Alfa Romeo Tonale adds hybrid technology to the line-up

General Guides  New Launches 

It's sometimes said that you can't consider yourself a true ‘petrolhead' until you've owned an Alfa Romeo. This is no longer the case. Lease the brand-new Alfa Romeo Tonale and you'll get to call yourself an ‘electrichead' instead.

Well, technically you'd be a hybridhead, but let's not split hairs because the new Tonale is a radical change for Alfa Romeo and it's a seriously impressive car. It's a hybrid SUV so no surprises in that area. The difference is, this one is an Alfa, and that badge means it's a little bit special. If you want a car capable of turning heads, nothing looks cooler than an Alfa Romeo.

As well as being utterly gorgeous the new Alfa Romeo Tonale is packed with loads of new technology.

There are two levels of electrification as well as a brand-new engine to complete the hybrid system. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with high pressure fuel injection makes its debut in the new car, and along with the hybrid part, it can produce either 130bhp or 160bhp. Both power choices feature front-wheel drive, a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a built-in 48 volt 15kW, electric motor that can propel the wheels even when the internal combustion engine is turned off. The 275bhp plug-in hybrid Q4 version with all-wheel drive offers the best all-round performance and should still manage an electric-only range in the region of 50 miles.

To make it easier to choose, Alfa is also simplifying the range.

Only two trim levels are available, Super and Ti, and both are suitably well equipped and finished in terms of trim. You can also add a pack of extras depending on which version you start with. Start with Super and you can add the sporty Sprint pack, whereas the Ti trim gets the Veloce pack which offers the ultimate in performance and elegance. Other than paint colour, that's about the easiest choice you're likely to face when it comes to picking a new lease car.

In terms of interior experience, the Alfa Romeo Tonale is a very nice, and a very well-equipped place to be.

Dual-zone climate control, touchscreen infotainment system, ventilated and heated front seats, ambient lighting, and a 14-speaker sound system by Harman Kardon. The Alfa Romeo Tonale also includes an electric tailgate and a wireless charging pad for your smartphone. It's even got Amazon Alexa built-in so you can interact with the car simply and intuitively.

The Tonale is also equipped with new Alfa Romeo Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for Level 2 autonomous driving. This will automatically handle acceleration, braking and remaining within lane when you're feeling a bit lazy. You can also get all the usual safety features such as emergency braking, pedestrian recognition, drowsiness alerts, blind spot monitoring and 360-degree camera.

An Alfa Romeo and an NFT

And if you're really into new technology, this is your chance to get hold of your own non-fungible token. We're not sure if this is a gimmick or the start of a brilliant idea. We're not even entirely sure what a non-fungible token is but we know they've been on the news a bit recently.

Apparently it uses blockchain technology similar to cryptocurrencies, but this one can record your car's history. It's not something you're going to think about as a lease customer but it's a very cool piece of technology. At some point in the future, you might decide to buy a used Tonale, and this little piece of bewildering technology will record all the vehicle data and generate a certificate to show it's been regularly serviced and not thrashed every weekend. A reassuring addition for future owners.

It's highly unlikely that little bit of information is going to convince you to lease the Alfa Romeo Tonale. We only told you because it's a bit cool in a geeky kind of way.

As far as the car is concerned, that's just a stunningly pretty thing and you'd be in a minority not to want one.

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