Ever since I saw Dustin Hoffman driving his Alfa Romeo Spider in the classic film The Graduate, I’ve been lusting after one of these Italian sports cars. There’s even something romantic in the name.
I once came close to buying a second-hand Spider, although the asking price of £2,500 for the tempting soft top proved too much for my meager budget at the time.
Adventurous youth gave way to wisdom and instead I happily live with the sportier SUV incarnation of the Alfa Romeo stable: the Tonale crossover. WAGs would have called it the ‘toenail’, but the correct Italian pronunciation is ‘toe-nah-lay’.
His face combines beauty and menace in equal measure. And because there are fewer Alfas on the road than other brands, you can better express your individuality.
It is available as a mild self-charging hybrid with a 1.5-litre petrol engine at its heart, or as a 280bhp petrol-electric plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with an electric motor, a battery of 15.5 kWh and a six-speed automatic transmission.
Hot stuff: the Tonale Ray that was driving was finished in an attractive Alfa Red color
I drove this in an appealing color Alfa Red, one of the three colors for the special edition model, Tributo Italiano. The others are Montreal Green and Banchise White. It sits on 20 alloy wheels and has a claimed electric range of 62 kilometers and I came very close to that.
I have my own Pod Point home charger, so I can top up at home for cheap, zero-emissions driving for most local journeys. If you’re not so lucky, there’s the assurance of knowing that at least the petrol engine will keep you going if the battery runs out. And thanks to the regenerative hybrid system, you can generate a bonus charge while driving.
It is agile on country roads and handy on highways. If the sporty performance and towing power fully matched the stunning appearance, it would truly be unbeatable.
It is agile on country roads and handy on highways
Alfa Romeo’s new Tonale in Montreal Green
Prices for the Tonale PHEV start from £43,495 to £51,995
With fewer Alfas on the road than other brands, you can better express your individuality
Well appointed and equipped with safety and technical equipment, comfortable supportive seats, 10.25 inch touchscreen and manual buttons for air conditioning
Thanks to the regenerative hybrid system, you can generate a bonus charge while driving
Ray has his own Pod Point home charger so he can top up at home, ensuring cheap, zero-emission driving for most local journeys
The luggage compartment is compact but adequate and the rear seats can be folded down for more space
My Tonale accelerated from rest to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds and reached a top speed of 200 km/h.
However, I kept it in the sportiest of the three drive settings, as anything less (comfort and eco modes) felt unsatisfactory.
Prices for the Tonale PHEV start from £43,495 to £51,995. Mine, as driven, cost £44,945. The mild hybrid version starts at £35,995.
It is well appointed with safety and tech equipment, comfortable supportive seats, a 10.25-inch touchscreen and manual controls for air conditioning.
The luggage compartment is compact but adequate and the rear seats can be folded down for more space. Bellissimo.
Car sales increase before the elections
Motorists are voting with their wallets when buying new cars in the run-up to the general election, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
May sales rose 1.7 percent, the best performance since 2021, but still almost a fifth (19.6 percent) lower than 2019.
Splashing the cash: Motorists are voting with their wallets when buying new cars in the run-up to the general election
Experts say the market is driven by fleets and company car drivers, who receive generous tax breaks, while private buyers wait for cheaper vehicles – especially electric ones – available at prices starting from €20,000.
Car bosses say VAT on new electric cars must be cut if we are to meet EV targets.
- I am honored to be named Automotive Consumer Journalist 2024 for the second year in a row in the prestigious ‘Oscars’ of the automotive industry: the Newspress Awards.