First test: Alfa Romeo Tonale
Alfa Romeo's crossover sits on a Jeep platform, but the Italians promise a driving experience that does not embarrass the firm - the question is whether it delivers
Yoav Falls
07/26/2022
Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 00:18 Updated: 00:49
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Not sure if this is true, but there is a situation where Alfa Romeo's red is redder than other manufacturers' (Photo: Yoav Foles)
Every launch of a new Alfa Romeo, literally a new model that hasn't existed before, brings with it great excitement among car enthusiasts.
Even before the model is revealed, lively discussions are already developing among different audiences, about "what will it be like?".
The same with the new Alfa Romeo Tonale that was launched last week.
I collect the Tonala from the importer, and immediately go to a friend who owns a nearby garage.
He gets out from under the elevator, doesn't say a word, looks at the car and immediately "I can't believe it, you know that my first car when I was released was an Alfa Junior, with such and such an engine, at an angle of 4 degrees, a pair of Webers..." With a car, I returned the friend 35 years back and the emotion that the car brought out of him was such that only Alfa Romeo can bring out a car enthusiast.
This grill is something you will recognize as an Alfa even by touch alone (Photo: Yoav Foles)
A test of a few days with the Tonala in red of course, and the amount of looks, points at the vehicle, and pedestrians lingering next to it is something I don't remember from the last time.
In my opinion, the Tunala is the most beautiful car currently driving on Israeli roads.
The exterior design is Italian sculpture at its best.
Lovers of the Alfa brand will recognize in the design allusions and touches to iconic models of the company such as the ZS Zagato (the main lighting units).
The front of the Tonale is Alpha at its best.
Sculpted bumper in body color, in the center a large black triangle standing on its apex and Alfa Romeo emblem in the upper part.
Alfa also follows the fashion of "lighting design" with thin headlight strips on both sides, each of which has three 'squares' that are not really 'Tripel U' squares in Alfa language, but there is no way you won't immediately remember the ZS Zagato.
Instantly recognizable 18-inch Alfa rims of yesteryear with five 'shoes', and prominent red calipers behind them.
At the back again, narrow lighting units, the same Triple U in red and a red LED strip stretching across the vehicle, the Alfa Romeo emblem in the center, and a subtle tonal inscription.
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Rims in a classic-Alpha design (Photo: Yoav Foles)
The design celebration continues in the cabin as well.
In front of the driver is a perfectly thick three-spoke steering wheel, with an on and off switch.
Behind the steering wheel, traditional Alfa gearshift levers are large enough that you can do it without taking your hand off the wheel even when it is turned.
In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital dashboard, which sits inside a frame with two large round channels (Cannocchiale according to the brand's fans) that contain the speedometer and the RPM meter (the digital ones, of course), and you can no longer call it a 'hint' to the dashboard designs of the past . It's just similar to the same, including large round air vents on either side of the dashboard. Someone who saw them immediately remarked "why did they do that, it looks old" - so that mission was crowned a success. In the center of the dashboard is a 10.25-inch multimedia screen with connectivity Complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Below it are central air conditioning vents (and there are also for those sitting in the back), an open compartment for belongings that also serves as a smart wireless charging surface. How much is it?
smart'?
If you place the phone on it to charge, it is at a perfect angle so that you can easily see the phone and no longer a hidden charging surface or one where the phone placed on it cannot be viewed.
A delicate and elegant tail (Photo: Yoav Falls)
A 'traditional' automatic gear lever, with the option to transfer to manual mode, and an Alfa DNA dial - D for dynamic driving mode, the other two - forget them.
The front seats are fully electric (with ventilation and heating in the seats) and plenty of adjustment options.
The steering wheel is of course adjustable for height and depth, and despite everything, I lacked the option to lower the seat itself a little more in the front part.
Overall, the Tonale provides a sporty-looking and high-quality driver's environment in terms of materials and assembly quality. The rear seat has surprising room in relation to the wheelbase, and two adults will be happy to stay there and will not complain, also thanks to large and efficient air conditioning vents.
The Tonale has full safety equipment - autonomous braking, lane departure correction , adaptive cruise control and more. It lacks a blind spot warning. Accordingly, it receives a respectable safety equipment score of 7. In crash tests by the EuroNcap organization, the Tunala received a maximum score of five very well-deserved safety stars.
The headlights are narrow and U-shaped, at night it looks even better (Photo: Yoav Foles)
The Tonale has a selection of engines, here it will be marketed with a 1.5 liter turbo gasoline engine in both 130 and 160 hp outputs, with both producing approximately 24.5 kg, and a double clutch robotic gearbox.
The Tonale has a micro-hybrid auxiliary system that allows movement at parking speeds only using electricity, and in the future a plug-in hybrid version with 275 hp and an electric driving range of about 60 km will also arrive.
The test vehicle was equipped with the leaner engine of the two.
At the start of the trip, we are in a dissonance that increases as the kilometers pile up with the vehicle, and is of course relevant to the tonella's weight, which is 1,600 kg. The basic engine with 130 hp does not provide what you expect from an Alfa Romeo, and does not go well with the appearance of the vehicle.
