TONALE WITH EXTRA SPARK (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The PHEV version of Alfa Romeo's improved Tonale SUV aims to deliver Plug-in with passion. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 60

We're told that the Tonale crossover is heart and soul Alfa from the ground up, building on the Milanese maker's DNA of sportiness that stretches all the way back to 1910. That's not quite true, but the Tonale does bring a dash of latin colour to the segment for posh premium small SUVs, especially in this updated Plug-in Hybrid form.

Backgroundword count: 128

Back in 2023, the Tonale Plug-In marked the beginning of a new electrified Alfa Romeo era, which subsequently gathered pace with the compact Junior EV. The Junior's now Alfa's best seller, but it can't offer the PHEV system of this top Tonale, a set-up that quite a few customers at the premium end of the compact crossover segment want these days. With this mid-term Tonale update announced in Autumn 2025, this top Plug-in Hybrid variant (now called the Q4 Ibrida Plug-In) loses a little power but gains a smarter look, both inside and out. Though it's still based on the engineering of a rather clunky old-shape Jeep Compass. Might you potentially want to stretch 'Alfisti' values to embrace the idea of this part-electrified fashion-led small Crossover? Let's see.

Driving Experienceword count: 383

In years gone by, the alternative to the standard 1.5-litre petrol Hybrid motor in this Tonale would have been one of Alfa's eager Fiat-sourced diesels, but those days are long gone - for our market at least. So we get an expensive petrol Plug-in Hybrid instead, a drivetrain borrowed from a previous generation Jeep Compass but embellished here with a bit of extra power, though not quite as much as this top variant had in pre-facelift form. With this update, thanks to the need for emissions tweaks, total output has fallen from 275hp to 270hp, but of course that makes virtually no impact on performance. As before, that Jeep derivation is actually welcome because it means that the system includes four wheel drive: most other PHEV Crossover class rivals in this segment remain merely front-driven. As is often the case with this kind of powertrain, the engine part of the equation is still based on pretty aging tech - in this case a 1.3-litre Fiat MultiAir petrol unit originally developed for turn-of-the-century Fiat Punto and Tipo hatches that now lie rusting in junkyards. The rest of it's pretty clever though. This engine supplies most of its power to drive the front wheels and is aided only when necessary by a 121hp electric motor mounted on the rear axle, creating a very different kind of 4WD system to that we've seen on previous 'Q4'-badged Alfas, but nevertheless one that can provide instantaneous deployment of 100 per cent of available torque to either axle. That electric motor is powered by a 15.5kWh battery pack with a WLTP-rated driving range when fully charged of 37 miles. The Tonale's Plug-in's 128mph top speed is slightly lower than the base model, but the rest to 62mph time looks usefully more rapid at 6.2s, though in practice, the car never actually feels quite that fast, hindered by a lack of low speed torque and the somewhat lethargic responses of the 6-speed auto gearbox you have to have. This is one of those transmissions that flares the revs wildly as soon as you ask it to do anything out of the ordinary, so you quickly learn gentle applications of your right foot and with that approach, the Tonale Plug-in Hybrid Q4 feels quite a pleasant companion in day-to-day suburban duties.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227