New Alfa Romeo Tonale 2025 facelift review: improved looks, but that’s about it
The Alfa Romeo Tonale is more stylish than before, but we've been left yearning for more improvements
Verdict
Despite the more assertive styling, those looking for the sportiest SUV around will be left disappointed by the refreshed Alfa Romeo Tonale – in pretty much all respects. Adding salt to the wounds, this plug-in hybrid powertrain feels increasingly off the pace when it comes to range and charging, too. Yet if a stylish, well-built interior matters more, there’s still appeal to be found in Alfa’s smallest SUV.
Three years after it launched, the Alfa Romeo Tonale has been given a little mid-life refresh, including an updated interior and sharper look that draws from the brand's glorious history, showcasing its strong sense of style.
The redesigned front end takes some inspiration from legendary Alfas like the Giulia GTA or GTAm sports saloon, and we think there's even a hint of the 156 GTA about it. The subtly reshaped ‘Scudetto’ grille was inspired specifically by the brand’s gorgeous 33 Stradale supercar, with the concave slats sitting within a new floating frame. We won’t go into every single styling tweak, but taken together the changes certainly give it a meaner persona.
The Tonale’s interior could be characterised by high-quality materials and touching details. There wasn’t too much fault before the facelift, but fantastic sports seats with new red leather upholstery or a combination of white synthetic leather and black Alcantara are now available, framed by further white contrast stitching. Opting for this configuration also brings the same material to the dashboard, door panels, armrest and the redesigned centre console.
Used - available now
2025 Alfa Romeo
Tonale
8,314 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £18,690
2025 Alfa Romeo
Tonale
2,373 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £19,995
2022 Alfa Romeo
Tonale
47,718 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £17,990
2025 Alfa Romeo
Tonale
23,486 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £19,920Then there’s the massive aluminium shift pedals behind the three-spoke steering wheel, the razor-sharp 12.3-inch instrument panel with the double-bubble surround, new rotary gear selector, and another dial above it for Alfa’s DNA drive modes. Dare we say it, the cabin almost offers the feeling of sitting in a hypercar rather than a C-segment SUV.
We’re grateful that the Tonale has retained its physical controls. Things that would be controlled via the touchscreen in other cars are still handled by the buttons and switches here. Even the annoying beeping of the speed warning can be deactivated with a tap on the 10.25-inch central touchscreen.
The engine options are the same as before. Which is best is ultimately a question of utility and budget. The entry-level model features a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 48V mild-hybrid assistance. This configuration delivers 173bhp, 0-62mph in about nine seconds and sends its power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Above that is the plug-in hybrid Q4 version, which we’re driving here. While the engine under the bonnet is a slightly smaller 1.3-litre four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic, it’s paired with a larger more powerful electric motor and 15.5kWh battery. The e-motor powers the rear wheels, giving you all-wheel drive and a combined 265bhp, which reduces the Tonale’s 0-62mph time to less than seven seconds.
While the plug-in set-up’s 270Nm of torque isn’t delivered in a staccato burst, the petrol engine, with its electric assistance, is willing to rev close to the limiter when you floor the throttle, providing a decent shove. Whether this is enough to actually reach the claimed top speed of 128mph we weren’t able to test on our Tuscan test route.
What was clear is that the sportiness described during the press presentation ends with the steering. While Alfa said its engineers managed to find the optimal weight distribution between the front and rear axles, and achieved "the most direct steering", it's a shame that it provides almost no feedback from the road, even in Dynamic mode.
In fast corners, the driver doesn't know whether the Tonale is understeering or losing grip. The fact that the electric motor pushes through the rear wheels doesn't help either. We never felt properly confident behind the wheel during our first drive.
Not even with the frequency-selective dampers set to ‘Sport’, though we did feel the chassis stiffen compared to ‘Normal’ mode. In the default setting, there was a noticeable rebound at the rear over every bump. Even so, there was still a lack of the definitive sportiness expected from an Alfa.
Buyers probably won’t be at all happy when they forget the idea of sportiness and just focus on the plug-in hybrid side of this Tonale, either. Rivals like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 offer more pure-electric range and shorter charging times. For reference, the Alfa will officially do just 38 miles before the petrol engine takes over.
It's all the more annoying then, that with an empty battery, all the work falls on that rather puny four-cylinder motor, which seems overwhelmed pushing the 1.9-tonne Tonale. It clearly expresses its displeasure with the noise it makes.
It's not possible to keep the battery topped up through brake regeneration, either. Yes, you can save some battery capacity at the push of a button, but you can't determine the level of regen yourself. Alfa’s engineers have already decided that for you, with the strength increasing only when you switch into Dynamic mode. Precisely when you’d want to drive freely, with total control, they’ll literally slow you down.
UK prices for the updated Alfa Romeo Tonale range haven’t been confirmed quite yet, but our expert data suggests a base mild-hybrid should start from just over £37,000. The plug-in hybrid should start from about £43,000, with this Sport Speciale priced at £48,425. An all-singing, all-dancing Veloce should still come in under £50k. If you want to save an average of over £2,500, you can spec your perfect Tonale via the Auto Express buy a car service.
| Model: | Alfa Romeo Tonale Q4 PHEV Sport Speciale |
| Price: | £48,425 |
| On sale: | TBC |
| Powertrain: | 1.3-litre 4cyl turbo petrol PHEV |
| Power/torque; | 265bhp/270Nm |
| Transmission: | Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph/top speed: | 6.6 seconds/128mph |
| Economy/CO2: | 217.3mpg/85g/km |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,522/1,841/1,614mm |
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