Louth Motoring: The Alfa Romeo Tonale MHEV - SUaVely Stylish

"Concept cars, they never turn out like that when they go into production" is a common charge. Charge being the operative word here as the Tonale gets the electric treatment, – this test being the MHEV – mild hybrid this time following on from the full PHEV version I reported on a few months ago. Well, it wouldn't be a hung jury if they took Alfa Romeo to court because the final production version is pretty close.

What didn't make it into production was the hidden handle for the rear doors which is a huge shame as Alfa Romeo were the first to give us this on the glorious 156. I know, we had one.

There is an Italian flag on the wing mirrors and in the constant "mine is better than yours" front and rear lens display design competition it is really only for second places as Alfa Romeo excel and lead here and are – even though you don't know why – unmistakably Alfa Romeo.

The Tonale is a mid-size SUV and it's still hard to say that about an Alfa Romeo when you consider its past. Ok, Lamborghini made tractors and a European version of the Hummer but Alfa has always been seen as a purist's, sporty car company.

Well to survive you got to adapt and Alfa Romeo must cater for the SUV sector which it does with the Stelvio and now the Tonale. Hats off to Alfa Romeo too as they can pick beautiful names that just roll of the tongue and no matter what nationality you are it'll always sound Italian when you say it.

So, what do you get for the €49,995 for the entry model. Well, there's a 1.5 petrol engine under the bonnet with mild-hybrid technology that promises 160hp – over that magic 150hp.

That promises the sort of performance you expect from an Alfa Romeo doesn't it? Well only in Dynamic mode which releases all the horses and when called upon can release them fairly quickly.

As the gearbox is a 7-speed automatic the decision when to change is taken from you unless you go "manual" and use the best, yest the best, paddles shifters on any car. I mainly drove in auto but when I shifted using the paddles I was rewarded with a glorious sound from the engine shifting down.

I can't say that the car delivers a truly dynamic driving experience along the lines I'd expect from an Alfa Romeo but that's also because it is an SUV which don't lends themselves to driving nirvana now do they? It can be engaging on the twisty roads but some of its' all-out driver centric design has been sanitised. The 0-100km/h time is 8.8 s.

The mild hybrid is fitted to give additional power but also to aid with lower fuel consumption and Alfa Romeo claims 5.9l/100kms.

My time with it delivered 7.2l/100kms and incidentally so this the long-term trip meter for the various drivers before me. I suspect the variance is because it is an Alfa Romeo and the urge to be heavy with the right foot is too hard to resist.

If you had this car yourself that would hopefully wear off and you'll get much better consumption.

The interior is well laid out and benefits from the Alfaisation of Stellantis parts to deliver a unique interior. I'm not saying it's the best interior, but I am saying it is different.

The Alfa Romeo badge on the steering wheel is all black and is a mistake, specialness would be conveyed if it was the traditional Alfa Romeo coloured badge.

The 10.25" (don't you just love the mixture of imperial and decimal units) infotainment screen is clear and the correct proportions.

You don't want to buy a car for its screen after all. There's customisable widgets and I found the whole affair easy to use.

The steering wheel itself felt good to touch but the buttons on the wheel are a different story and could be better and more in keeping with the upmarket image of the car. After all, you are trying to tempt Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo customers to the brand.

Space is good though and you won't quibble much.

The all-important leg and elbow space is good and with a 500l boot you'll be able to carry quite an amount of stuff that'll be easy to load and unload. Equipment levels are very high with the highlights being all-round parking sensors with bird-view, privacy glass, front LED lights a wireless charger, Alexa assistant, smartphone mirroring and Alcantara seats.

Alfa Romeo sales numbers in 2023 were up 327% on the 2022 sales numbers. Sounds good? Well not really when you consider the actual unit numbers which were 15 cars sold in 2022 v 64 in 2023. 40 of them were Tonales which was their biggest seller.

This does mean that Alfa Romeo are back and have the cars the buyers want. They are not cheap but are more economic than the competitors which is always where you want to be.

Most people who have an interest in cars want to see Alfa Romeo doing well. Not just for nostalgia but for the creativity they bring to any car sector/genre.

They have signalled that all their cars by 2030 will be electric which is something everyone is aiming for these days. Let's see if they are right and a disrupter doesn't emerge – hydrogen for instance.

I for one will miss the sound of an ICE engine from the exhaust but with simulation and computer-generated sounds I might be driving an electric car but feel like there is a petrol engine underneath. Is that the same? I'm not convinced.

Alfa Romeo certainly delivers style to the SUV sector but with the Tonale can it build on that and deliver those all-important sales. We shall see.