Few brands can boast of the legacy and tradition that Alfa Romeo has, the Italian firm has 110 years personifying the design and style so desirable of the vehicles originating in that country.
However, it must also be recognized that Alfa Romeo has been losing prominence in the market in recent decades. The Giulia and Stelvio models being the banners of a renaissance that has every intention of regaining that leadership position it once had.
Today, Alfa Romeo presents in our country the next step in its evolution, it is the Tonale, an entry-level SUV, extremely well achieved in practically all sections; design, equipment, mechanical proposal, etc. And that also opens the doors to electrification for the firm, since it has a Plug-In Hybrid variant that is confirmed for our country.
But also, the Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023 arrives in Mexico with such an interesting price, that it immediately ranks as a great value propositionsomething that being honest, we had not seen in any model of the brand before.
By the way, the name Tonale comes from a mountain pass found in the Italian Alps.
Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023: Design
First of all, the Alfa Romeo Tonale is without a doubt the most attractive SUV in its category, or at least that’s what it seems to me. It has those classic design elements like the classic trilobe front end or the big circle wheels made famous by the 8C Competizione.
By the way, that 8C rim design is actually a modernized reinterpretation of the iconic small-circle rims that Campagnolo made for Alfas historically.
Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023: Engine and technical characteristics
- Engine – L4 2.0-liter Twin-Scroll Turbo
- Power – 256 hp
- Torque – 295 lb-ft
- Transmission – 9-speed automatic
- Traction – Integral
The brand has also confirmed the arrival of a Plug-In Hybrid of which it has not released too many details, except for the fact that it consists of a motor 1.3 Multiair Turbo that together with the electric motor deliver 275 hp and an acceleration of 0 – 100 km/h in 6 seconds.
This mechanical configuration was announced for the Dodge Hornet, which now seems unlikely to arrive in our country. For the version of the North American brand, the PHEV train has the following specifications and although Alfa has yet to confirm, they should not change too much.
- Electric motor – 90 kW
- Lithium ion battery – 1.5 kWh
- Electric autonomy – 40 km
- Torque – 383 lb-ft
- Transmission – 6-speed automatic
- Traction – AWD
Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023: Interior and equipment
Inside doors, things are somewhat less dramatic visually speaking, the layout is functional and correct, but less purposeful from a design point of view compared to what Alfa has accustomed us to. Of course, we find good quality of materials and good level of equipment, within what stands out:
- 10.25” center screen
- Wireless compatibility with Apple Carplay and Android Auto
- Wireless charger
- 12.3” digital instrument cluster
- Harman Kardon 14-speaker audio system
Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023: Safety
In terms of safety, in addition to the elements already required such as ABS, ESP or airbags, the Tonale offers ADAS assistance and level 2 autonomous driving.
- Intelligent adaptive cruise control
- Lane Keeping Assistant
- Traffic jam assist
- Traffic Sign Detection
Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023: Versions and price
The Tonale 2023 arrives in 3 versions; Sprint, Ti and Speciale (limited edition) and the starting price is $860,000 pesoswhich considering the mechanical and equipment offer and compared to the prices of its frontal rivals such as: Audi Q3, BMW X1 or Mercedes-Benz GLA, sounds quite interesting.