Alfa Romeo Tonale plug in hybrid test: expectations are high

There are high mountains, vineyards and bright sunshine: the encounter with the Italian countryside could not be more beautiful.

We are located one hour west of Milan. Climbing the winding mountain roads, we find a secondary road perfect for taking some photos of the brand new Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid.

Out of nowhere, a pickup truck rumbles towards us on the dirt road. Inside the car sits a slightly cantankerous Italian.

He sticks his fist out, shakes his head and is clearly not too impressed that we chose to stop right here, which is clearly a private road.

The local farmer serves a variety of Italian glosses. We don’t understand much, other than that we should leave. And quite quickly.

Fortunately, we have almost 300 horses at our disposal, which keeps us moving forward quickly.

Check out our first impression of the Tonale on the top of the case.

Important model

The Tonale Plug-in hybrid is Alfa Romeo’s very first plug-in model and the beginning of a completely new era.

Within just five years, all of the brand’s cars will have to be fully electric. It is Tonale who initiates the transition, and is therefore a very important model, which can also be interesting for the Norwegian market.

Under the hood they placed a small 1.3 liter turbo petrol. Together with an electric motor on the rear axle, the total output is 280 horsepower.

The battery pack is 15.5 kWh, which contributes to an electric range of up to 69 kilometres. Not best in class, but definitely within this segment.

What Alfa Romeo is also very clear about is that the sporty driving experience must be absolutely taken care of, despite the increased weight and the hybrid powertrain.

This was a nice car, with a lot of problems

Fun

It doesn’t take many meters of road before having the confirmation that the sporting DNA is in place. Especially when you drive the car in ‘Dynamic’ which is the sportier driving profile.

Then the shock absorbers are tightened and the throttle response improves. Plus, you get a slightly different, heavier weight on the steering. The brake pedal also changes character and the gearbox engages faster.

Alfa Romeo also worked hard on the Tonale’s center of gravity and weight distribution. The battery pack is mounted as low as possible, while the weight distribution is 53/43, which is a slight excess weight at the front.

In short, the new Tonale is really fun to drive, especially on the winding mountain roads we travel on in Italy.

Few make it more beautiful

It blooms on the track

The direct sense of control is also an important contribution. Alfa Romeo itself says the car will offer “true driving pleasure with Italian racing inspiration”.

In fact, they are so confident in their case that we are allowed to visit their testing facility in Balocco. After a few laps on the “Alfa Romeo track”, we can only confirm the sporting DNA once again.

Despite the weight gain with batteries and electric motor, the car attacks corners well. You get good contact with the surface, so you can ride relatively hard and still feel in control.

Men…

Another thing that Tonale should have is a smooth and pleasant transition when the fossil engine wakes up. We also note a fairly low noise level inside the cabin.

On a normal country road, we choose the normal driving mode, or “Natural” as they call it. Then the car itself switches from electric to hybrid operation. The shock absorbers are also softer.

But… You can’t have both a purse and a sack. Even with the shock absorbers in their softest setting, the car can feel quite stiff and dull over bumps and bumps. Certainly not a crisis, but it is noticeable.

This Alfa is a forgotten car treasure

Pleasant driving environment

Inside, the Tonale feels uncluttered and well-rounded, with digital instruments and a razor-sharp 10.25-inch infotainment screen.

We have a feeling that there are physical buttons to operate the air conditioning.

The steering wheel is in the familiar Alfa style, very easy to grip, with large aluminum paddle shifters if you want to do the job yourself.

If we are to strike, there is too much hard plastic inside. It slows down a bit and falls short of the best German competitors.

Raise your eyebrows

It is interesting to drive the Tonale electrically in various countries of Northern Italy. It is obvious that the local population is far from used to electric cars and the absence of engine noise.

We stop at a local Lidl store, which is actually equipped with a charging station. (Not many out here). People kind of look at us funny when we get out of the car and plug in the cable.

Much of the focus is probably on the design as well. Tonale, like the other Alfa models, is a car that stands out on the road.

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In Norway next year

There is no doubt that Alfa Romeo is late for the electric “party”. But really big things are going to happen in the next few years. From not offering a single electric car today, they will therefore exclusively sell all-electric cars from 2027 onwards.

Tonale plug in hybrid kicks off the ball. And they do it convincingly. The only question is whether it is too late in Norway. The car will arrive in the country in March/April next year.

The price is unclear, but the Norwegian importer expects a starting price of around NOK 700,000 including today’s taxes. This is for the “Veloce” top model with most equipment.

Now it must be said that plug-in hybrids are still sold in this country. For those who want that certain something, through playful design and wonderful driving characteristics, then the new Tonale should definitely be on the current candidate list.

Try the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: – Smile!

Take part in the first test drive of the new Tonale here: