MrMickS
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Our daily is a 280hp Stelvio Speciale which is ok on acceleration but doesn't have the adjustable dampers and wallows in corners. It also doesn't return very good mpg, averages 25, which is barely better than I got out of the Levante. It's particularly bad on a run when it struggles to get 30 mpg. I got more out of both the Ghilbi and Levante.
We'd seen the Tonale at Arese before COVID and thought it might be a good replacement, especially as a PHEV to help with the running costs. The PHEV also has the same power as our Stelvio albeit weighing 250kg more. I had an email from Alfa about test driving one a couple of weeks ago so booked a slot.
First impressions was that the changes to get it into production aren't too bad. The front is a little softer looking, more rounded, but still has some presence and that Alfa look. From the outside it doesn't look that much smaller than the Stelvio, maybe a bit lower. This changed once I tried to get in. The roof is definitely lower. So much so that it was difficult to get in without hitting my head on the roof, on both sides, front and back.
Inside the seats feel a little cramped and it's definitely narrower. It's comfortable enough though. I was the passenger for the first part of the test drive and it was pleasant. The ride is smooth, there is little noise intrusion into the cabin, and once I'd adjusted the height of the seat, enough room in the front. There were some complaints from the driving seat about it feeling a little lethargic, and that I've created a monster that always craves more power, but it progressed well enough, and pulling away at roundabouts in either N or A mode was good enough to fit in gaps in the traffic without any drama.
When it came my turn to drive the first thing I thought was that the pedal positioning felt a little odd. It was almost as if I was struggling to get my left foot out of the way. Maybe I should have been left foot braking?
Visibility is good, the controls have a good feel and steering is precise. The pick up from rest, and in traffic, felt ok. I think some of the lethargic feeling is that there is no noise. The little turbo 1.3 doesn't make much sound. In D mode on winding roads it's much better than the Stelvio to drive. The Stelvio has more noise and drama, seems to accelerate quicker, but corners really aren't good. The Tonale went around the corners flat and never felt as though it would do anything else.
In traffic in N or A it was a pleasant place to be. A little disconcerting when you're driving at 50-60 and the revs drop to 0 and stay there, but the engine kicked back in when we needed it. We started off with 18 miles electric range and finished with 6 but the readout at the end of the journey said we'd been on electric for 22 miles and petrol for 12. The overall range of the car had gone up from 118 to 152 by the time we stopped as well.
Driving over we checked out the rest of the car. There's enough leg room for me to sit behind the driver's seat when it's positioned for me but the roof felt low. My head brushed against it so anyone over 6' might struggle. The boot space is ok, but less than the Stelvio, the battery pack and charging cable take up the space below the boot floor.
I did like the interior switch gear, especially the central air vents with their metal adjustable vanes. It does feel well put together.
Would we buy one? Possibly. The numbers don't make sense at the moment, it will probably be an option when it does come time to change though.
We'd seen the Tonale at Arese before COVID and thought it might be a good replacement, especially as a PHEV to help with the running costs. The PHEV also has the same power as our Stelvio albeit weighing 250kg more. I had an email from Alfa about test driving one a couple of weeks ago so booked a slot.
First impressions was that the changes to get it into production aren't too bad. The front is a little softer looking, more rounded, but still has some presence and that Alfa look. From the outside it doesn't look that much smaller than the Stelvio, maybe a bit lower. This changed once I tried to get in. The roof is definitely lower. So much so that it was difficult to get in without hitting my head on the roof, on both sides, front and back.
Inside the seats feel a little cramped and it's definitely narrower. It's comfortable enough though. I was the passenger for the first part of the test drive and it was pleasant. The ride is smooth, there is little noise intrusion into the cabin, and once I'd adjusted the height of the seat, enough room in the front. There were some complaints from the driving seat about it feeling a little lethargic, and that I've created a monster that always craves more power, but it progressed well enough, and pulling away at roundabouts in either N or A mode was good enough to fit in gaps in the traffic without any drama.
When it came my turn to drive the first thing I thought was that the pedal positioning felt a little odd. It was almost as if I was struggling to get my left foot out of the way. Maybe I should have been left foot braking?
Visibility is good, the controls have a good feel and steering is precise. The pick up from rest, and in traffic, felt ok. I think some of the lethargic feeling is that there is no noise. The little turbo 1.3 doesn't make much sound. In D mode on winding roads it's much better than the Stelvio to drive. The Stelvio has more noise and drama, seems to accelerate quicker, but corners really aren't good. The Tonale went around the corners flat and never felt as though it would do anything else.
In traffic in N or A it was a pleasant place to be. A little disconcerting when you're driving at 50-60 and the revs drop to 0 and stay there, but the engine kicked back in when we needed it. We started off with 18 miles electric range and finished with 6 but the readout at the end of the journey said we'd been on electric for 22 miles and petrol for 12. The overall range of the car had gone up from 118 to 152 by the time we stopped as well.
Driving over we checked out the rest of the car. There's enough leg room for me to sit behind the driver's seat when it's positioned for me but the roof felt low. My head brushed against it so anyone over 6' might struggle. The boot space is ok, but less than the Stelvio, the battery pack and charging cable take up the space below the boot floor.
I did like the interior switch gear, especially the central air vents with their metal adjustable vanes. It does feel well put together.
Would we buy one? Possibly. The numbers don't make sense at the moment, it will probably be an option when it does come time to change though.
