Alfa Romeo Tonale review
Against a sea of crossovers, the Alfa Romeo Tonale stands out. It’s engaging, upmarket and as Italian as tiramisu , but is it enough to tempt you out of your Audi Q3 or BMW X1? Read our Alfa Romeo Tonale review to find out.
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Pros
- Balanced and confident handling
- Punchy hybrid powertrains
- Sporty driving position
Cons
- PHEV’s boot is much smaller
- Might be too firm for some
Interior
Our rating: 8/10
Driving position
Being a compact crossover, you sit higher in the Tonale than in Alfa’s sportier models, but it never feels big and cumbersome.
It already feels a bit lower than something like a Nissan Juke , and the adjustable seats combine with the wrap-around dashboard to add to the sporty setup.
We tested the Veloce model, albeit a right-hand drive Italian spec, which is a mid-level model and a good reflection of popular customer choice. However, Alfa Romeo’s making a big deal about how much more customisable the facelifted model is compared with its predecessor.
You can pick from new interiors, including red leather lifted from the Giulia and Stelvio, higher quality materials and an even sportier drive with adjustable suspension.
Sportiness and agility might be thrown around by car brands in their marketing, but cutting through the nonsense, it’s clear the Italian brand’s engineers spent a lot of time improving the experience and ride.
Tech and features
Alfa Romeo Tonale trims
– Tonale
– Ti
– Veloce
– Sport Speciale
Alfa Romeo’s chief design team admitted that, yes, some cars have bigger screens and flashier tech, but that’s not what drivers are after. They’re after tech that just works – features that are truly useful, rather than an overload of clutter.
That’s why the 10.25-inch touchscreen display remains, with only a few tweaks to improve ease of use. Not that most drivers would ever venture off the home screen or system settings – we’ve got wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for that.
We also enjoyed the crispness of the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which changes design depending on your chosen drive mode.
Other tech includes wireless phone charging, a powered boot lid, 360-degree cameras and self-parking, of course – all depending on your chosen trim level.
So-called ‘Level 2’ driver aids, such as adaptive cruise control, lane centering, blind spot monitoring and more, are also all present and correct.
Interestingly, Alfa Romeo places a big emphasis on the fact that it will never create a ‘computer on wheels’, and that its systems are as unintrusive as they can be.
All in all, we’d say that’s a pretty fair statement, but more on that below.
Performance
Our rating: 8/10
Engines and power
Alfa Romeo Tonale performance stats
– Power: 175hp, 270hp
– 0-62mph: 6.6-8.5 seconds
– Top speed: 121-132mph
– Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive
As with before, the 1.5-litre mild hybrid (MHEV) and the 1.3-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV) are the only options we get in the UK – left-hand-drive markets get a 130hp 1.6-litre diesel, but demand is too low here.
Both engines are traditional four-cylinder engines, so you don’t get that awkward thrum of a three-cylinder . We think they sound and feel that little bit more refined.
Power for the mild hybrid is up by 15hp to 175hp, bringing the 0-62mph down from 8.8 seconds to 8.5 seconds.
We tested the 270hp PHEV, which drops from 280hp in the pre-facelift. It’s slower to 62mph (6.6 seconds vs. 6.2 seconds) but still feels plenty quick enough.
Two electric motors (one on each axle) work together with the petrol engine to create a 4x4 setup, which is good for grip, but think of it more as performance grip than any real off-roading grip.
But who would take their Alfa Romeo off-road anyway?
122hp comes from the electric motors, adding a healthy boost to in-gear acceleration and vastly improving fuel economy, but there’s no real urgency if you try to accelerate in EV-only mode.
Handling and ride comfort
Back to that Level 2 autonomous tech, because Alfa Romeo’s bold claims of a driver-centric experience need addressing.
While some cars make it hard to break out of self-steering mode with a big tug on the wheel (we’re looking at you, Tesla), and others feel far too controlling, the Tonale’s system genuinely isn’t that intrusive, but it’s still very much there and has your back.
So maybe it’s not all marketing waffle?
Sure, you still have the beeps and bongs that European legislation mandate, but you can turn them off pretty easily with a shortcut at the top of the screen.
The engineers also boast about the Tonale’s ‘optimal weight distribution’, but how they got to that point is irrelevant to us drivers – we just need to know that it drives well.
A 10mm wider track gives the Tonale more stability for quicker turns (plus a more aggressive stance), and its cornering has been likened to its bigger sibling, the Stelvio – quite the statement for a compact crossover.
