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Since its debut, the Alfa Romeo Tonale sport utility vehicle (SUV) has seen its brother, the Dodge Hornet share some of the spotlight with promises of performance characteristic of Dodge's muscly heritage.
The 2024 Tonale has something of its own up its sleeve, coming to market in the U.S. with a high-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain with pricing that puts it on par with Hyundai models.
Initially the brand had planned to debut its gas-powered Tonale first in the U.S., but plans have changed. Now, the Tonale is debuting as a 2024 model and a gas variant will no longer be making its way to America.
"As Alfa Romeo continues to re-establish itself in the U.S. market, it is not finding it easy to penetrate. While Giulia and Stelvio are strong and compelling products that have been lauded by the automotive media, consumers haven't really connected with the brand yet, especially as there are so many established and aspirational competitors in the U.S. luxury market," Paul Waatti, manager, industry analysis at AutoPacfic told Newsweek.
The Tonale will be offered in Sprint, Ti and Veloce trim levels. The Tonale Spring is has a starting MSRP of $42,995. Tonale Ti and Tonale Veloce come in at $44,995 and $47,495, respectively. All models are subject to an additional $1,595 destination charge.
Customers who lease the vehicle will be eligible to receive a $7,500 Federal EV tax credit.
"We look forward to launching the all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale and competing in the premium compact sport-utility vehicle segment with the brand's first plug-in hybrid offering," said Larry Dominique, Senior Vice-president and Head of Alfa Romeo North America in a press release.
The premium brand will offer the vehicle with a turbocharged 1.3-liter engine that is matched with a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and 90-kilowatt-hour electric motor to deliver 285 horsepower, a figure that is best-in-class.
The powertrain is estimated to offer up 350 pound-feet of torque, good for helping the car off the line and to 60 mph in around 6 seconds.
All-wheel drive comes standard.
The car's battery can go about 30 miles before a recharge is needed. A plug-in hybrid powertrain allows the vehicle to run purely on electricity, on gasoline or in a hybrid mode. Alfa Romeo estimates that the car will be rated at 75 MPGe (miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent.
Kia's plug-in hybrid version of the new Niro is more fuel efficient offering 108 MPGe and a 33-mile all-electric driving range. But, it's a smaller package and isn't made for quickness.
The larger Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In gets 76 MPGe and offers 31 miles of electric-only range according to EPA estimates. The Santa Fe's $40,000-ish starting MSRP is similar to the Tonale's, but it's less powerful.
"As a new product in a new segment for Alfa Romeo, Tonale's importance as a key to gaining relevancy in the U.S. and other global markets cannot be understated. It is tasked with attracting new Millennial customers to the brand, and as a well-differentiated compact luxury performance crossover with an emotional character and standard PHEV powertrain, Tonale should serve the gateway role competently as an alternative to the segment's default German competitors," Waatti said.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more