Despite official acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds (8.8 seconds in the 160 hp version) the engine's responses are slow, and the accelerations are not impressive, with part of the blame being taken by the gearbox whose responses are somewhat slow.
Very quickly I understand that the driving mode selector should be placed on D - Dynamic,
to get more appropriate pedal responses, and forget about the other two driving modes.
I found the arrangement of the levers behind the steering wheel to be unsuccessful because it means that the signal and wiper levers are too far from the steering wheel, and to operate them you have to stretch your fingers more than usual.
This mainly interferes with the turn signal lever which is the most useful lever in routine driving.
Round elements with references to the thousands of times past (Photo: Yoav Foles)
When it manages to develop speed, the Tonale has no problem maintaining a very high speed, one that will earn you a personal conversation with a police officer, while maintaining high directional stability, and excellent comfort, even if its steering wheel is too light.
On bumpy roads in the Golan Heights, the Tunala suspension managed to keep the four wheels on the asphalt, and did not transmit a moment of distress or loss of grip.
This was also contributed to by wonderful brakes that provide impressive maneuverability.
The specific tonal accelerations, with this engine, are not satisfactory.
They are so unsatisfactory that when driving on a one-way - two-way road in the north, we avoided exits to overtake a slow vehicle, due to a lack of confidence in the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
Driving the car at the speed of traffic, or after it has gained speed will be 'okay' but a fast driving stage?
Not with this engine.
The Tonale's fuel economy was excellent.
In aggressive driving, the little Alfa consumed about 12 km per liter, setting the cruise control at 90 km/h for about 60 km, the Tonale recorded a fuel consumption of 19.
Very good space in the back (Photo: Yoav Falls)
I don't know why the Alfa people matched this particular engine to the car, unless it is a matter of introducing a cure for the blow in the form of advance preparation for stricter regulations on air pollution.
The Alfa people could easily ask their French colleagues at the Stellentis Corporation to pack proven and excellent power units for them in the form of 1.6 turbo gasoline or 1.5 turbo diesel engines with Aisin planetary gearboxes, and get a perfect drive unit for the Tonale.
I'm sure the alpha men have excellent explanations.
The Tunala chassis can also handle double engine power and significantly higher torque without a problem, and then it will be a real celebration.
By the way, the criticism written here about the Tonale with regard to the engine's weakness is also relevant to its competitors in the premium Jeepney segment, those marketed with engines that are embarrassingly meager in relation to the price - the BMW X1 with a 136 hp engine, and the Volvo XC40T2 with 129 hp.
They are also at similar prices and even higher than those of the Tonala.
500 liters in the trunk (Photo: Yoav Falls)
Upon returning the vehicle to the dealership came the enlightenment about the beautiful Tonale.
It is not aimed at the audience from the second paragraph, they are the ones who evoke the sweet nostalgia.
It is not aimed at an audience that sees 'Alfa Romeo' and immediately gets a sporty 'ping' in the heart.
The Tonala appeals to a new and different audience than Alfa had until today.
An audience looking for the sporty look, and not really interested in performance.
Sorry for the generalization, and it is clear to me that there will also be exceptions - the tonal is aimed at the girls of the Mayon / the upper Alfion - the girls of the couple, and the girls who have received a license, to own boutiques for brands in Madina Square.
Alphists of old will turn up their noses, but the money he must put into the manufacturer has no smell (Photo: Yoav Foles)
The Tunala, at least in this version, does not appeal to everyone who saw it and started drooling over the sound of the engine and the expected accelerations.
And to be honest, decades of focusing on a sports audience - did not exactly lead to business prosperity, so it is clear that if Alfa Romeo wants to succeed in the business aspect as well, let alone succeed - simply survive - it must appeal to new audiences.
Yes, those who have the ability to release 250 thousand shekels for something that may not vibrate the capillaries of the heart, but is definitely a feast for the eyes.
Special thanks to Yoav Levy, Golan Basalt Winery in Kedmat Zvi, who allowed us to photograph the Alpha in its natural environment among vineyards and wine barrels.
Lots of warranty for a small car (Photo: Yoav Falls)
On the technical side: Alfa Romeo Tonale "Speciale" 130 hp
Engine, drive:
gasoline, 4 cylinders, turbo, front
Volume (cc):
1,469
Power/rpm (hp):
5,250/130
Torque/rpm (kgm):
1,500/24.5
Gearbox :
Double clutch, 7 gears
Dimensions:
Length (cm):
453
Width (cm):
184
Height (cm):
160
Wheelbase (cm):
264
Trunk (liters):
500
Performance:
Acceleration 0-100:
9.6 seconds
Maximum speed:
200 km/h
Fuel consumption (test):
12 km per liter
Competitors:
Audi Q3, Volvo XC40, BMW X1, Cadillac XT4, Mercedes GLA
Price:
NIS 249,900
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Tags
Alpha
Alpha romeo
Sgt
Crossover