The Tonale also has a brake-by-wire system, which uses electronics rather than mechanics to connect the brake pedal to the pads and discs. It all adds up to a more consistent feel, and one that worked a treat in the twisting hills of Tuscany .
We do have one gripe with the gear selector, which is now a characterless rotary dial. Apparently, it’s to save space and make it easier to reach the wireless phone charger – we miss the sturdier selector from before though.
At least the oversized metal paddle shifters behind the wheel are an occasion.
The classic ‘DNA’ selector still sits proudly on the centre console, with Dynamic, Natural and Advanced efficiency drive modes.
Our car had the adjustable suspension – it’s as simple as soft and firm. The difference is staggering, but unless you know you’ve got perfect tarmac ahead, soft is the way to go.
You feel like you’re damaging the car in firm mode, especially on the 20-inch alloys inspired by Alfa’s latest supercar, the 33 Stradale.
Practicality
Our rating: 6/10
Boot space
Alfa Romeo Tonale boot space
– Boot space: 385-500 litres
– Incl. Rear seats folded: 1,430-1,550 litres
Our experience is with the PHEV Tonale, which has a 385-litre boot. If you’re coming from a family hatchback, this will feel very normal.
But if you were hoping for more space when upgrading to an SUV, even if this is on the smaller side as a crossover, you may be disappointed.
You can go for the mild hybrid model to get 500 litres of space but you’ll miss out on that extra fuel economy.
A powered boot lid is available, and the seats fold 60:40. There is also a ski hatch in some trims, so you can load longer items through while seating two passengers in the rear (in comfort).
Rear seats
The rear seats are roomy enough for two adults, but you wouldn’t really want to sit in the middle. They’re also pretty raised, which is good for forward visibility but not so good for headroom.
A sporty sloping roofline also cuts into headroom a bit. For families with younger children, it’s perfect, but not ideal for a car-full of adults.
Storage solutions
There’s not an awful lot to write about here – no revolutionary solutions, but enough to keep things tidy.
The door bins are shaped for water bottles, but they’re not huge, and there’s a small storage area under the front armrest.
Alfa Romeo Tonale dimensions
– Height: 1,601-1,614mm
– Width: 2,082mm (including mirrors)
– Length: 4,522mm
– Gross weight: 1,525-1,835mm
Safety
The Alfa Romeo Tonale got a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when it first launched in 2022, and this will cover the 2025 facelift too.
The usual active driver aids we’ve already touched on are backed up by a few more safety features like front and rear collision avoidance systems traffic sign recognition and a driver awareness monitor.
Running costs
Our rating: 7/10
Fuel economy
Fuel economy is largely unchanged compared to earlier versions – a claimed 49.6mpg for the mild hybrid.
Changes to the way plug-in hybrids are tested give us a better reflection of how the Tonale PHEV performs, we’re now quoted 83.1mpg and around 38 miles of electric-only range from a 15.5kWh battery.
That 38-mile range, in our experience, isn’t far off the mark at all, but like fuel efficiency, it depends entirely on how you plan on driving it.
Over the course of around 100 miles through rolling vineyards and the Apennine Mountains – purposely keeping the battery in E-SAVE mode to maintain charge – we got around 30mpg. Not great, but remember, this is worst-case scenario. Plenty of motorways and hill climbs contributed to that.
Stick to local trips and you could never have to use the petrol engine – take it on a longer, and more relaxed drive, and we suspect upwards of 40mpg should be attainable.
Reliability
If you’re coming into this thinking that Alfa Romeos are unreliable, you don’t need to worry. That reputation was fairly earned in the ‘80s, but modern cars are a totally different story.
Alfa Romeo sits under the Stellantis brand, sharing parts with fellow Italian icon Fiat, as well as Jeep, among others.
The three-year manufacturer warranty is far from the best, but it’s industry-average. You get the same cover from Audi and BMW.
The verdict
Interior
8/10
Performance
8/10
Practicality
6/10
Running costs
7/10
The crossover market is probably the most saturated – every brand wants in, but that makes it easy to get lost in the noise.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale is definitely not the type of car that blends in. Just look at it.
More of an evolution than a revolution, the 2025 facelift adds to what already works in the Tonale, but it’s proof that the hybrid powertrain certainly does have a place in an enthusiast’s car.
And that’s exactly who this car is perfect for – enthusiasts who might be feeling the pinch of the economy and can’t quite afford that Ferrari (yet), or who may be building their own family and need a bit more space.
Is the upgrade worth it over pre-facelift models? Possibly not. But should you still consider the Tonale? Absolutely. If you can have fun and stand out without making sacrifices, why wouldn’t you?
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