The Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce Plugin Hybrid Q4 is the a plug-in hybrid version of Alfa’s mid-size SUV and it’s now available in Australia, joining the mild hybrid Tonale that is already here.
The collegare Tonale is powered by 1.3 litre, 4-Cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 132kW of power and 270Nm of torque. The internal combustion engine (ICE) is paired with a 15.5kWh EV battery producing 208kW overall of combined power. From a performance perspective the Tonale PHEV will do 0-100km/h of 6.2 seconds and a maximum speed of 206km/h.
But the addition of the battery really makes the Tonale shine when it comes to the fuel consumption figures. Officially the combined figure is 1.5L/100km, and like all PHEVs this is an unrealistic figure in the real-world, but I was pleasantly surprised that I used just 3.5L/100km. The best fuel consumption figure I have ever achieved testing vehicles and even more impressive because the Tonale is all-wheel drive.
This was done by ensuring that I remembered to top up the battery every night via the Mode 2 Charge Cable and Type 2 Smart Charging Port, which gave me an indicated 60km of pure EV range. But I also found that the battery was used well by the drive system and powered the Tonale whenever I was under low load on accelerator or on near level or downhill roads. On a graphic under the infotainment screen it shows the power flow of the system, driving history and regenerative history and there is e-save button to save battery for later use if desired.
The Tonale has a version Alfa’s D, N, A drive mode system that you access via a rotary switch. In Dynamic mode the settings are Engine Torque Limiter is off, Accelerator pedal – Sport, Shifting – Sport, Regenerative braking – High, eTraction – Sport AWD, Steering – Sport. In Normal mode the Engine Torque Limiter is off, and all other options are in Comfort/Normal mode. While in Auto mode Engine Torque Limiter on, eTraction is full electric and all others are set to Comfort/Sport.
The Tonale drives nicely in EV mode and the 6-Speed Automatic gearbox is smooth, but at times while I was driving when the drivetrain transitioned from EV to ICE the gearbox became erratic with its changes, like to is trying to stay in an ideal rpm and in N mode the gearbox felt like it labored.
However, in Dynamic mode the engine revs higher between changes and the gearchanges were more linear and felt better. Dynamic mode also sharpens the gear selection when using the Aluminium column mounted paddle shifters and puts the dampers into sport mode. But you can manually override the damper settings by pressing the button on the centre of drive mode button to soften/stiffen them to your personal preference.
The Tonale has keyless entry and keyless start so the substantial key fob can stay safely tucked away in your handbag. The Veloce Plugin Hybrid comes as standard with the Lusso pack, so comes with these contoured perforated leather seats are comfortable and the front seats are heated and cooled with both of these functions worked well. Both front seats have power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height front and rear, and 4-way lumbar support for the driver’s seat and three memory positions.
Behind the leather heated steering wheel is a 12.3-inch full digital instrument cluster that you can configure to your personal preferences. I like the dual materials on steering wheel and the fact that there are no gloss black buttons on it. The dash and centre console thankfully have a distinct lack of gloss black plastic as well with just a small amount around the air vents and near the gear selector. The dash is finished off nicely with a stitched leather look and attractive inlays with the 10.25 inch infotainment touchscreen mounted up high.
At front of centre console there is a wireless charger, one USB-A port, one USB-C port, and 12V socket. My wireless Android Auto dropped in and out a bit more than it has done in other Stellantis vehicles. The voice control worked well for making phone calls, changing radio station and when I tried to set a destination on the sat nav it told me ‘This country is not available’ multiple times. The media sources available AM/FM radio, DAB, Bluetooth, USB1 and Android and these can be enjoyed on the 14-Speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
I found that the rear seats had ample head and leg room for me, but taller individuals may find the seats a bit tight. For younger passengers there are two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points. The centre seat folds down an arm rest with two shallow cup holders in the front have that grippy sides and a slot for a phone between them. While the drink bottle storage in rear door cubbies is suitable for medium sized drink bottles, unlike the front door cubbies which can accommodate larger drink bottles.
Rear seat passengers get two central air vents with individual direction control and one central on/off switch. Below vents there is one USB-A and one USB-C port and despite the lowish transmission tunnel there is no mat over it, only mats on the floor.
This Tonale has a gesture open/close boot or it can opened/closed from the tailgate, key fob, and in cabin. The Tonale has a reasonable size boot space for a pram and a small shop or an average weekly shop. The boot space has four substantial tie downs, two lights, two hooks and one 12V. The charge cord is neatly packaged in a bag that is stored under the boot floor and also here is a tyre repair kit. I love the small latches that hold the boot floor up and the solid parcel shelf. If more space is required in the boot the rear seats have 60/40 split fold mechanism with the release located on the seat shoulders and there’s a central peek a boo door for long items.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale is PHEV does not have an ANCAP safety rating, but dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. The advanced driver assist systems that are fitted as standard include Autonomous Emergency Braking with Vulnerable Road Users, Lane Keep Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control. While I was driving on multiple occasions the forward collision warning switched off due to bright sunshine in the morning or afternoon.
Foe convenience you also get Auto Headlights, Auto High Beam Control, and Rain Sensitive Windshield Wipers as standard. The front and rear-view cameras are combined with a 360-degree view camera and front and rear parking sensors to make parking the Tonale very easy.
All new Alfa Romeo vehicles have a 5 Year / Unlimited kilometre factory warranty coverage with 5 years roadside assistance and the EV battery warranty on the Tonale is 8 Years/160,000 km. The service interval for the Tonale PHEV is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first. Using the Service Calculator on the Alfa Romeo website I calculated that the first five services would cost $3,100 in total.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce Plugin Hybrid Q4 starts at $78,500 excluding on-road costs and as tested with the optional premium paint in Alfa Red ($1,500) and 20-Inch Grey Finish Alloy Wheel ($1,500) this Veloce was $81,990 excluding on-road costs. You can request a quote for a Tonale on-line or visit your preferred Alfa Romeo dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid engine | Gear changes were sometimes erratic |
| The stylish interior | Wireless Android Auto dropped out on multiple occasions |
| The latches that hold the boot floor up | Forward collision warning switched off due to sunshine |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.