The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale Is Coming February 8

The Stelvio's little sibling has a lot of competition to fight through

  • written by
  • A Jeep-derived crossover that slots beneath the Stelvio
  • A similar powertrain to the Giulia sedan
  • FWD for base model, AWD as an upgrade
  • Kicks off the first Tonale generation introduced for 2023

What is the Tonale?

The upcoming 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale will serve as the new entry point to the premium Italian automaker's lineup. The Tonale will be a crossover SUV that slots beneath the brand's midsize Stelvio, and it will likely share its underpinnings with the Jeep Renegade or Compass. It will have to compete with the likes of the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40, not to mention all the other premium and luxury crossovers that have flooded the market in recent years. The competition will be stiff, but the segment's strong sales made it hard for Alfa to ignore.

The concept version of the Tonale didn't reveal just a shrunken-down Stelvio. And though we're not sure exactly what the production version will look like, if we go off the concept, we can expect to see classic Alfa Romeo cues like square headlight clusters and the same swoopy bodywork that has graced other Alfas of recent years. Our wish list for the SUV centers on Alfa's dated interior design. The Stelvio and Giulia share most of their interior components, and the design is starting to show its age. Hopefully, the Tonale brings a much-needed overhaul.

Pricing for the Tonale will likely start at around $32,000, just undercutting more luxurious rivals like the aforementioned GLA and the BMW X1 when it comes to market in the fall of this year.

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What's under the Tonale's hood?

While official specs aren't out yet, rumors abound that the Tonale will feature the same plug-hybrid powertrain found in the Europe-only plug-in 2022 Jeep Compass 4xe. A 1.3-liter four-cylinder powers the front wheels via six-speed automatic, and an electric motor that's fed by an 11.4-kWh battery pack takes care of the rears. If rumor becomes reality, we expect the Tonale to make somewhere in the range of 240 horsepower.

We also wouldn't be surprised if the Stelvio's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder ended up under the Tonale's hood. Its solid mix of power (280 hp) and fuel economy (22 city/29 highway) in the Stelvio makes it the perfect candidate for use in the Tonale as a more conventional option. An EV version isn't out of the question either, as Alfa Romeo has already stated its ambitions to be a fully electrified brand by 2027. If an EV version does make an appearance, though, it will likely come later in the Tonale's life cycle.

Edmunds says

Everything we know about the 2023 Tonale has been cribbed from other Stellantis products, but the little compact will likely also show off new tech that will preview the next generation of Alfa Romeos when it makes its debut in February.

Nick Yekikianby

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

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