The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale offers its buyers something more than ordinary when it comes to a 5-seater small SUV with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.  Whether you want the petrol engine or the plug-in hybrid option, there is a likable Italian zip to the way the Tonale gets around, and some decent fuel economy that comes with you on every drive. 

Inside the stylish Alfa Romeo Tonale, the seats are quite comfortable and the space good.  Knee and head space are particularly good, for what, after all, is a quite a small SUV.  Red contrast stitching and Alfa Romeo logos are present on the headrests, which are quite a nice touch in the design.  The Tonale also has good storage space throughout its cabin, with 500 litres of boot space for any luggage carried behind the rear seats.  This boot expands out to 1550 litres when the rear seats are folded down.

It could be said that the interior and dash are a little dark in their tones, black being the common theme for the standard trim.  But this has been the way with Alfa Romeos ever since I rode in my first Alfa, the 33 Ti Cloverleaf that my in-laws used to drive back in the 90s.  Those signature Alfa circular air vents still feature in the interior dash design, albeit in a composition of modern material.  The Tonale’s dashboard is slanted toward the driver’s needs, and this driver-focused cockpit is clearly an evolution of the styling Alfa Romeo have used in their Giulia sedan and their Stelvio SUV.  The12.3-inch digital driver’s display works a treat and looks great, and the three-spoke steering wheel has a classic design with a modern flavour.  A pair of paddle shifters are tucked behind the steering wheel, though most people will let the seven-speed auto do its thing.  The aluminium trim works nicely with the leather and microsuede surfaces.  

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale SUVs come standard with a 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that features the latest Uconnect 5 software.  Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with wireless phone charging are all there to make our modern lives a little more connected.  A Harmon Kardon sound system makes the longer journeys a fun time, as all your favourite music is put through the system’s premium sound system.  All new Tonales are 5-star safe, so automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, as well as a 360-degree camera system are working for you at all times.

In Australia, the Ti models are the standard models but they come well-equipped. Though more expensive than some of its main rivals, the Tonale Ti comes with some really nice features, such as heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charging pad, interior ambient lighting, and a power-operated rear tailgate for access into the boot.  The ride is comfortable, too, as the Tonale has a fully independent suspension.  You can get adaptive dampers as an optional extra.

Two model trims are available with the 1.5-litre petrol engine.  The Ti and Veloce trims both use the same fuel-efficient petrol engine that should return you an average consumption figure of around 6 litres/100 km, sometimes dipping lower.  The turbocharged 1.5-litre motor is nice and responsive; Alfa Romeo claims that these versions can sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h in around 9 seconds and on to a top speed of 212 km/h.  Whilst not the quickest gig out there, for a small SUV, this time should prove quick enough for most buyers looking to the Italian brand.  The seven-speed sports automatic gearbox sends the power to the front wheels to get things moving along nice and smoothly.  There is up to 118 kW of power and 240 Nm of torque to play around with. 

Then there is the Hybrid version of the new Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce, which takes the small SUV’s fuel efficiency to the next level.  It also boasts on-demand AWD, which is an added bonus!  A consumption figure of 1.5 litres/100 km is said to be attainable, but in the real world, it will likely be a little more than that.  Still, that’s amazingly good efficiency.  The plug-in hybrid features a turbocharged 1.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol ICE at the front of the vehicle and the electric motor mounted on the rear axle; together, they generate a combined 132 kW and 270 Nm. Alfa has equipped the plug-in Tonale SUV with a six-speed automatic and a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that’s said to provide over 50 km of electric-only driving range.  Charging up the plug-in Tonale at home on a 240 V connection will replenish the battery pack in about 2.5 hours. 

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale’s plug-in hybrid powertrain provides plenty of punch for around the town, but it can feel like it runs out of breath when sending it past slower moving traffic on the open roads or up a hill.  That said, it will see off the 0–100 km/h sprint in around 6 seconds.  Having Brembo brakes also means that the stopping power is excellent. 

The curvaceous bodywork and Alfa Romeo’s signature nose treatment will always collect admiring looks from onlookers.  The Tonale offers service intervals of 15,000 km or 12 months, whichever comes first.  Buy a new Tonale SUV, and Alfa Romeo offers you customer assistance for the first 5 years, roadside assistance for the first 5 years, and a warranty that equates to the first 5 years with unlimited km.  If you want something a little more exotic than a Honda HR-V, Suzuki Vitara, or Toyota Corolla Cross, then the new Tonale SUV might just be worth a look.  It is also an alternative to the BMW X1, Mercedes Benz GLA, and the Volvo XC40.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo SUV models include the:

• Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti
• Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce
• Alfa Romeo Tonale Plug-In Hybrid Veloce

For any more information on the new Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Alfa Romeo dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!