonale can stand up to comparison in terms of cornering performance, when it comes to how it feels behind the wheel, the difference is clear.

On the other hand, I really appreciate that this Tonale PHEV behaves almost like an HEV.
In other words, at both low and high speeds, it alternates naturally between hybrid mode (electric + internal combustion) and 100 % electric. Even when the battery is empty, it seems to retain a small reserve of energy for a few more pure-electric phases, like a true HEV. All in all, it's almost a classic hybrid car, with the added weight of a PHEV battery.

So, should I buy?

I must confess that as I write these lines, I'm asking myself a lot of questions about my next daily car, which I'll have to change in about six months' time. Being in France, the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV could be a serious candidate (because of the taxes).

I really like its new, sportier design. It now offers indispensable technologies, such as the 360° camera with drone view. Roadholding is certainly not that of a Stelvio (but we shouldn't have expected a miracle), but it will suit the average man and woman perfectly. The interior has progressed, even if, on a Veloce model costing over €50,000, we might expect Alfa Romeo to align itself more closely with the competition in terms of door finishes.

The only real shortcoming of this PHEV version is the size of the trunk, but this is a limitation common to most plug-in hybrids. I'd have liked to try out the 175hp MHEV version to see if, with 100 less horsepower and 300kg less weight, the car's handling has changed.

Looking more broadly at the premium compact SUV (C-SUV) segment, we have to admit that there is no other Italian alternative for the time being. There will be the Lancia Gamma next year, a premium SUV with a different positioning, but no real sporting ambitions (at least until the HF version scheduled for 2027). Among competitors, the new Audi Q3 doesn't particularly shine in terms of exterior design, and the best-selling BMW X1 isn't much more aesthetically inspired, especially in its entry-level versions. Mercedes offers the GLA, but I must confess that I'm less familiar with the brand with the star - I've never been a customer of theirs, unlike the other two.

	Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV	Audi Q3 PHEV	BMW X1 PHEV
Engine	270 hp	272 hp	245 hp
0 to 100 km/h	6.6 sec	6.8 sec	6.8 sec
Electric range	61 km	116 - 119 km	76 - 83 km
Battery	15.5 kWh	25.7 kWh	16.3 kWh
Charging time 3.7 kW (16A)	5 h	8 h	5 h
Charging time 7.4 kW (32A)	2,5 h	4 h	2,5 h
Box	385L	375L	490L
Price	46 500 €	55 000 €	56 350 €

Yes, as much as I love Italian brands, I've also been an Audi and BMW customer (oulala!), so I think I can speak with complete objectivity. I sincerely believe that, on design alone, the Tonale has a real card to play. You'd have to have mozzarella in your eyes to dare say that other SUVs are more beautiful.

In terms of equipment, with its 360° camera and "drone" view, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel and induction charger, it's right up there with what's available elsewhere. It's true that the interior is less high-tech than that of the Germans, but that's precisely what makes Alfa Romeo so charming and atypical.

In short, I still don't know if I'll buy this Tonale 2.0 (I'm still hesitating with a Stelvio...). But I also have a crush on the new Verde Monza color... Its two "faults", in my eyes, are mainly due to my driving style: a steering that's a little too soft and a too marked latency when shifting gears. But for the vast majority of drivers, these points will be almost imperceptible.

So, if you're looking for a compact SUV with a distinctive design, 100 % made in Italy, from the styling to the chassis to the engine, the Tonale 2.0 clearly deserves your attention. Surely the most beautiful in its class, well-equipped and competitively priced against its direct rivals... Frankly, I can't think of any pragmatic reason not to snap it up. Photo credits: Italpassion !