Alfa Romeo has unveiled its first production plug-in hybrid vehicle. The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale was first introduced as a concept in 2019. Named after the Tonale Pass in the Italian Alps, the Alfa Romeo Tonale is the company’s second SUV and sits below the Stelvio. The Tonale stays true to the concept design in terms of styling, with the most significant difference being the enlarged Zagato SZ headlights and the rear window. In a sea of crossover SUVs, the new Alfa Romeo Tonale has the looks to stand out.
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale will be offered in North America with multiple engine options. However, the headlining variant is Alfa Romeo’s first plug-in-hybrid powertrain providing a combined output of 272-hp with AWD. It uses a 180-hp 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine assigned to power the front wheels. The rear wheels are powered by a 121-hp electric motor mounted on the rear axle and fueled by a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The Tonale PHEV uses a six-speed automatic transmission and has a claimed electric driving range of 30 miles. The conventional gasoline engine option is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 256-hp with a nine-speed automatic transmission. For performance, the Tonale features Brembo brake calipers, Koni shocks, Frequency Selective Damping (FSD), and a quick-reacting steering ratio.
Another significant announcement with the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale is its factory NTF digital certificate. The NTF is mined when the customer buys the vehicle and stores the Tonale’s service and maintenance history. However, the NFT will only update if maintenance is done at the dealership. Alfa Romeo claims this will help the vehicle’s residual value, but only time will tell if using an NTF to record oil changes and tire rotation is better than keeping a notepad in the glove box. The Alfa Romeo Tonale goes on sale during the first quarter of 2023 in three trim levels: Sprint, Ti, and Veloce.
While on the subject of new luxury SUVs, take a peek at Aston Martin’s 2023 DBX707.
