This Hybrid SUV Is Sporty & Efficient (Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV 2024 Review)

Detailed review and test of the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid including price, range, handling and interior.
Alfa Romeo has bolstered its fresh-faced Tonale small SUV lineup in Australia with a PHEV version called the Veloce Plug-In Hybrid Q4, that now sits as the flagship of the range, priced from $78,500.
The Tonale Veloce Plug-In Hybrid Q4 blends a turbocharged 1.3-litre inline-four engine outputting 132kW and 320Nm with an electric motor on the rear axle good for 90kW and 250Nm. At 208kW combined it’s the most powerful of the three available Tonale variants.
With as-tested sub-six-second performance, around 60 kilometres of pure electric driving range and around four litres per hundred of real-world combined fuel consumption, the Tonale PHEV hopes to swoon buyers with all-round driving capability wrapped in seductive Italian design.
Rivals to the Tonale include the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and iX1, Mercedes GLA and EQA and others.
Does it hit all of its targeted marks? Olek Novak puts the newcomer to the test for a week to find out.
Time codes:
0:00 - intro
1:18 - Tonale importance
1:50 - Underpinnings
2:20 - Variant grades
3:00 - Design
4:55 - Key features
5:50 - Safety
6:19 - Interior
7:34 - Positives
8:38 - Negatives
10:46 - Row two
12:30 - Boot space
13:20 - Powertrain
14:25 - Performance
14:40 - On road
18:05 - Steering
19:07 - Handling
19:45 - Ride quality
20:14 - Transmission
21:01 - Dynamic mode
21:57 - Efficiency
23:16 - EV range
23:40 - Charging
25:58 - Running costs
26:44 - Verdict

[@chasingcars]

Correction: the usable battery size is 12.0kWh, meaning that given our tested range of 60km, the consumption in EV mode was 20.0kWh/100km. Cheers!

[@themovieclub4033]

Great review

[@shivasirons1]

Great job, Olek. Detailed & thorough review. Sounds like a car definitely worth considering over the other mainstream xyz brands. I can vouch for the dealership service; they do an excellent job (McCarroll's). The blue colour looks fabulous but if it was my choice it would be Montreal Green..

[@gbormann71]

In DNA mode N I always drive it in "manual" (push stick to the left) for a full-hybrid feel as in D. In auto it just drains the battery at medium speed as it usually falls back to e-motor-only in N on low acceleration.

[@jaisabai4155]

I saw the price then abandoned ship 😬

[@Mike-bi7kb]

12.84l/100KM????? I have a PHEV Tonale and I get 6.3l/100km or less in hybrid mode ( N ) ( and e-save ) on the highway at approx 100K/H, and 8.3l/100km in the city.

[@MatthewBayard]

Crazy you can't get OTA updates. Depreciation will be killer on these cars.

[@radart6037]

I hope they switch to rear wheel drive for their new EV platform releases.

[@joshuanicholson420]

Alfa delivered 716 cars in 2023 how is this economic? Buying an Alfa seems like an investment guaranteed to disappoint, where’s the dealer network? Where are the experienced technical people, spare parts, etc. how’s it possible to have the knowledge for anyone to sell or support this brand? Hard pass from me.

[@sheedsanator76]

Agree the support after purchase is fucking horrendous

[@gregj7916]

I would assume there is more support for classical alfa models than new stuff …

[@DarthFurball]

Are you trying to quote a stat for a vehicle that was just release in NA in September of 2023? It's been on sale globally before that and has topped premium c-SUV sales across a number of regions. Also had no issues getting my Stelvio serviced (which has been rock solid BTW) - Alfa actually topped the JD power owner satisfaction list for premium brands, and number 3 across all brands last year.

[@jesuiscequejesuis2267]

Produced just in time for the downturn in EV sales.

[@colossus_g]

Where do you get your information? EVs get a greater market share each year. A market share increase that was not quite as high as predicted (as happened last year) does not constitute a downturn.

[@DarthFurball]

And that's why this PHEV makes perfect sense.

[@Jz-vd5zg]

80 grand for a Dodge

[@johnelmgreen8563]

Yes, like the Dodge - I hear - but the Dodge is said to be built in Italy and almost the same price as the Alfa. Who copied whom?

[@gbormann71]

​@@johnelmgreen8563Given the history with the concept launch at the Geneva Auto Show, it's a question that doesn't need answerring.

[@gregj7916]

Wouldn’t touch it, feel the warranty is worthless, would not be honoured etc…

[@b.p.r.]

Well, technically speaking, it’s actually a dodge hornet

[@ohhnospaghettio6104]

Fairly certain this model was created before the Dodge duplicate

[@b.p.r.]

@@ohhnospaghettio6104 yes

[@TonyFabris-lb2mg]

Well timely speaking the TONALE came before the Hornet or whatever other instrument 🥁 you’re talking about !

[@b.p.r.]

@@TonyFabris-lb2mg cool thanks

[@nchia]

Looks a bit bland to me…

[@AKA001]

How to ruin a car brand image. Take a Jeep, stick an Alfa grille on it and wait…

[@peterachilles9346]

Arent most companies doing that though

[@DarthFurball]

The Jeep was itself based on the Alfa Giulietta platform.

[@TheJonnyBoy1984]

Pretty sure the jeeps interior is a lot more plastic. This looks more premium