Alfa Romeo Tonale

FEATURE ALFA ROMEO TONALE

Alfa Romeo has finally revealed the full production version of the Tonale – a baby SUV that’ll bolster the Italian brand’s UK model range. James Batchelor takes a look around the car.

The Tonale was first revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Its launch was pushed back but the Stellantis-owned firm has now revealed the full production version.

With a simple three-trim line-up and powered by mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, it’s hoped the Tonale will catapult Alfa back on to the shortlists of many premium customers.

The new car, which sits under the Stelvio SUV, will get its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June, followed by order books opening in July.

The mild-hybrid will be the first car to arrive in September, followed by the plug-in hybrid in December.

Alfa plans to introduce one new model a year to its showrooms over the next 10 years and will be a fully electric brand by 2027.

The Tonale sparks a renewed focus on quality – both in terms of product and customer experience.

In the UK, the Tonale is tasked with taking the lion’s share of Alfa sales. ‘Last year we sold 1,600 cars, which was disappointing,’ Alfa Romeo and Jeep UK MD Damien Dally told Car Dealer.

‘We will be pushing to sell 2,5003,000 Tonales a year.’

Engines

The Tonale will only be available with two electrified engines to begin with. Arriving first, in September, will be a 1.5-litre petrol mild-hybrid using a 48-volt battery and a compact 15kW electric motor mounted within the gearbox. In December, a plug-in hybrid will launch, using a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine sending power to the front wheels, while an electric motor will drive the rears, providing all-wheel drive. Total power will be 272bhp, with an all-electric range of 37 miles.

Styling

The Tonale incorporates many traditional Alfa Romeo styling cues, such as the triangular ‘Scudetto’ shield and the ‘3+3’ headlights that take inspiration from the classic SZ Zagato. The strong shoulder line harks back to the GT-line seen on the 1960s GT Junior, while the Tonale can be specified with alloy wheels in Alfa’s traditional ‘tele dial’ pattern, ranging from 17 to 20 inches.

Technology

The Tonale is equipped with level 2 autonomous driving systems, which allow the car to automatically handle acceleration and braking when the system is activated. There’s also Amazon Alexa, which even allows the owner to select the car as a place to which Amazon parcels can be delivered. All cars come with two large screens running an Android operating system and incorporating 4G connectivity with overthe-air updates as standard.

Platform

The Tonale shares its underpinnings with other Fiat-Chrysler models such as the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X, plus a lot of those cars’ hardware. Thanks to the flexible platform, Alfa Romeo could make a pure-electric version of the Tonale.

Interior

Alfa Romeo has paid a lot of attention to the interior with better quality plastics and detailing. The dashboard is angled towards the driver and there’s Alfa’s traditional twin binnacle design for the instrument cluster. All models get ambient lighting and the infotainment system is shared not with the Alfa Giulia and Stelvio, but the new Fiat 500e. Three trims will be available: Ti and Super plus a ‘Speciale’ launch edition model.

Rear styling

Just like at the front, the Tonale looks here to other models in Alfa’s rich back catalogue of designs. The strong horizontal light bar is a reference to cars such as the 164 saloon, while the rear window shape, particularly the pointed bottom edge, resembles the 1930s 8C 2900B and more recent models such as the Alfa 8C Competizione and 147 hatchback.

TRANSITION

Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles confirm 2023 switch to agency agreements with their dealers

by James Batchelor

@JRRBatchelor

Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles will roll out agency agreements with their UK dealers as soon as next year.

The two manufacturers, which sit in the premium division of Stellantis’s group of car brands, have told their separate dealer networks they will be transitioning to an agency sales model in May 2023.

Alfa Romeo and Jeep UK managing director Damien Dally told Car Dealer at the UK reveal of the new Tonale that the move will bring ‘consistency’ to the Italian brand’s dealer network and customer service – the latter being a key focus for Dally this year and beyond.

A DS Automobiles spokesperson confirmed that the French premium brand will switch from franchise to agency next year.

The two brands will join Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen in transitioning to agency sales.

If Stellantis’s plan keeps to schedule in May 2023, it will be exactly two years since the car group served its 931-strong European dealer network with a two-year notice in a bid to ‘streamline’ operations.

It put dealers into categories ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, with ‘A’ dealers guaranteed a future relationship, ‘B’ requiring discussions and plans to be drawn up for a future partnership, while ‘C’ dealers faced likely termination.

Dally told Car Dealer that a small number of the 46-strong UK Alfa Romeo dealer network were in the ‘C’ category.

NEW FOCUS ON QUALITY

An agency model sees retailers paid a handling fee for dealing with new car sales.

The manufacturer sells the cars directly to consumers via its main website, often with a no-haggle pricing structure.

One of the appealing features for car manufacturers is that they control the customer transaction and it makes the process consistent across the network, while the dealer can focus on delivering excellent customer service.

Dally is clear the quality of its customer service needs to improve. ‘It’s important we’re able to deliver the right customer experience, which has, let’s be honest, been an area we’ve been inconsistent with previously. We need to make sure that when the customer walks into an Alfa Romeo showroom they get a dedicated level of experience. ‘Our customers are incredibly knowledgeable when they come into the showroom, so we have to be 20 per cent better than they are. The danger is if you’re not, then you don’t fulfil the brand promise. ‘We need to make sure we have the right partners with the right viable business proposition so that they can deliver our brand values to our customer base. ‘With agency, there is a lot of concern – humans don’t like change, but I think change is good and healthy.’