In the luxury car world, SUVs and crossover SUVs are more popular than ever. From the BMW iX, to the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q5, crossovers are becoming more common, more luxurious, and in some cases more fuel efficient than ever before. So naturally, Alfa Romeo had to dip their toes into the market with their beautifully luxurious Tonale. Though the car will be available in the European market by the end of this year, it won’t hit US sales until 2023. Nevertheless, our friends over at Car and Driver were able to get behind the seat of one to give us their first thoughts.
European Engine vs American Engine: Efficiency vs Power
As is true with pretty much every car—especially the luxury type—the quality and responsiveness of the engine is of major interest to the buyer. And when it comes to the Tonale there is a bad news and good news. The test drivers admittedly weren’t too enthused with the European engine option with its slightly less than exciting 130/160-hp turbocharged 1.5 liter engine. This engine is paired with a 20-hp electric motor. And though this combination certainly is more on the energy efficient side than others, it may feel a little underpowered for something with an Alfa badge at the front.
If you are looking for something that is both speedy and more fuel efficient, there will be a 272-hp plug in hybrid option that will be available in both European and US markets. This option will combine a 1.3 liter 180-hp engine with a 121-hp electric motor for the rear axle.
But if you are looking for something that feels and sounds a little bit more like the Alfas you may have known in the past, the 256-hp turbocharged 2.0 liter engine that will be available exclusively in the US market may be the Alfa Romeo you are looking for.
The View Inside: Alfa Romeo Luxury in a Crossover Package
Though the lackluster European engine—the only one available for them to try—wasn’t their favorite, the Car and Driver team were thoroughly pleased with the way the car looked, both inside and out. The crossover’s smaller size doesn’t suffer from the strange proportions that often plague a shrunk down SUV. And the ergonomically intelligent interiors were an additional pleasant surprise, even in comparison to other Alfa interiors. The infotainment screen centers the dash as expected, but Alfa allowed the controls for the heat and air conditioning remain actual buttons instead of buried in layers of touch screen menus—which is often a rare gift these days.
Much Alfa To Love: Now To Wait for the US Tonale in 2023
Despite the middling engine, it is probably fair to say that the Tonale proves that Alfa has something important to say in the crossover market. It will be interesting to see what the Tonale will be able to do with that 256-hp turbocharged engine under the hood, so time will tell whether we think the Tonale will earn its Alfa reputation or not. For more more info and a ton of pictures, head on over to Car and Driver and see what you think.
