In the early morning of February 9, Beijing time, Alpha Romeo officially released its new compact SUV Tonale, although the official claim that the new car is built using the so-called STLA Small platform, but everyone is also clear that in the early stage of its long development cycle, there is no Stellantis Group unit, and the new car can actually be seen as a luxury sports decoration version of the Jeep guide. Of course, from all visible points of view, the new car has a strong Aro style and does not remind people of Jeep products.
In the front part, the new car adopts the latest family design, the inverted triangle shield grille will certainly not be absent, the left and right sides use a very distinctive three-curved hook-shaped daytime light belt to take into account the turn signals, paying tribute to the brand's old classic models at the same time, the sense of technology is also quite outstanding, there is a good sense of ceremony when starting, it can be said that it is eye-catching. The front bumper part, on the other hand, has a flat, through-grid shape that intersects with the triangular middle mesh, further enhancing the properties of movement.
On the side of the body, the new car is very much like the small Stelvio model, although due to the identity of the horizontal front-drive model, the proportion of the front and rear overhangs is inevitable, but elements such as the low-slung sports body, the large inclined angle D-pillar, the dynamic and smooth waistline and the signature wheel hub style are not absent, and they are definitely the leaders in the sense of sport in the same class.
In the rear part, the taillight design of the new car is equally charming, using a three-curved hook shape corresponding to the headlights, and there is a smooth through-line light strip in the center, although the through-line design is not new at present, but the details of the new car still show a unique Italian romance. The entire light set is embedded in the black light cavity, together placed on the large protruding tail box, in addition, the entire rear is not too complicated design, only smooth concave and convex lines and the rear bumper part of the exquisite decorative panel, in terms of design, for an Italian model, you do not have to worry at all.
In the interior distribution, the new car also leads a new family style, using a floating large-size LCD screen design concept, but the screen is flat and wide, does not appear obtrusive, and the position is slightly lower than the dashboard, showing the genes of the battle. The full LCD instrument has finally been equipped as standard, and the sense of technology has been significantly improved compared with the previous Aro models.
On this basis, elements such as the round air conditioner outlet of the gun barrel, the central control table that is deflected to the driving side, and the layered central control layout are not absent. With the sport, the flat-bottom steering wheel with huge paddle shifters, the carbon fiber texture and fur seats and other details can be seen everywhere, which always teases the motor nerves of the driver. It is a little regrettable that the new car still uses a mechanical gear lever, which is somewhat different from the fashion sense of the whole car.
In terms of the most important power, the front-drive structure is of course built based on the guide platform, and the entry-level version is FCA's latest 1.5T four-cylinder engine, with a maximum power of 130 hp and 160 hp, a maximum torque of 240 Nm, and a light hybrid assembly of 48V electric motors and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is basically the same as the new guides just released.
The plug-in hybrid version adopts FCA's signature 1.3T engine with rear axle motor to form an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system, with a maximum engine power of 180 horsepower, an electric motor power of 122 horsepower, and a system comprehensive power of 275 horsepower. The parameters are stronger than the plug-in hybrid version of the guide, the acceleration of 100 kilometers has also increased to 6.2 seconds, and the battery equipped with it has reached 15.5kwh, and the pure electric cruising range can reach 80km, which is also better than the guide, and has also become the top version of the car system.
Of course, since it is an old sports brand, Alfa Romeo also took care of the internal combustion engine fans this time, still retaining the traditional 2.0T four-cylinder turbo engine with a mechanical four-drive assembly, the maximum power of 260 horsepower, matched with the 9AT gearbox. Finally, the 1.6T diesel engine specially available in the European market will not be absent. In terms of handling, as an Aro model, the new car is not ambiguous, the official claim that the 13.6:1 steering ratio is the fastest in the same class, the front four-piston brake caliper, adaptive damping system and other configurations are also available.
According to official information, the body circumference of the new car reaches 4530/1840/1600mm, and the program is 2636mm, which can be regarded as a standard European compact SUV, which will be slightly smaller in the domestic market. According to foreign media, the sales price of the new car or starting from about 30,000 yuan, this figure obviously has a very excellent cost performance, as a reference Audi Q3 and BMW X1 in the United States The starting price is about 38,000 yuan, which may be caused by the small base displacement.
At least in terms of overseas prices, Alfa Romeo has made up his mind this time and lowered his posture, and the new car has remarkable points in terms of appearance, interior and powertrain. It shows a good competitiveness, when it will be able to introduce domestic in the future, and what kind of performance it can have, it is very worth looking forward to.