2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale revealed with 271 bhp as brand's first PHEV

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale debuts as the Italian brand's first electrified model by offering a plug-in-hybrid powertrain. The compact crossover will launch in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2022, however, UK pricing and specification will be announced at a later date. Below we provide details for the US market and European market as a whole.

Under the bonnet

In Europe, there is a 1.5-litre petrol mild hybrid version available with two power levels, 128 bhp and 158 bhp, both with front-wheel drive, a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a built-in 48-volt 15-kW, 55m P2 electric motor that can propel the wheels even when the internal combustion engine is turned off.

The plug-in hybrid choice consists of a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and six-speed automatic for turning the front axle. A 121-bhp (90-kilowatt) electric motor powers the rear wheels. The total system output is 271 bhp (202 kW). 

The PHEV comes with a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Alfa Romeo estimates the range when running only on electric power to be 50 miles (80 km) on the city cycle and over 37 miles (60 km) on the combined cycle. The charging system operates at 7.5 kilowatts and requires 2.5 hours for a full recharge when using the 7.4 kW fast charger.

In the US, the Tonale will also be available with a second engine option in addition to the plug-in hybrid. A 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 256 bhp (191 kW) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-metres) of torque. It runs through a nine-speed automatic to an all-wheel-drive system.

Europeans will get also get a diesel option at some point.

The Future Of Alfa Romeo:

How It Looks

The front of the Tonale features Alfa's traditional shield-shaped grille. Flanking it, there are standard, full LED headlights with running lights that create three elements on each side. The tail lamps have styling to match the appearance of the illumination in the front. The phone-dial-style wheels have look that evokes classic Alfas.

The table below shows the Tonale's physical footprint:

The Tonale's comes standard with a 12.3-inch digital infotainment cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. The tech runs on the Uconnect 5 software suite that supports over-the-air updates. The system has wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There's also support for Alexa home-to-car and car-to-home communication with smart devices.

Safety Tech

The Tonale comes with a long list of standard safety systems. The features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection.

As an option, buyers can upgrade to tech that supports level 2 autonomy that adds features like traffic jam assist.

Three Models To Choose From

In Europe, there are two trim levels available – Super and Ti. The Super trim can be customised with the Sprint pack, which includes numerous options with a sporty connotation. Alternatively, the Ti trim can be enhanced with the Veloce pack for peak performance and sportiness.

In the US, the Tonale will come in three trim levels. Sprint is the entry-level model and only comes with the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. The Ti in the middle of the lineup is available with either the 2.0 or 1.3-litre plug-in hybrid. The range-topping Veloce is only available with the PHEV. Pricing isn't yet available.

The Tonale As NFT

Alfa Romeo will launch a new programme with the Tonale where each vehicle will come with a non-fungible token (NFT) that will initially register info like the vehicle's colour and options. The owner will take over the NFT upon the vehicle's purchase. 

From there, Alfa will be able to update the NFT whenever the Tonale will be at the dealer for service or maintenance. This will create a digital log about the vehicle's entire history. At this time, the brand isn't disclosing what company it is partnering with to create these NFTs.

According to the company, one use of the NFT will be to raise residual values of used vehicles because there will be a permanent recording of the maintenance history.

Owners can opt out of the programme if they don't want the info about their Tonale tracked with an NFT.