The striking new Tonale has been touted as the car Alfa Romeo needs to ensure the storied automaker remains relevant in the ever-evolving automotive world but that means it can’t appeal to everybody writes Alex Shahini in this latest opinion piece.
First and foremost, I am an Alfista. It was my gateway into this career and it is the automaker that has been part of my family from before I was even born. That is really where my story starts with the brand; the sight, the sound and the sensation. To me in those formative years, models like the 75, 33 and Giulietta were always more visceral than any other rivalling Mercedes-Benz or BMW that was in the family at the time.
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This upbringing shaped my understanding of what an Alfa Romeo should be. Seductively aesthetic, dynamically engaging and affordable for the working class. I thought of them as the most accessible way of experiencing the passion that high-performance Italian brands are renowned for, without them after all, we would not have the likes of Ferrari and as a result, Lamborghini instilling a sense of aspiration in motorsport affixed children. A far more dull world indeed! 
This opinion piece isn’t going to diverge into a chant of sacrilege that the once-dominating brand has sold its soul to create SUVs. As we know, the ever-evolving automotive world requires the mantra of adapt or die. There are some die-hard fanatics that believe the last real Alfas came in the late 80s, powering the rear wheels of a sleek, low roofline and for them, I frequently advocate that there is only a small market of people who have the pockets to justify the high-level decisions that would have favoured that. Looking at sales proves this, with the Stelvio and Tonale serving as the stalwarts averaging around half a dozen of each per month while the Giulia frequently doesn’t even have one roll off of the showroom floor and into the driveway of a besotted buyer.
Related: Alfa Romeo Tonale takes Italian automaker to new heights
That is also why a model like this Tonale, embued with all the style and charisma of any Alfa before it, is exactly what the famed Italian brand needs to bolster its sales. Aside from its striking exterior and posh interior finishes, it is highly unlikely to appeal to the Alfisti reading this but instead, their spouses, friends or relatives wanting something premium but unique at the same time. Those buyers, who comprise a larger audience than us, who get a kick out of every drive we take, are its key market.
In the Tonale, Alfa Romeo is selling a small taste of what it is to buy into the 113-year-old automaker. They know a thing or two after this long history and the Tonale needs to be considered in the same light that the Cayenne was the saviour for Porsche in the early 2000s; a volume-oriented cash cow that can supplement the true enthusiast’s creations that typically wear the illustrious Quadrifoglio badge.
During its local launch, which was attended by Braam Peens, many of the model’s flaws were pointed out, after all, nothing on the road is perfect but the expectation based on what the badge has provided in its history is its own worst enemy. Looking back at the checkboxes, the Tonale is certainly seductively aesthetic in comparison to its European and Japanese competition. This isn’t opinion but rather based on several design awards the model has been presented with since the concept first broke onto the scene in 2019. Greek designer Alexandros Liokis of Centro Stile Alfa Romeo stated the intention was “to create, along with my team, cars that the world will remember and love.”
But a car like this can only be remembered and loved if it can be accessed, so what about affordability? The entry-level Tonale at R754 900 is beaten only by the Q3 35TFSI which starts from R699 900, add the shopping list worth of extras to Ingolstadt’s model and they’d be on par. The most affordable X1 comes in at R768 045 and the tri-pointed star’s smallest SUV will set buyers back a bottle of fancy champagne under R900 000. The model on test was the limited edition Speciale which comes in at R799 900 and is handsomely equipped with all of the modern-day tech toys that appeal to buyers – adaptive lighting, lane keep assist, electronic tailgate and keyless entry to name a few.
Now, to the contentious topic of being dynamically engaging. Many may have already predicted that this would be where the Tonale would have fallen short. From my experience, is an almost impossible task to combine the practicality of an SUV with the engagement of a sedan which is inherently lighter and bears a lower centre of gravity. There are exceptions, the superlative Stelvio being one of them which to this day and despite its age, still offers the best driving experience in its class.
Back to the Tonale – it is worth mentioning that its 118 kW and 240 N.m 1,5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol motor with hybrid assistance is on par with its key competitors who mill between 110-120 kW and 230-250 N.m. Based on these specs as well as driving experiences with its rivals, the Tonale paints a picture that it is exactly what a buyer shopping in this segment is happy to accept.
Despite slightly lethargic pickup (even with the torque from the electric motor) and a sluggish TCT in N mode, flicking the rotary dial into D immediately makes the direct steering feel more in place with more immediate throttle response and cog swapping.
Unfortunately, none of this will set an Alfista’s soul alight because despite wearing the iconic scudetto and badge, it does tend to lack the emotion that comes with the driving experience that its predecessors have possessed. Gone are the days of the Busso V6 finding a home in the affordable 156; a boisterous motor to put hairs on your chest. This Tonale is ultimately the direction commuter cars are heading and it seems that the 1,5-litre of the C-segment SUV will be the only powertrain the South African market will receive. Foreign markets on the other hand have a Q4 plug-in hybrid and 2,0-litre turbocharged in-line four on offer, generating 203 kW and 191 kW respectively. These, despite their expectedly inflated price, may have been the middle ground to appeal to Alfisti, or enthusiasts, wanting get behind the wheel of the entry-level Alfa while retaining that grin-inducing factor that is so synonymous with antecedents of the brand.
From my time behind the wheel, the attractive model instilled a sense of disappointment in me but that is fine. It has succeeded in what it has set out to do; create an appeal to that broader audience that Alfa so need to capitalise on. For the Alfisti, keep that cherished Biscione-badged classic tucked away in the garage for the weekends, this may find a place alongside it as the stylish commuter. After all, despite it being the newest and most affordable model in Alfa’s lineup, it has been their strongest seller since its local launch and for good reason…
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