Driven: Is The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid Ti A Case Of Style Over Substance?

Alfa Romeo describes the Tonale as a pivotal vehicle in its transformation towards a lineup of zero-emission models by 2027, and on paper, it appears to check all the right boxes. However, it’s one thing for a car to look good on paper and another for it to truly impress in the real world. So, is the Tonale genuinely impressive, or is it merely an SUV chasing sales without the charisma of other Alfa Romeo models?

All it takes is a quick look at Alfa’s recent sales figures to understand why the Tonale is important. In 2021, the Italian car manufacturer sold just 25,964 vehicles globally, a frankly woeful number that the company desperately needs to improve. Its sales in Australia this year make for an especially difficult reading.

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During the first quarter of 2023, Alfa Romeo only managed to sell 100 vehicles in the country, marking a 38% decline compared to Q1 2022. This performance continues the brand’s downward sales trend in Australia. In 2022, Alfa Romeo sold just 571 vehicles, a drop from 618 in 2021, 734 in 2020, 891 in 2019, and 1,279 in 2018 when the Stelvio was launched.

It is not yet clear how locals are responding to the Tonale but in Europe, Alfa Romeo’s trend of declining sales reversed in the first half of the year, with sales jumping by 100% and increasing by 57% globally. The Tonale needs to be the savior of the brand.

QUICK FACTS

The Alfa for the people?

Alfa Romeo sells the Tonale as a traditional hybrid and as a plug-in hybrid in Australia. The regular hybrid version is offered in Ti and Veloce guises, while the plug-in hybrid is sold exclusively in the well-equipped Tonale trim. We spent a week with the Ti hybrid.

It’s hard to deny that the latest Alfa Romeo SUV stands out on the road. This isn’t simply because we’ve seen so few of them, but also due to the bold yet beautiful design. It’s unlike any other SUV and looks refreshingly more modern than the Stelvio.

Key to the design is what Alfa Romeo calls its ‘3+3’ full-LED adaptive Matrix headlights. These units house a set of attractive daytime running lights that morph into dynamic turn signals and look superb. Tonale Ti models also come standard with a set of 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and glossy black painted trim with satin chrome inserts. Our test vehicle was finished in Alfa Red and looked the part.

Making the Tonale instantly recognizable as an Alfa Romeo is the firm’s famed Scudetto grille. Found at the rear are LED taillights with similar signatures to the headlights. Unfortunately, we couldn’t really appreciate these lights in all their glory as we kept getting distracted by the poor alignment of the driver’s side light with the tailgate. It’s definitely a…traditional Alfa Romeo in that sense, then.

A modern and comfortable cabin

Where the Alfa Romeo Tonale shines is in the cabin. For a vehicle that starts at AU$49,900 ($32,500), the interior of the Tonale feels up to spec. The steering wheel is perfectly-sized and having the engine start button positioned on the wheel gives the SUV a nice little bit of theater, not that this alone will fool you into thinking you’re driving a Ferrari.

Positioned behind the wheel is a 12.3-inch Connochiale digital instrument cluster. This panel doesn’t offer much scope for personalization, but you can switch between a handful of different layouts. Unlike most cars we’ve driven recently, the controls for the gauge cluster are not found on the steering wheel or the infotainment screen but on the end of the right-hand column stalk, a quirk that took us a couple of days to notice.

The seating position of the Tonale Ti is excellent and the cloth seats are very comfortable both on short city stints and long highway journeys. Customers who opt for the Tonale Veloce get perforated black Alcantara and leatherette seats. The central portion of the dashboard is clad in black leather with contrast stitching and houses the most modern compelling element of the SUV’s cabin; the infotainment screen.

Easy-to-understand tech

This screen measures 10.25 inches and has the same Uconnect5 software as other models from Stellantis, including Jeep and Ram. Those who haven’t used this system may be a little put off at first given the plethora of different menus and viewing modes. Fortunately, we had hoped out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee the week prior and found it a breeze to get up to speed. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both come standard, something which cannot be said about all new vehicles at this price point. Much to our surprise, both systems worked flawlessly and the large screen is quick and responsive.

