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By Jonathan Crouch

Alfa Romeo delivers what it hopes is a more passionate kind of small SUV. Jonathan Crouch looks at the updated version of the brand's Tonale.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 50

The Tonale hasn't sold as well as Alfa Romeo had hoped but looks more appealing in this updated form. As before, this compact SUV comes with electrified engines, a styling nod to the past and a very lovely cabin. Can it win over Teutonic brand customers looking for a change?

Backgroundword count: 191

These are difficult times for Alfa Romeo. The bright spot is its electrified Junior compact crossover model, but sales of all its other car lines are well down - including those of the Tonale model we look at here. Not surprisingly since the Junior provides much of what this only slightly larger stablemate Alfa offers. The Tonale was launched back in 2022, billed as the beginning of yet another new era for the company, but it's the updated version, announced in Autumn 2025, that we look at here. The original version of this car was unusual in that it wasn't just another 'cut-and-paste' compact family hatch/crossover foisted on Alfa by parent conglomerate Stellantis. Which meant that instead of the EMP2 Peugeot 308/Vauxhall Astra-sourced platform most expected it to have, it did instead ride (somewhat unpromisingly for an Alfa) on underpinnings and engineering shared with another Italian-derived Stellantis model, the Jeep Compass. The Compass has since moved on to a more modern chassis, but the Tonale sticks with the old one, compensating with a tweaked (and now wider) range of Euro 6-bis-compliant engines. And the tinselled wash 'n brush-up we consider here.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 286

The Tonale can't be had as an EV but it is electrified. Rather lightly electrified in the case of the volume version, the Ibrida, which is a 48V mild hybrid. Unlike most Stellantis-sourced models of this sort, the mild hybrid unit in question isn't a three cylinder 1.2 (as fitted to the Junior Ibrida) but a (rather less efficient) four cylinder 1.5 Turbo unit. At least that means a bit more power than the mild hybrid Stellantis norm, in this case 175hp from the variable-geometry turbo that's paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox and front-wheel drive. That's 25hp more than the less efficient top version of this unit was offering in the pre-facelift model. The Tonale powertrain alternative is provided by the considerably pricier Ibrida Plug-In variant, which offers the PHEV system you can't have on an equivalent Junior. Unlike the set-ups used by most class-rivals, this one is all-wheel-driven and develops 270hp (5hp less than before). As before, it sees a 1.3-litre engine driving the front wheels, assisted only when necessary by a 121hp electric motor mounted on the rear axle. It's a very different kind of 4WD system to that we've seen on previous Q4 AWD Alfas, but nevertheless one that can provide instantaneous deployment of 100 per cent of available torque to either axle. The PHEV set-up's been worked on as part of this update, with a slight improvement in EV range - think about 40 miles. A refined Hybrid Control Processor delivers more prompt, linear and seamless power, making transitions between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor more imperceptible for greater smoothness. Both versions of this car now get an augmented wheel track, to reduce cornering roll and understeer.

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