2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Turbo review: Italian charm that cuts both ways

While it’s nice to see that this feature is standard equipment, the ACC system can be a bit overeager to close the gap between you and the car in front of you, and it has a bad habit of braking later than it should. This resulted in several panic stops where the adaptive cruise control’s behavior triggered the forward collision warning system despite the fact that I was plodding along at just 15 mph (24 km/h) stop-and-go traffic.

In a canyon with some paddles

Out in the canyons, I switched to the Dynamic drive mode, which sharpens the Tonale’s reflexes and adds more urgency to the proceedings. The dampers’ added stiffness in this mode cleaned up the crossover’s body control to a tangible degree, but the transmission’s ongoing search for more efficient gears was only alleviated by switching to manual mode and taking over control of the gearbox with the paddles. While the overall tuning is a bit softer than some enthusiasts will prefer, the Tonale’s performance is buoyed by a gutsy powerplant and the confident stopping power delivered by the four-piston Brembo brakes equipped up front.

With a starting price of $36,495 ($48,130 as-tested, with destination fee), the Tonale 2.0 L Turbo is roughly $10,000 cheaper than its hybrid counterpart, and it also undercuts other European premium compact crossovers like the Mercedes-Benz GLA and BMW X1 by thousands. The Tonale’s extroverted character is also a nice change of pace in a segment filled with anonymity, and given the negligible compromise in straight-line performance, the lower curb weight, and the significant cost savings, I’d choose the 2.0 L Turbo over the PHEV model without hesitation.

The Tonale 2.0 L Turbo’s biggest rival is arguably the Dodge Hornet GT, which offers a similar driving experience but starts at a base price that’s roughly $6,000 lower. The premium you’ll pay for the Tonale largely comes down to its Italian aesthetic and the sense of occasion that the Alfa Romeo name imparts. Those attributes may seem trivial at first glance, but one should never underestimate the value of style.