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There’s nothing fancy going on with the shifter, although there is a quirky little metal dial for the volume sitting next to it. Alfa Romeo has also incorporated a wireless smartphone charger and a round switch to select between the three different D, N, and A driving modes. Physical switches are also used for the HVAC controls while some of the more intricate climate settings are found in the infotainment display. A single USB-C and USB-A port are also accessible to those sitting up front.

The Tonale’s second row is surprisingly spacious, even for taller occupants, although some elements do feel a little cheap, like the scratchy black plastic on the door panels. A USB-C and USB-C port are both found at the rear as are two air vents.

A solid performer but lacking refinement

Driving the Alfa Romeo Hybrid, in both Ti and Veloce guises, is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a 48-volt 0.8 kWh battery, and a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor. All up, it is good for 118 kW (158 hp) and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque. It is an interesting powertrain, but it has its flaws, as our own Chris Chilton said in his first review in Europe last year.

The faults become apparent as soon as you set off. As the Tonale is a mild hybrid, it runs purely on electric power when pulling away from a standstill or when creeping through car parks. When operating like this, it’s flawless and very smooth. However, once you exceed about 25 km/h (15.5 mph), the 1.5-liter engine fires into life, and when it does, it jerks the Alfa in a rather unpleasant way. As you continue to accelerate, the rough transition between electric and combustion power is met with a transmission that is finnicky at the best of times.

At slow speeds, it feels like the gearbox isn’t really sure what gear it should be in and it makes for a frustrating experience. Fortunately, these issues become less of a disturbance when you start to build speed.

Alfa Romeo says the Tonale Hybrid needs 8.8 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph), so it’s not particularly brisk. However, when driven at 50% throttle, it does build pace at a smooth and predictable rate without any abrupt interference from the transmission but does still lack some of the refinement we were hoping for. There’s also plenty of torque steer to deal with should you stab the throttle a little too hard or call on all of the power when overtaking.

The aforementioned DNA drive modes stand for Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced and while you may assume Natural is the best mode to drive in on a regular basis, it is actually Dynamic mode that’s better. You see, in Natural mode, the throttle response of the Tonale is sluggish and it feels altogether lazy. By comparison, it feels much more responsive in Dynamic and is also more practicable, ironing out some of the powertrain’s quirks.

Fuel efficiency is solid. Alfa Romeo claims the Tonale Hybrid can sip just 5.6 liters per 100 km (42 U.S. mpg) over the combined cycle and we found that to be right on the money. Aiding in the efficiency is the fact that the engine will shut down when coasting as the electrical part of the powertrain takes over duties. While the engine doesn’t start up very smoothly, it does shut off seamlessly and without interruption.

The saving grace

In day-to-day driving, the Tonale Ti doesn’t exhibit the same level of refinement as some of its competitors like the Volvo XC40, Lexus UX, Audi Q3, or BMW X1. However, it does make up some ground on the competition in the handling department. Alfa Romeo has given it a light and precise steering rack that still provides a good amount of feedback and helps you place it perfectly on the road when hustling it through a series of corners. It feels light on its feet and the Continental EcoContact 6 tires provide plenty of grip, even though they are not performance-focused rubber. It is surprisingly fun to drive along a mountain road and feels as though it shrinks around you.

Unfortunately, the serenity of threading it through turns ends the moment you have to accelerate and the engine tries (and fails) its best to keep up.

So, is it a good buy?

The Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti is a solid offering with an attractive design and a modern yet unique interior that should appeal to the brand’s loyal enthusiasts. Whether it will be enough to attract a broader range of buyers remains to be seen, and only the company’s sales figures over the next 12-24 months will provide the complete picture.

Photo Credits: Brad Anderson/CarScoops