2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Review and Test Drive

A powerful gas-only version of the 2025 Tonale joins the lineup.

James Riswick | 

Apr 25, 2025 | 6 min read

James Riswick

The Alfa Romeo Tonale debuted for the 2024 model year with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. It certainly helped this subcompact SUV stand out from the crowd and arrived at a time of surging PHEV popularity, but it's not surprising that the 2025 Tonale lineup expands with a more affordable base model equipped with a gas-only turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

The new engine is available in the base 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale and the Tonale Intensa. Prices start around $39,000 and reach into $57,000 for the highest trim level of the Tonale Hybrid. Alfa Romeo builds the SUV in Italy.

I tested a base Tonale with standard all-wheel drive, the Premium option package (leather, ventilated front seats, a hands-free power liftgate, and ambient lighting), a power sunroof, and 19-inch wheels. The manufacturer's suggested retail price was $44,125, including the $1,995 destination charge. Alfa Romeo provided the Tonale for this review.

James Riswick

Is the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale a Good SUV?

The Tonale has charismatic styling, a powerful engine, and newly competitive pricing. Still, its interior is cramped, even by subcompact SUV standards, and it isn't as engaging to drive as other Alfas. Worse, the Dodge Hornet is essentially the same SUV but priced lower. A Mazda CX-50 Turbo provides more space and driving enjoyment for about the same money as the Tonale, while the BMW X1 and Mini Countryman are fun, stylish, and more spacious alternatives, also for around the same price.

James Riswick

What's New for the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale?

The main difference for the 2025 Tonale is the addition of the gas-only turbocharged powertrain. It pairs a 2.0-liter turbo four producing 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

James Riswick

The New Engine's Got Guts, but So Do Its Rivals

The Tonale's turbocharged four-cylinder may be a base engine, but it's no underpowered budget offering. It's got guts. There's abundant passing power, and blasting away from the pack at traffic lights is easy. If you're seeking a clear performance upgrade over what non-luxury brands offer, this Alfa Romeo delivers it.

The trouble is that the aforementioned competitors also deliver it. The X1 and Countryman may fall short in horsepower (both make 241 horsepower), but they equal the Tonale's 295 lb-ft of torque. Subjectively, they feel just as quick and offer superior refinement, along with a better soundtrack. The CX-50 Turbo, meanwhile, can't quite match the Alfa's pace (its bigger interior comes with a heftier curb weight), but its engine's 310 lb-ft of torque makes it feel plenty quick and is smoother, too.

The nine-speed automatic doesn't help matters. Even when in the sportiest Dynamic drive mode, it's slow to downshift under braking and too quick to upshift. I found myself using the shifter's manual mode (something I rarely have to do on my mountain-road handling route), which was doubly frustrating because Alfa Romeo's beautiful metal shift paddles aren't standard.

Unsurprisingly, fuel economy is worse than the Tonale Hybrid, which can travel 33 miles on electricity before burning a drop of gas. The EPA estimates the Tonale turbo will get 24 mpg in combined driving; I averaged 24.7 mpg on my 75-mile mixed driving route, with 31.8 mpg on the 40-mile highway portion. The EPA combined estimates of the competitors mentioned above are all better.

James Riswick

The base Tonale is better to drive than the PHEV, however. Because it doesn't lug around roughly 400 pounds of hybrid componentry, it feels more agile and less burdened. I was also impressed with its suspension, which was taut enough to limit body roll in the mountains but provided sufficient compliance over highway bumps.

That said, the Tonale's handling, steering, and overall driver engagement disappoint, making the upgrade to Alfa's Giulia sedan or Stelvio SUV more appealing. The steering is particularly disappointing because it feels sporty enough initially with its firm on-center weighting, but it lacks any semblance of feel. Putting aside the Tonale's brand-mates, the Mazda, BMW, and Mini are also more engaging to drive.

James Riswick

A 'Compact' SUV in a Subcompact Body

Alfa Romeo says that the Tonale belongs to the "premium compact SUV segment," but its length, width, and wheelbase align with subcompact models such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Mini Countryman. The Mazda CX-50, which is a compact SUV (and not a particularly spacious one at that), is a whopping 7.5 inches longer.

The interior is similarly subcompact, and I found it even more cramped than its specs suggest. It's one of the rare new vehicles with power seats that fails to provide enough legroom for this 6-foot-3 driver. Not only that, but Alfa mounts the seat oddly high, so my eyeline was unusually close to the sun visor. It's not like the front seat could travel much farther back if Alfa had wanted it to, though, as there's no way anyone could sit behind my driving position.

Sure, I'm tall, but even drivers of average height will leave a relatively scant amount of space behind them. I found a bit more remaining in the X1 and Countryman, and actual compact SUVs such as the CX-50 have unquestionably bigger back seats.

James Riswick

Cargo space also aligns with subcompacts. A dual-level cargo floor contributes to a greater cargo capacity than the Tonale Hybrid (27.0 cubic-feet versus 22.9 cu-ft). In my testing, the space difference was equal to that of a typical roller suitcase you'd have to check at the airport.

Furthermore, the Tonale's baggage total is one of the better results I've seen in the subcompact SUV segment, topping the Countryman and falling just short of the X1. However, it's nowhere near what I could manage in the CX-50 and other non-luxury compacts.

James Riswick

Elsewhere inside, the Uconnect infotainment touchscreen may not be as flashy as what you'll find in the X1 and Countryman, but it's much easier to use and is better than the Mazda on both counts. I also liked the configurable instrument panel, and specifically its cool, retro-inspired twin-gauge design option. Weirdly, though, it disappeared the day I shot the accompanying photos. Literally. From then on, the menus in the instrumentation panel and touchscreen revealed no such option, and I never found it again.

There are more functional issues. My test car had the available wireless phone charger, which is nice in theory, but it takes up a lot of space despite its upright position. That's a problem for storage, as the armrest bin is a tiny, triangular space, and the cupholders are on the small side. Oh, and there's a huge gap between the steering wheel and turn-signal stalk in order to make room for the optional paddle shifters absent in the test vehicle. Double annoying.

James Riswick

It may not be as distinctive without the Tonale Hybrid's PHEV powertrain, but the base Tonale's design, powerful engine, and useful cargo area still help it stand out in the subcompact luxury SUV segment. The new engine makes the price competitive with that segment, too. Unfortunately, it's disappointing to drive, its interior quality is just OK, and there's little it does better than the similarly priced Mazda CX-50 Turbo.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

James Riswick

James Riswick has been testing cars and writing about them for more than 20 years. He was the senior reviews editor for Autoblog and previously served multiple editor roles at Edmunds. He has also contributed to Autotrader, Car and Driver, Hagerty, J.D. Power, and Autoguide Magazine. He has been interested in cars forever; his mom took him to the Toronto Auto Show when he was 18 months old and he has attended at least one every year since (OK, except in 2020). When he's not testing the latest cars, he has a babied 1998 BMW Z3 in James Bond blue, a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon, and a 2023 Kia Niro EV.