The 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid Looks Sporty, But Then Reality Intrudes

The 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale is one of the best-looking SUVs in its class. Where several compact crossovers have seemingly given up on styling or gone with a reserved approach, the Tonale looks sleek and bold. The headlights and grille look like they belong on a sharp-nosed sports car (or, at the very least, a sporty sedan); the smooth and sweeping body lines give the Tonale an excellent profile; and the five-spoke wheels seemingly designed around the negative space of circles make a bold statement from the ground up. 

All this shiny wrapping paper is stretched over an SUV that offers some family-friendly practicality to go along with city-friendly range and a pumped-up plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Unfortunately, there are some fundamental issues to deal with once you go further than skin deep. The Tonale certainly has some highlights, like strong acceleration from the fully-charged hybrid system, nimble handling characteristics, and practical electric range. Drawbacks though, like the disappointing tech interface, the steep price tag (especially on the plug-in hybrid), and the limited cargo capacity, make driving the Tonale a bit of a mixed bag.

The standard engine for the Tonale is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Those are strong numbers for the class but the plug-in hybrid (also called eAWD in Alfa-speak) spices things up. The eAWD model I tested uses a turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a 15.5 kWh battery and an electric motor that team up for a total output of 285 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, sending power to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

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When the Tonale eAWD is fully charged, the EPA estimates it will provide 33 miles of range, and I found that estimate to be pretty accurate – at least while staying light on the throttle. Put some weight behind your right foot, however, and the electrons run out relatively quickly. Thankfully, the resulting acceleration from the Tonale is enthusiastic – Alfa's estimates have it sprinting from zero to 60 mph in under 6 seconds – but that kind of acceleration only happens when the battery has juice. Once you've depleted the electric range, the Tonale feels pretty uninspiring, offering limited power at the top of the RPM range via the small four-cylinder engine. Plan on doing any fun canyon carving? You better make sure the Tonale is charged up before you leave the house.

Along with the plug-in hybrid powertrain, the test vehicle that Alfa loaned me for a week of driving came in a special edition package called the Tributo Italiano. Combined with all the other options, it had an as-tested price of $58,125 (including $1,995 destination fee). That's a lot for any compact SUV this side of a big-brand luxury badge, though it includes features like heated front seats, smartphone connectivity, parking sensors, wireless smartphone charging, a power moonroof, adaptive cruise control, and the bold Alfa Rosso exterior paint (itself a $695 upgrade).

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The Tributo Italiano specifically includes the 20-inch wheels, red Brembo brakes, dual-mode suspension, shift paddles, memory settings for the driver's seat, a hands-free power liftgate, and an upgraded stereo. The Tonale has a long list of features at the top of the range – that much is clear. It's worth noting though, that several other SUVs in the class offer similar or better equipment levels for equal or lesser amounts of money. 

The Dodge Hornet R/T PHEV, which shares a platform and powertrain with the Tonale, significantly undercuts the Alfa without losing any performance. The plug-in version of the Hyundai Tucson is also worth a closer look, with similar range and performance to the Tonale, but a much lower price.

Setting the high price aside, the Tonale did have some pretty impressive driving characteristics. The adaptive dual-mode suspension minimized body roll during cornering but it didn't feel stiff or on bumpier sections of my local b-roads. It felt flat, composed, and unencumbered by road imperfections. The Tonale's steering wasn't particularly communicative, but the steering wheel felt properly weighted in my hands. Some vehicles, in their pursuit of a sporty feel, weight the steering too heavily; the Alfa didn't do this and it encouraged some particularly spirited driving during my test. 

Exiting corners, though, I was reminded of the powertrain's poor gas-only performance. Every time I thought I had stitched together a few impressive turns, I'd bury the throttle and be disappointed. Without its electric power, the Tonale felt significantly slower – all while only having to haul around a solo driver. I haven't had the opportunity to drive the gas-only version of the Tonale yet, but I can only hope that its power delivery would be a bit more consistent.

Considering its sporty driving dynamics I was pretty impressed by the Tonale's high level of comfort. The ride is firm but not uncomfortable over pocked surfaces and the driver's seat is well-padded enough for long journeys or daily commutes. The front-seat side bolsters are large enough to hold you in place during some enthusiastic cornering, but they don't poke into the sides of larger-framed drivers like myself. 

Legroom and headroom is more than adequate for adults in both the front and in the rear: five adults would require a bit of squeezing but four will fit just fine. Behind the rear seats, the Tonale offers 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space, which is enough for a few small suitcases, but a few cubes behind rivals like the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3. 

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On top of being comfortable, the Tonale's cabin is generally a quiet place to spend your time. At highway speeds, there's a bit of a hum from the tires, but not much else in the way of intrusive road noise. Wind noise is pretty limited too, and just a bit of volume from the stereo will drown that out.

There's a bit of a monochromatic theme happening inside the Tonale but it generally gives off a premium vibe. The 12.3-inch gauge cluster has some lovely retro design touches and the dashboard has an eye-catching light-up panel that really classes things up when you go for a drive at night. There are some hard plastic surfaces on the center console but nothing that distracts from the overall experience. Considering the nearly-$60k asking price of this Tonale though, I expect to be wowed a bit more.

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The materials used on the various interior panels are high-quality enough to pass muster amongst most premium family SUVs, but for the price bracket this Tonale competes in, it's a different story. Luxury SUVs like the Q3 and the X1 are similar in size to the Tonale and priced below the top-trim Alfa model, even if they are missing plug-in hybrid powertrains. If the plug-in hybrid is a must-have for you, we recommend considering the larger and plusher Volvo XC60.

During my week-long test of the Tonale, I lost count of how many phantom beeps and bings I heard. It seemed like the Tonale was trying to tell me something, but there was no way to figure out what it was trying to communicate. No dashboard lights, no warnings, and no repeatable scenario seemed to cause or accompany the alerts, but there was at least one per day, every day I drove the Tonale – and most days there were several. In addition to its annoying and indiscernible alerts, I also had some issues with the Tonale's user interface in general.

The 10.25-inch center touchscreen is attractive and it has a premium look, but the stretched landscape-style layout means that it has to fit several small icons across the screen laterally. The small icon size and the screen's low location makes touchscreen controls a bit difficult to locate without taking your eyes off the road. Add to all these foibles the fact that the Tonale's optional Harman Kardon stereo is a relatively lackluster upgrade over the standard six-speaker stereo, and tech isn't exactly a highlight.

Overall, driving the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale was an enjoyable experience. I was happy when I walked out to it in the morning and I always took a second look when I parked it and walked away. In a world of gray, silver, and black SUVs, the bright red Alfa stood out in every parking lot, not just because of its bright paint, but because of its unique style. The plug-in hybrid powertrain is punchy and exciting while the electricity lasts, and it has enough range to satisfy most daily commuting needs. Over Los Angeles' broken freeways and pothole-lined streets, the ride was comfortable and the interior was mostly isolated from the noises of the outside world. 

Where things get tougher, however, is when you start adding up the numbers. The Tonale's high price makes it less appealing than its performance would suggest, especially when you measure its virtues and flaws against those of refined German rivals.