Today Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV is the brand’s main hope for a new birth, as it is a popular class, a new model which has an attractive design. So, no wonder that Italians do not spare technology for the Alfa Romeo Tonale “baby”. Recently, a plug-in hybrid was added to the crossover range, which closes the formation of the Tonale line and, at the same time, acts as the most powerful version of the model – it’s 280 “horses”!

From the outside, this SUV with the lengthy name Alfa Romeo Tonale Plug-In Hybrid Q4 is distinguished by only a couple of details, namely two hatches on the rear wings: one for fuel, the other for charging, and on the side glass a branded “snake” stylized as an electric cable is painted. That’s it.

However, inside there are more noticeable changes as a 1.3-liter MultiAir gasoline engine with a capacity of 180 hp is hidden under the hood which works with a 6-speed automatic transmission and rotates the front wheels. In turn, a 90 kW (122 hp) electric motor is installed behind, which is responsible for turning the rear wheels. The electric motor is powered by a 15.5 kWh battery, which should be enough for a distance of about 80 km around the city. A full charge of the battery lasts about 2.5 hours – and this process can be monitored on the display in the cabin of the PHEV-hybrid Alfa Romeo Tonale.

At the same time, only on electric drive, the Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV can reach a speed of 135 km/h, in hybrid mode, the maximum is already 206 km/h, and acceleration to “hundreds” takes 6.2 seconds. Standard fuel consumption is 1.14 liters per 100 km – of course if you don’t forget to charge the battery.

Well, is the PHEV-hybrid Alfa Romeo Tonale interesting? Is it just another trick of marketers to meet the demands of environmentalists?