News / 8 February 2022 / Albert du Toit

Alfa Romeo Tonale unveiled – A hybrid SUV with NFT technology

Alfa Romeo has unveiled its second SUV, the Tonale.

The Tonale will be available with two hybrid powertrains, “marking the first step in the process to electrifying the Alfa Romeo line-up,” said Alfa Romeo.

It also boasts “state-of-the-art” technologies such as an advanced driver-assist system and non-fungible token (NFT) digital certificates.

Size-wise, the Tonale slots in below the current Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

What you need to know

The new Alfa Romeo Tonale features a unique design with distinctive “3+3” adaptive LED headlights and a “GT Line” running from the nose to the rear haunches that give the side profile a sporty aesthetic.

Derived from the Tonale concept car revealed in 2019, the production-ready SUV also sports “sine curve” rear LED lights and “teledial” alloy wheels of between 17 and 20 inches.

The interior of the new Alfa Romeo was then designed with the driver in mind, said Alfa Romeo, as “the driver’s seat has been tailored like fabric, with the diagonal tunnel, slightly undulating dashboards, and instruments facing the driver.”

In here, occupants are treated with dual-zone air conditioning, heated and ventilated front seats, a wireless charger, ambient lights, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and an infotainment system comprising two large displays totaling 22.5 inches of screen real estate.

“With a customisable Android operating system and 4G connectivity with over-the-air updates, the new infotainment system also offers content, functionality and services that are always up to date,” said Alfa Romeo.

On higher-spec versions, the cabin is wrapped in Alcantara and vegan leather.

The new advanced driver assistance systems fitted to the Tonale claim to offer level 2 autonomous driving capabilities by combining a forward-facing camera with longitudinal and lateral monitors around the car.

This enables intelligent adaptive cruise control, lane centering, traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking, and intelligent speed control. Drowsy driver detection and rear-seat reminder alerts are included, too.

Optionally, you can further fit blind-spot detection, rear cross-path detection, and a 360-degree camera.

As the cherry on top of the technology cake, the new Alfa Romeo Tonale also supports NFT digital certificates.

“Upon customer’s consent, the NFT will record vehicle data, generating a certificate that can be used as a guarantee of the car’s overall status, with a positive impact on its residual value,” said Alfa Romeo.

Performance

Powering the new Tonale is one of two hybrid engines – standard and plug-in hybrid.

The entry-level Tonale Super and Tonale Ti comes with a four-cylinder, 1.5-litre, turbo-petrol engine producing 97kW and 240Nm – paired with a 48-volt belt starter generator with 15kW and 55Nm.

The system generates a maximum of 119kW and connects to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

At the other end, the top-of-the-line Tonale Q4 is equipped with a 1.3-litre, turbo-petrol engine working alongside an electric motor powered by a 15.5kWh battery.

The plug-in-hybrid powertrain generates a maximum of 205kW and drives all four wheels, sending the Tonale Q4 to 100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

These hybrid powertrains allow innovative features that petrol-only engines are not capable of.

This includes silent start in full-electric mode, regenerative braking, e-Boosting for increased torque on the wheels, e-Queueing for completely silent traffic jam navigation, e-Parking for silent parking maneuovers, and full-electric drive.

In the plug-in model, you can expect a maximum of 80km of all-electric driving range, while the battery takes two and a half hours to charge on a 7.4kW charger.

Alfa Romeo also said the Tonale boasts “the most direct steering in the segment” with a steering ratio of 13.6.

“The steering feeling, as precise and direct as can be expected from an Alfa Romeo, is emphasised by the adoption of the geometry in the independent front suspension.”