Floundering Alfa Romeo comes back to life: this is the new Tonale | Car

After the arrival of the Tonale, a new Alfa Romeo should appear every year in the coming years, the company from Milan promises. That would mean that Alfa is going to catch up, because recently there has been very little news from the brand. The Giulia and the Stelvio are the most recent Alfas, and they have both been around since at least 2016. If the brand really wants to survive, a load of fresh models is indeed necessary.

With the new Tonale, Alfa Romeo is in any case entering a very popular segment. With a length of 4.53 meters, this is a medium-sized SUV and these are currently more popular than ever. In terms of size, the Tonale fits exactly under the Stelvio, which is 4.68 meters long, while it is slightly longer than competitors such as the BMW X1. The new Alfa is on a modified chassis that parent company Stellantis also uses for the Jeep Renegade and Compass, although the Italian developers promise that the Tonale will have a sportier handling “befitting the illustrious history of the brand”. According to Alfa Romeo, electronically controlled shock absorbers, a DNA controller with different driving modes and a ‘perfect weight distribution’ must contribute to this.

It is striking that Alfa Romeo does not yet market the brand new newcomer – against the current trend – as a fully electric car. Such a version without combustion engine may come later, but the brand does not provide details about this at the moment.

It is known that there is a choice between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid: the ‘standard’ Tonale will receive a completely new 1.5-litre petrol engine with 160 hp (117 kW), which was developed exclusively for Alfa Romeo. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard and is assisted by a 15-kilowatt electric motor. The transmission makes it possible to start electrically and to drive at low speeds. With this variant, only the front wheels are driven. A 130 hp hybrid version will also be available at the launch of the Tonale.

The second version is the Tonale Plug-in Hybrid Q4 with a maximum power of 275 hp, or 202 kilowatts. With this powertrain, which is therefore partly electric, the Alfa Romeo accelerates from standstill to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.2 seconds, while a battery pack of 15.5 kilowatt hours should be good for an electric driving range of about 60 kilometers per charge. . In the press release, the brand cleverly claims a maximum range of 80 kilometers, but that only applies to those who drive very slowly (for example in the city). At a public charging station, the battery pack must be fully charged after about two and a half hours, the brand claims. The Q4 in the type designation indicates that this Tonale has four-wheel drive, because the electric motor releases its power to the rear wheels. In this case, a 1.3-litre petrol engine drives the front wheels.

Alfa Romeo also gives the Tonale a striking world first: according to the brand, this is the first car in the world to be delivered with an NFT certificate. Such a ‘Non-Fungible Token’ is, as it were, a unique digital ‘key’ in which all relevant information of the relevant Tonale is stored. By means of secure blockchain technology, Alfa Romeo knows exactly what has happened to the car (for example in terms of maintenance) during use and the further life cycle of the car.

“With the customer’s consent, the NFT technology captures vehicle data and generates a certificate that can be used as a guarantee that the car has been properly maintained, with a positive effect on the residual value,” explains the brand. In the used car market, NFT certification is an additional source of credibility that owners or dealers can count on, claims Alfa Romeo. As standard, the Italian brand gives a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty on the Tonale. The batteries of the hybrid versions are 8 years or 150,000 kilometers.

During the development of the Tonale, Alfa Romeo says it has worked closely with Amazon. This is reflected in the presence of the voice-controlled assistant of Jeff Bezos’ company, Amazon Alexa. With this you should be able to operate the car effortlessly with your voice, claims the brand. Those who prefer not to do that have a large touchscreen at their disposal. According to Alfa Romeo, the completely new infotainment system works on Android software and can be updated wirelessly (‘Over-the-Air’). Alexa can also be used to add products to a shopping list, find a restaurant nearby or adjust the lighting or heating at home – if it is connected to a home automation system.

Another notable Amazon feature is the Secure Delivery Service that the Tonale features. This makes the car a place where postal packages can be delivered. By unlocking the doors remotely, parcel deliverers can safely leave the ordered products in the car. The owner of the Tonale can also receive remote updates about the status of the car, such as the charge or fuel level or opening or unlocking the car remotely.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale can be ordered from April 2022 and will appear on the Dutch road this year. The brand will only announce what the car will cost at a later date.