Alfa Romeo Tonale

The Alfa Romeo Tonale is a car produced by Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo since February 2022. A c-segment model, it slots below the Alfa Romeo Stelvio in the marque's crossover SUV range. Known internally as the 965, the Tonale is the first hybrid-powered Alfa Romeo and became the first new model introduced by the brand in six years. The Tonale is named after the Tonale mountain pass in Northern Italy. 

In August 2022, a rebadged and restyled version was unveiled as the Dodge Hornet, exclusive to the North American market as the smallest, entry-level SUV offering from Dodge. The Hornet will be sold alongside the Tonale in the region with different specs and lower pricing.

Overview 
The production Tonale was originally scheduled for release in 2021, but was delayed until 2022 due to the global semiconductor shortage and Alfa Romeo management demanding better range and performance from its drivetrain. It was developed during the ownership of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and underpinned by a heavily modified version of the SCCS crossover platform shared with the Jeep Compass. It is also the first Alfa Romeo to be equipped with an optional plug-in hybrid system, which uses a  lithium-ion battery to achieve  of all-electric range. The Tonale marks the brand's electrification effort, where Alfa Romeo will be the first brand among the 14 brands of Stellantis to go fully electric by 2027. The Tonale is marketed in the premium segment, and has been described variously as a "compact crossover", a "compact SUV", a "small SUV", and a "tall hatchback".

All models of the Tonale are equipped with a  digital infotainment cluster and a  infotainment screen, which will run on the Uconnect 5 software suite. In addition, the Tonale will come with an NFT that records and stores data of the car's life cycle. According to Alfa Romeo, the NFT will generate a certificate that can help maintain the car's residual value. The Verge noted that Alfa Romeo had not provided much information about what blockchain technology they intended to use for this. Jalopnik felt that digitising a car's service history was a good idea, but that blockchain NFTs were a "bad" and "entirely unnecessary" way to achieve this.

According to Alfa Romeo, the Tonale was designed to offer more driving engagement than the class average by using a very quick steering rack (2.3 turns lock to lock). It also features torque vectoring by braking, frequency-selective dampers as standard, and adaptive items and four-piston brakes on the range-topping Veloce.

Powertrain 
One of the powertrain options is a newly developed Alfa Romeo-exclusive  1.5-liter petrol engine with a variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) and 48 V hybrid system, paired with a 7-speed TCT dual-clutch transmission and a 48 V  and  P2 electric motor ( with a 2.5:1 transmission ratio). It can propel the wheels even when the internal combustion engine is turned off. The Tonale is claimed to be capable of  in 8.8 seconds and a maximum speed of over . The engine comes with a compression ratio of 12.5:1, a new cylinder head with a compact combustion chamber, dual variable valve timing, and "high-tumble" intake ducts.

A 48 V lithium-ion battery with a 0.8 kWh capacity is used. The capacity is more than twice that of batteries commonly used on belt-driven starter-generator (BSG) hybrid systems, while providing an output of up to . The battery has a volume of about 11 litres and does not affect the size of the boot, as it is installed under the central tunnel between the front seats. The dual voltage system with a DC/DC converter from 48 to 12 volts manages the interface with the electrical architecture of the vehicle.

Markets

Europe
The Tonale has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integrated into its user interface, which also has a  touchscreen. Regular versions of the car have  wheels, whilst a special edition sold at launch had  wheels along with other cosmetic changes. The plug-in hybrid version has less boot space than the non-plugin version.

North America 

The Tonale for Canada will be released for the 2023 model year, with the option of a 2.0 L petrol turbocharged engine or a 1.3 L petrol plug-in hybrid engine. In the U.S. market, initially only the 2.0 L will be available.

A television advertisement campaign was released in 2023 to promote the all-new Tonale.

Dodge Hornet 
The Hornet was released in August 2022 for the U.S. and Canada, and is Dodge's first compact SUV since the discontinuation of the Jeep Liberty-based Dodge Nitro in 2011. Compared to the Tonale, the Hornet received a restyled front end, headlights, and taillights. GT models (the only models available at launch) feature the 2.0L turbocharged Inline Four-Cylinder (I4) powertrain, while R/T models (debuting in mid-2023 as early 2024 model year vehicles) receive the 1.3L Turbocharged Inline Four-Cylinder (I4) Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Base and Plus trims of both models are available. Like other Dodge models, the Hornet will receive a unique exterior color palette, with colors such as "8 Ball" (Black), "Gray Clay" (Dark Gray), "Blue Steele" (Light Blue), "Blue Bayou" (Bright Blue), "Hot Tamale" (Bright Red), and "Acapulco Gold" (Yellow-Gold). 

The Hornet was first shown in 2006 as the Dodge Hornet (concept car), though only shared a name with the production Hornet. The Hornet name was acquired by Chrysler Corporation following their acquisition of American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987. All Hornets will feature a "Bee" emblem on the front fenders.

A television advertisement campaign was released in 2023 to promote the all-new Hornet.

Concepts

Tonale Concept
The Tonale Concept was unveiled in March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show. It features a plug-in hybrid drivetrain from the Jeep Renegade, presumably with a front-mounted petrol engine and a rear-mounted electric motor. Different driving modes were featured: Dual Power mode for maximum performance, Natural mode for everyday use, and Advanced Efficiency for electric propulsion only. Additional touchscreen settings were claimed to further adjust throttle behaviour, braking response, and steering feel.

References

External links 

 

Tonale
Plug-in hybrid vehicles
Crossover sport utility vehicles
Compact sport utility vehicles
Cars introduced in 2022