Alfa Romeo Tonale Tributo review: Bypass petrol stations with incredible economy and great road handling

However, thank goodness for Alfa Romeo, an Italian brand which prides itself on turning out sharp-suited models. Alfas are some of the smartest cars on the road and even the SUV model Tonale tries its best to be desirable.

Tonale – named after an Italian mountain pass – is one of three SUVs from the brand, sitting above the Junior and below the Stelvio.

Tonale was launched in 2022 as a five-seater compact crossover and is the first hybrid Alfa. It shares some underpinnings with the Jeep Compass.

It is marketed as a premium model and it’s easy to see how it lives up to its name, from the badging details to the upholstery – everything about this car says quality.

And it’s also all about performance. Few SUVs can match this model for road handling and enjoyment. It can reach 60mph in 6.2 seconds yet it offers incredible economy of over 200mpg, provided you keep it charged up. In fact, you can manage 38.5mpg in all-electric mode so many commuters need ever trouble a petrol station.

It looks smart and sporty without being tacky yet it has a crucial part to play in the business car market. It is quick, yet smooth, and the suspension is a smart blend of firmness and subtlety.

Inside, it is comfortable, premium and well specified. I like the Italian flag on the centre console which adds flair. The sporty touches, particularly the black seats with perforated red holes, suit it well.

The infotainment and systems worked well. The steering could do with a touch more weight to it, but it's direct, making it enjoyable on tighter corners.

The boot is a good size – 385 litres rising to 1,430 with the seats down.

Not only is it dashingly handsome, it is well equipped too. It has a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, a hands-free powered tailgate, intelligent cruise control, traffic sign recognition and plenty of Alfa logos which add to the sporty nature.

It has a heated steering wheel, a carbon facsia with ambient lighting and sports seats.

All Tonales are equipped with a 12.3in digital infotainment cluster and a 10.25in infotainment screen, which will run on the Uconnect 5 software suite.

The new infotainment system comes as standard and offers services which are constantly updated via its Android operating system and 4G connectivity with over the air (OTA) updates.

There are four new “functionalities” that make their debuts on the Tonale Plug-in hybrid.

E-control allows the customer to control various functionalities based on the EV features—including charging and the climate control system— directly from the My Alfa Connect app.

Dynamic Range Mapping allows drivers to travel with peace of mind, showing them the destinations they can reach based on the battery charge.

There is charging station finder which allows the driver to find the nearest public charging stations.

And My eCharge allows for the use of the My Alfa Connect app to directly access Free2Move eSolutions services to manage public and private charging. It will be possible to locate the public charging stations, check the charging methods, make payments, visualise the charge history and manage charging from a home Wallbox – allowing drivers to decide how much electricity to use and even increase, decrease, suspend and reactivate the charge.

Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo’s owner Stellantis may stop sales of new petrol and diesel cars this year.

Stellantis may have to stop sales of petrol and diesel models later this year to meet the government’s strict zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

Speaking to Car Dealer Magazine, Stellantis’s UK group managing director, Maria Grazia Davino, said the carmaker would not pay punitive fines for failing to meet the mandate, which would therefore mean taking petrol and diesel models off sale.

The government’s ZEV mandate requires 22 per cent of a manufacturer’s new vehicle sales this year to be EVs. Failure to meet this will mean a £15,000 penalty on every non-electric car and £18,000 per non-electric van.

Current legislation sees the threshold rising to 28 per cent next year, 33 per cent in 2026, 38 per cent in 2027, 52 per cent in 2028, 66 per cent in 2029 and 80 per cent in 2035.

In May, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said carmakers were not on course to meet the targets.

Maria Grazia Davino told Car Dealer Magazine that it was “trying not to” restrict sales of petrol and diesel models, and was “trying to protect” customer cars.

“But this will be an immediate consequence,” she added. “I dream of a situation where we have the fullest elasticity.

“Fines are not an option for me and that’s the reason [to reduce ICE volume]. We can’t be fined, it’s not ethical and it’s not the way we are set up. We will not pay fines.”

Along with Vauxhall, Peugeot and Alfa Romeo, Stellantis operates the Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, Abarth and DS Automobiles brands in the UK.

The Stellantis UK chief’s words echo earlier sentiments expressed by former Ford of Europe executive Martin Sander, who said the Blue Oval might have to restrict new petrol cars in the UK to boost sales of new EVs.

Alfa Romeo Tonale Tributo: £45,175. Range starts at £36,575; A 1,332cc petrol engine and an electric motor emitting 280bhp via a six-speed automatic transmission; Top speed 128mph and 0 to 60mph in 6.2 seconds; Emissions 32g/km; 201.8mpg; Three years’ unlimited mileage warranty