Alfa Romeo Tonale

The Alfa Romeo Tonale (Type 965) is a compact crossover SUV produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo. Introduced in February 2022, the Tonale is the first hybrid-powered Alfa Romeo. It slots below the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and became the first new model introduced by the brand in six years. The Tonale marks the brand's electrification effort, where Alfa Romeo will be the first brand among the 14 brands of Stellantis to go fully electric by 2027. The Tonale is named after the Tonale mountain pass in Northern Italy.

In August 2022, a rebadged and restyled version was unveiled as the Dodge Hornet, exclusive to the North American market as the smallest, entry-level SUV offering from Dodge with emphasis put on performance. The Hornet will be sold alongside the Tonale in the region with different specs and lower pricing.

Overview

The production version was originally scheduled for release in 2021, but it was delayed until 2022 due to the global semiconductor shortage and Alfa Romeo management demanding better range and performance from its drivetrain.

It was developed during the ownership of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and underpinned by a heavily modified version of the SCCS crossover platform shared with the Jeep Compass. It is also the first Alfa Romeo to be equipped with optional plug-in hybrid, which uses a lithium-ion battery that delivers of all-electric range.

All models of the Tonale are equipped with a 12.3-inch digital infotainment cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen which will run on a Uconnect 5 software suite that supported Amazon Alexa. In addition, the Tonale will come with an NFT that records and stores data of the car's life cycle. According to Alfa Romeo, the NFT will generate a certificate that can help maintain the car's residual value. ''The Verge'' noted that Alfa Romeo had not provided much information about what blockchain technology they intended to use for this. ''Jalopnik'' felt that digitising a car's service history was a good idea, but that blockchain NFTs were a "bad" and "entirely unnecessary" way to achieve this.

According to Alfa Romeo, Tonale was designed to offer more driving engagement than the class average by using a very quick steering rack (2.3 turns lock to lock). It also features torque vectoring by braking, frequency-selective dampers as standard and adaptive items and four-piston brakes on the range-topping Veloce.

File:Alfa Romeo Tonale 1X7A0314.jpg, alt= Rear-three-quarter view of a five-door car with LED taillights and an aerodynamic lip spoiler over the rear luggage hatch, Rear view
File:Alfa Romeo Tonale 1X7A0004.jpg, alt= Dashboard of the car with front airbags, digital gauges, a satellite navigation touchscreen, automatic gearbox, electronic handbrake, button-operated heater and fan controls, a USB port, and an unlabeled rotary dial, Interior

Powertrain

One of the powertrain options is a newly developed, Alfa Romeo-exclusive 1.5-liter petrol engine with variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) and a 48 V hybrid system, paired with a 7-speed TCT dual-clutch transmission and the 48 V and P2 electric motor ( with the 2.5:1 transmission ratio). It can propel the wheels even when the internal combustion engine is turned off. The Tonale is claimed to be capable of in 8.8 seconds and on to a maximum speed of over . The engine comes with high compression ratio (12.5:1), a new cylinder head with compact combustion chamber, dual variable valve timing, and "high-tumble" intake ducts.

A 48 V lithium-ion battery with a 0.8 kWh capacity is used. The capacity is more than twice that of batteries commonly used on belt driven starter generator (BSG) hybrid systems, while providing an output of up to . The battery has a volume of about 11 litres and does not affect the size of the boot as it is installed under the central tunnel, between the front seats. The dual voltage system with a DC/DC converter from 48 to 12 volts manages the interface with the electrical architecture of the vehicle.

Markets

Europe

The Alfa Romeo Tonale has made its debut to the press in Europe, taking to the roads at Tempio Voltiano around Lake Como, where Alessandro Volta invented one of the first batteries.

At the European launch, Alfa Romeo offered Tonale in the exclusive "Edizione Speciale" version. This version includes a special configuration for the first customers of Tonale. "Edizione Speciale" of Tonale is available only in a hybrid configuration with a , 1.5 L 4-cylinder engine, packed with the following: 20-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers, Matrix Full LED with an adaptive system, privacy windows, aluminium shift paddles, keyless entry, hands-free power lift tailgate, 10.25-inch touchscreen radio with voice control & navigation, CarPlay / Android Auto with the wireless charging pad, sporty leather steering wheel, Adaptive Cruise Control, front and rear sensors with a rearview camera and traffic sign recognition.

Later versions of the Tonale for the European market offer as standard equipment 18-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors, and a reversing camera, as well as gloss black exterior trim, part-leatherette upholstery, and the 10.2-inch touchscreen navigation system. Keyless entry is included, too, along with an electrically-operated tailgate and automatic lights and wipers, not to mention wireless phone charging along with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration tech. More upmarket models add sportier styling and adaptive dampers.

A 5-year warranty is offered to all Tonale SUVs sold across Europe and Alfa Romeo offers dedicated mobility services in collaboration with Leasys.

North America

The Tonale for Canada will be released for the 2023 model year with an option of 2.0 L petrol turbocharged engine and a 1.3 L petrol plug-in hybrid engine. For the US market, only the PHEV option will be available.

Dodge Hornet

The Hornet was released in August 2022 for the U.S. and Canada. Compared to the Tonale, the Hornet received a restyled front end, headlights, and taillights graphics to match other Dodge products. Priced below the Tonale, two models are offered, which are the Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid and Hornet GT which are powered by a 1.3 L petrol plug-in hybrid engine and a 2.0 L petrol turbocharged engine marketed as "Hurricane4" respectively. It is built alongside the Tonale in Italy. The brand's CEO Tim Kuniskis announced plans for a more powerful model, the Hornet GLH ("Goes Like Hell"), the name of which harkens back to the Dodge Omni-based Shelby GLH-S, the first American hot hatch.

Concept version

The Tonale Concept was unveiled in March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show. It features a plug in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain from the Jeep Renegade, with a front-mounted petrol engine and a rear-mounted electric motor (this information is not officially confirmed by Alfa Romeo representatives). The Tonale has D.N.A Alfa Romeo driving selector with modes: Dual Power mode for maximum performance, Natural mode for everyday use and Advanced Efficiency setting will only use electric propulsion. E-mozione button on the touchscreen further tailors throttle settings, braking response, and steering feel.

The front of the car has three-plus-three LED headlights evocative of those on the SZ and Brera.

File:Alfa Romeo Tonale, GIMS 2019, Le Grand-Saconnex (GIMS1331).jpg, alt= Front-three quarter view of show car, Front view
File:Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept Genf 2019 1Y7A5606.jpg, alt= Rear-three-quarter view, Rear view
File:Alfa Romeo Tonale interior at Parco Valentino 2019.jpg, alt= Interior of show car viewed through open door, Interior

References

External links

Official website

{{Dodge Truck Timeline

Tonale
Plug-in hybrid vehicles
Luxury crossover sport utility vehicles
Compact sport utility vehicles
Cars introduced in 2022