2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale

The 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale stands alone as the only plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) subcompact luxury SUV. As such, it delivers more engine performance than any rival in its class, except the Mercedes-AMG GLA. However, it’s ideally sized for buzzing through city canyons and overcoming difficult-to-negotiate parking garages. Moreover, drivers who don’t want to see themselves coming and going should appreciate the Tonale’s rarity. In other words, there are darn few of them on the road.

If a PHEV isn’t on your wish list, don’t despair; Alfa will announce details of the Tonale’s combustion version sometime in December.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of subcompact luxury SUVs, including the Alfa Romeo Tonale.

Alfa whittled down the trim lineup from the Spring, Ti, and Veloce to a single base Tonale grade. Some of the Veloce-trim upgrades are revived in the Veloce Package. A temporary companion to the base Tonale is the limited edition, special edition Tributo Italiano, for which, at this writing, there is scant information.

Alfa Romeo has landed in a cool little niche among luxury subcompact SUVs because the Tonale is the only plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in its segment. So far, at least. Consequently, we are left looking at traditional counterparts like the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, and the Volvo XC40 — all starting in the high $30,000-to-low-$40,000 range. However, something with similar power to a Tonale, such as a Mercedes-AMG GLA 35, would be closer to $50,000. The Lexus UX is a traditional self-charging hybrid that also starts in the high $30,000 range.

If you like the cut of the Tonale’s jib but wish to spend a little less, we recommend taking a gander at its Dodge kissing cousin, the Hornet R/T.

Before buying a new Tonale subcompact luxury SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values aren’t historically an Alfa Romeo strong point. Remember, the more value a vehicle retains, the more you get when selling or trading it in. That means more to put down on your next vehicle.

The Tonale has a total of 285 horsepower and a meaty 347 lb-ft of torque created by a turbocharged 1.3-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor. This is quite some muscle for a subcompact SUV, especially in standard form. For example, the BMW X1 has 241 horsepower. Gaining more power means going for something like a Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 with 302 horsepower but still less torque (295 lb-ft).

One cool thing about plug-in hybrids (from an enthusiast’s point of view) is that they can enhance the gasoline engine’s power with thrust from the electric motor. Factor in the grip and traction of standard all-wheel drive (AWD), and the Tonale can launch from a standstill to 60 mph in some 6 seconds. Just over half a second quicker than the X1, but also half a second slower than the GLA 35. Even so, that’s still quite sprightly, although getting the most out of the Tonale requires a committed right foot.

Anyone expecting a typical European sharpness to the handling and ride quality might be surprised to find that the Tonale seems calibrated for a greater range of preferences. Despite a huge amount of grip through quick corners, we found the Tonale’s suspension to be tuned on the comfy side. That’s a real asset on poorly maintained city roads, where the Tonale remains as serene and hushed as on the freeway. The optional Veloce Package comes with an adaptive suspension for the widest spectrum of comfort and sportiness.

Both the steering and brakes feel nice and natural to us, yet they are not especially crisp. The transitions from electric power to gasoline are virtually imperceptible.

Fuel Economy

When running as a regular hybrid, the Tonale returns 29 mpg combined. The closest rival in this respect is the Lexus UX 250h at 39 mpg combined (with all-wheel drive). That little SUV only has 181 horsepower, though. When running on electrons alone, the Tonale delivers 77 MPGe.

Neither too sparse nor overdone, we think the Tonale’s interior design hits all the right notes except for one. Although Alfa Romeo has stated that the Tonale targets millennial females in particular, oddly, the only interior color offered is black. This seems unfortunate because we think a few colors other than black would also work pretty well providing more appeal to its target buyer. The cabin’s materials certainly seem good.

A dashboard containing a 12.3-inch digital driver information display and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard. The front seats are comfortable enough for longer trips. We’d prefer slightly wider, longer bottom cushions, but all those slimmer urbanites will probably think they’re fine.

The 38-inch rear legroom is quite acceptable for an adult male of average size, especially since there’s room for sliding toes under the seat in front. The Mercedes-Benz GLA offers the same rear legroom, while the rest of the competition makes do with less.

Cargo space is certainly adequate for a subcompact SUV, with 22.9 cubic feet behind the back seats, expanding to 50.5 when those seats are folded. The BMW X1 reigns supreme here, while the Audi Q3 is also impressive.

Alfa Romeo vehicles have distinctive styling, with the grille as a common denominator. It’s called a scudetto, meaning “little shield,” and it takes pride of placement on the Tonale’s nose. Alfa also creates interest with the alloy wheels, with circles within the main circle. Although the Tonale gives a big nod to its heritage, it doesn’t totally rely on it. There is also something quite contemporary about its lines. In any event, we argue it has tremendous curb appeal.

The Tonale is a subcompact SUV, similar in size to the BMW X1 and Honda HR-V. Because of its tidy dimensions, we found negotiating busy city streets rather easy, while parking was similarly a breeze.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Cable-free phone integration is standard. We love the idea of not needing to keep track of cables.

Wireless phone charging
This is also standard, and ditto on the no-cables thing.

Heated front seats and heated steering wheel
In cold weather, a heated steering wheel is a great thing to have and its standard, along with toasty front seats.

Hands-free tailgate operation
Included with the optional Premium Package, the rear liftgate automatically opens with a wave of a foot under the rear bumper. Simply a great convenience feature.

Active Assist Plus package
Available as an option, this package includes a more sophisticated adaptive cruise control system with steering inputs, a 360-degree camera system, front/rear park assist, and much more. Although it adds a couple of grand to the bottom line, we think it’s worth it.

Harman Kardon audio
This excellent 12-speaker system is one of Tonale’s few stand-alone options.

A turbocharged 1.3-liter gasoline engine drives the front wheels, an electric motor drives the rears, so the Tonale has all-wheel drive as standard, with a total of 285 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed automatic transmission completes this powertrain’s picture.

With a full charge, the Tonale can run for up to 33 miles on electricity alone. Charging the Tonale’s battery takes 2.5 hours on a 240-volt charger.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Alfa Romeo’s vehicle and powertrain warranties are for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. This is typical for the luxury bracket. The battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

The Tonale has yet to be crash-tested on this side of the Atlantic, but it received a maximum 5-star score from a European safety program. Standard driver assistance features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and more.