[AUTO] 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale

[Mr.Ares]

It isn’t often that a manufacturer transforms a hybrid into a nonhybrid; it's usually vice versa. But that is what Alfa Romeo has planned for the Tonale subcompact SUV. Since the

model’s release, it has only been offered as a plug-in hybrid (reviewed separately) in the U.S. market. The new nonhybrid Tonale ditches its battery pack and electric motor for a 268-hp turbo four-cylinder powertrain. The engine is borrowed from the Dodge Hornet, which is built on the same platform as the Tonale and shares much of its sheetmetal and interior bits

with the Alfa. In our most recent test of the Tonale Hybrid

, we didn’t think that the powertrain was the Tonale’s primary issue but rather its uncommunicative steering, which renders it less engaging to pilot than the larger Alfa Stelvio SUV. While 268 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and respectable standard equipment put the Tonale in the running with other nonhybrid competitors like the BMW X1, Volvo XC40, and Mercedes-Benz GLA-class, a new engine won’t change the fact that

those three provide a more refined luxury experience than the Tonale Hybrid. In all likelihood, that will apply to the standard, nonhybrid Tonale as well.

While the hybrid version of the Tonale has been around since the 2024 model year, the gas-only version Tonale is new for 2025. Despite the powertrain difference between the hybrid and nonhybrid Tonale, they are very similar cars inside and out.

We’d spring for the more expensive Veloce, which adds adaptive dampers and paddle shifters. It also comes with the Premium package, which includes quality-of-life-improving features such as leather seats with ventilation up front, driver's-seat memory, and a hands-free power liftgate.

The Tonale’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine makes 268 horsepower—just 17 less than the Tonale Hybrid—and is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. All variants of the Tonale ride on a similar suspension with adaptive dampers added as part of the Veloce package. In our most recent test of the Tonale Hybrid, we walked away underwhelmed by its uncommunicative steering—and a new engine isn’t likely to change that.

While we haven’t tested the 2025 nonhybrid Tonale’s performance yet, we have tested its platform-mate, the Dodge Hornet, which features the same powertrain and underpinnings. The Hornet was capable of 60 mph in a zippy 5.7 seconds in GT Plus trim—only 0.2 seconds slower than the Tonale Hybrid. It is fair to assume that the 2025 standard gas Tonale will find its way to 60 mph in a similar amount of time.

Link: https://www.caranddriver.com/alfa-romeo/tonale