Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023: small hybrid SUV to arrive in Australian dealerships by February with two variants

Alfa’s new Tonale SUV will bring mild-hybrid power in a smaller package to the existing Stelvio SUV

Alfa Romeo has announced pricing for its small-segment SUV, the Tonale, with pricing to start from $49,900 before on-road costs for the entry-level Ti variant.

Both the Ti and Veloce variants will be joined by a flagship plug-in hybrid variant in the later stages of 2023.

The Tonale is set to go up against established heavy hitters in the luxury small SUV market including the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Volvo XC40 and even the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale will arrive in Australia with two variants

Alfa Romeo’s new Tonale is based on a heavily revised version of the SCCS crossover platform that also underpins the Jeep Compass SUV.

The all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale will arrive in local dealerships from February 2023.

Everything you should know about the Tonale SUV

The first available variants of the Tonale – the Ti and Veloce – are mild hybrids, rather than the fully-fledged plug-in hybrids seen used by other close competitors.

Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023 central screen — The Tonale has a large 10.25-inch central touchscreen

The powertrain used for the Tonale mild-hybrid is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 48-volt battery. Total outputs for this configuration are 118kW/240Nm.

Alfa Romeo says that with the use of a variable geometry turbocharger (like the kind found in the Porsche 911 Turbo), the Tonale can return a low claimed fuel economy of 5.6L/100km.

A very small 15kW electric motor is fitted that can silently start the vehicle and is also capable of energy recovery during deceleration to the 0.8kWh battery pack.

Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023 front end — Highlights include adaptive LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels

Other highlights include a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as advanced driver assistance safety systems, adaptive LED headlights and frequency selective dampers.

Standard equipment for the Tonale SUV

The standard equipment fitted on the Tonale Ti includes 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, full-LED matrix headlights, carbon-look cloth and leatherette seat trim, a leather steering wheel with incorporated starter button, a black headliner, aluminium pedals and 60:40 split rear seats.

Also included as standard for the Tonale is DAB radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch central touchscreen, Alfa Romeo connected services, wireless phone charging, front and rear USB A and C ports, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry.

Alfa Romeo Tonale 2023 with lady — The Alfa Romeo Tonale is based on the same platform as the Jeep Compass

Stepping up into the Veloce variant, buyers will receive the standard kit of the Ti plus larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a dark miron body kit, Brembo red brake calipers, Alcantara and leatherette seats, aluminium door sills and shift paddles, level 2 autonomous driving, a 360-degree camera and Alfa’s dual-stage damping.

What about a Tonale Quadrifoglio performance variant?

UK outlet Auto Express reported in June 2022 that the Tonale platform can indeed handle more power for a potential high-performance Quadrifoglio variant.

Alfa Romeo’s chief executive Jean-Philippe Imparato told the publication that if there is a good response from the public for the Tonale, the possibility of a Quadrifoglio performance variant could come to fruition.

But while that means Alfa Romeo has at least thought about the idea of sticking the brand’s 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine with the engine bay of the Tonale, nothing has been confirmed for a hotter midsize SUV at this time.