Alfa Romeo has unveiled its Tonale small SUV, featuring hybrid drivetrains and a PHEV model, plus its own NFT; Singapore debut late 2022

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MILAN, ITALY

Alfa Romeo has unveiled the Tonale, a small SUV that is designed to take on the likes of the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. The Tonale is a landmark car for Alfa Romeo, being its first model from the brand to offer hybrid powertrains, as well as Alfa’s first car to emerge following the creation of its Stellantis parent automotive group.

A Singapore debut for the Tonale is expected towards the end of 2022, with pricing expected to be similar to its rivals, meaning somewhere around the S$200,000 mark, with COE. It will also help to rejuvenate the Alfa Romeo lineup, which has remained just two model strong since the introduction of the Stelvio SUV in 2017.

The Tonale’s design features distinctive styling elements inspired by cars from Alfa’s heritage. Up front, the Alfa ‘Scudetto’ shield grille is flanked by slim 3+3 LED matrix headlights, and is a nod to the SZ sports car from the 80s. The iconic ‘telephone dial’ alloy wheels meanwhile continues an Alfa tradition that started on the 33 Stradale from the 60s, and have featured on cars like the 156 from the 90s.

The Tonale sits on the same platform as the Jeep Renegade, and will feature a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a hybrid setup shared with its Renegade cousin. It produces 130hp and 240Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and would likely be the launch model for Singapore given its COE Cat A eligibility.

There is also a more powerful hybrid model with an in-house developed 1.5-litre turbo engine that develops a total of 160hp. But arguably the most exciting version would be the plug-in hybrid model, which uses a 1.3-litre MultiAir turbo engine taken from the Fiat 500, paired with a 15.5kWh battery. Total output for the Tonale PHEV stands at an impressive 275hp, allowing it to go from 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

Alfa Romeo adds that the Tonale PHEV will be able to offer an electric driving range of between 60 to 80km, while the battery will take about 2.5 hours to charge from a 7.5kW charger. In addition, the PHEV model will also come with Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel-drive system as standard.

Like the rest of the lineup, the Tonale will place a strong emphasis on driver engagement and dynamics. It features a MacPherson suspension setup with frequency-selective damping, as well as a brake-by-wire system that Alfa says will offer “instantaneous response”. The Tonale will also have 50:50 weight distribution, very much like its Giulia and Stelvio siblings.

Alfa Romeo has also strived to load the Tonale with plenty of tech, with the car featuring a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that runs on Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, and allows for over-the-air software updates. There’s also a fully-digital 12.3-inch instrument display, while the usual Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity functionalities are also present.

Safety is accounted for with drive assistance features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking, among others. But beyond that, the Tonale also breaks new ground by being the first car in the world to offer its own non-fungible token (NFT).

Each Tonale will come with its own unique NFT, which will take the form of a secure digital certificate that contains information about the car’s build specifications. Subsequently, the owner can add on to that information with additional data such as mileage and servicing history. Alfa says that this will offer future owners peace-of-mind, and bolster the car’s resale value by having a permanent digital record of its history.

The Tonale marks the start of a brand rebirth of sorts for Alfa Romeo, with parent company Stellantis planning to launch a new Alfa model every year from this point on. Its first all-electric model, expected to be a small SUV to slot beneath the Tonale, is expected to launch in 2025, and from 2027 onwards all new Alfa models will be electric only.

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