VIVIAN ASHER

Alfa’s road to electrification starts with the Tonale.  Alfa Romeo finally unveiled the production-ready Tonale 

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale debuts as the Italian brand's first electrified model by offering a plug-in-hybrid powertrain in the United States. 

The Tonale will be available with two powertrains. The plug-in hybrid choice consists of a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and six-speed automatic for turning the front axle. A 121-horsepower (90-kilowatt) electric motor powers the rear wheels. The total system output is 272 hp (203 kW). 

The compact crossover will arrive in North America in the first quarter of 2023.

The PHEV comes with a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Alfa Romeo estimates the range when running only on electric power to be over 30 miles (48 kilometers). Fully charging the battery takes about 2.5 hours from a level 2 charger.

The other engine option is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 256 hp (191 kW) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque. It runs through a nine-speed automatic to an all-wheel-drive system.

Outside of the US, Alfa will offer the Tonale with two, 1.5-liter mild-hybrid powertrains. Europeans will get a diesel option.

The Tonale's comes standard with a 12.3-inch digital infotainment cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. The tech runs on the Uconnect 5 software suite that supports over-the-air updates. The system has wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There's also support for Alexa home-to-car and car-to-home communication with smart devices.

Alfa Romeo will launch a new program with the Tonale where each vehicle will come with a non-fungible token (NFT) that will initially register info like the vehicle's color and options. The owner will take over the NFT upon the vehicle's purchase. 

From there, Alfa will be able to update the NFT whenever the Tonale will be at the dealer for service or maintenance. This will create a digital log about the vehicle's entire history. 

Europe, Asia, and Africa will have the choice of three additional powertrains. In Europe and Asia, the new Tonale Hybrid will be standard. Consisting of a brand-new 1.5-liter turbocharged I-4 paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with a built-in electric motor, the front-drive-only Tonale Hybrid will be available in both 130- and 160-hp forms. 

Although Alfa Romeo says it won't release 2023 Tonale pricing until closer to its early 2023 launch, it has told us that prices would be "competitive" with the segment. The Tonale will be offered in just three trims at launch: The base Tonale Sprint will be available with the gas engine only, the midlevel Tonale Ti will offer both gas and PHEV options, and the loaded Tonale Veloce will be PHEV only. Our best guess is that the Tonale Sprint will begin around $37,000 or so, Tonale Ti around $42,000, and Tonale Veloce around $45,000.

Regardless of what the Tonale costs, there's no denying it's a significant transition for Alfa as it races to become the first manufacturer in the Stellantis family to go all-electric.