Is the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale a Good SUV? 5 Pros and 3 Cons

In a world full of perfectly good if not particularly exciting luxury compact SUVs, the Alfa Romeo Tonale brings its own distinctive style. Luxurious, stylish and entertaining to drive, the Tonale not only stands out in a crowd, it brings a few firsts for the Italian brand.

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For openers, the Tonale is Alfa Romeo’s first offering with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, offering the option of driving on electric power alone. The Tonale’s mission and target audience are different, too: Where other Alfa models like the Giulia sedan and larger Stelvio SUV are less compromising performance machines, the Tonale is a little softer around the edges to appeal to a wider audience.

Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman traveled to the Tonale’s native Italy, where he got acquainted with a European-spec version of Alfa Romeo’s latest offering. He found the Tonale to be an excellent traveling companion in spite of a few niggling faults. Tap the link above for his expert review in full; for a quicker rundown, however, read on for a look at five things we like about the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale and three things we don’t.

Things We Like

1. No Cookie Cutter

From its curvaceous profile to its distinctive triangular grille, there’s no mistaking the Tonale for any of its more generically styled competitors. The lines are somewhat softer than those on other Alfa Romeo models while still presenting a clean, sculpted look. Extroverted color choices including Verde Fangio on our test car further help the Tonale stand out.

2. Quality and Function

The cabin controls and instruments have a quality look and feel, from the analog-look digital gauges to the much appreciated physical controls for climate and audio settings. The Uconnect 5 multimedia system remains one of the best in the business, and the thick-rimmed steering wheel feels substantial in your hands. Firm yet comfortable seats add to the sporty feel, and the cabin is every bit as luxurious as the ones found in the Tonale’s competitors.

3. Punchy Powertrain

U.S. models are offered only with the PHEV powertrain, which combines a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor and 15.5-kilowatt-hour battery. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, acceleration is quick and smooth, with practically seamless transitions between gas and electric power. Perhaps best of all, the engine sounds like a proper Italian sports machine and has an aggressive snarl from the exhaust.

4. Electric Operator

Thanks to its PHEV powertrain, the Tonale is good for a manufacturer-claimed range of up to 30 miles on battery power alone. That’s enough juice for all-electric operation while running errands around town or for many commuters. Better still, the Tonale will stay in electric vehicle mode even on an incline or at higher speeds — something that can’t be said of many plug-ins.

5. Cost-Competitive

While not pocket change, the Tonale’s prices are quite competitive for the class, especially given the level of standard features and all-wheel drive. A Tonale in the base Sprint trim starts at $44,590, the mid-level Ti variant starts at $46,590, and a Veloce like our test vehicle has a starting price of $49,090 (prices include destination).

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Things We Don’t Like

1. The View Aft

Visibility is fine to the front and sides, but the view to the rear takes a hit in the interest of style. The beltline curves up toward the rear, making for smaller rear side windows. The rear window is also on the small side, and the head restraints for the backseats further inhibit visibility.

2. Second-Row Shortcomings

The rear-seat accommodations may draw complaints from adults due to leg- and foot room that could be described as less than generous. In fairness, the Tonale is a compact SUV and is not the only one in its class where front-seat passengers may have to slide their seat forward a bit to keep the peace. On the positive side, however, headroom is more than adequate.

3. Mixed Modes

Three drive modes include Natural for normal driving, a Dynamic mode for the sportiest response and Advanced Efficiency to keep the Tonale in EV mode as much as possible. Steering feel, however, is lacking in Natural mode. Switching to Dynamic helps with that, but it makes the powertrain a little too high strung for normal driving.

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