Payne: Turbo Alfa Tonale proves less is more with Italian flair

Posted by Talbot Payne on February 26, 2026

The 2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale gets a big refresh for 2026 with only one turbo-4 engine offering, cheaper prices, more standard features, and lighter weight for improved performance.

The 2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale gets a big refresh for 2026 with only one turbo-4 engine offering, cheaper prices, more standard features, and lighter weight for improved performance.

Henry Payne, The Detroit News

Oakland County — Unburdened of its mission as the standard-bearer of an electric Alfa Romeo brand, the subcompact Tonale SUV can finally live la dolce vita.

For 2026, Alfa’s tasty, turbocharged, gas-fired appetizer is lighter, cheaper, more fun. Less is more.

Gone is Alfa’s dream to be an Italian Tesla. Gone, too, is Tonale’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain with 30 miles of battery-only range that I flogged across Italy at the SUV’s introduction in 2023. I thought I might miss the hybrid’s electric motor and instant, 347 pound-feet of torque to complement a healthy 285 hp.

I was wrong.

Read full article here.

Comments are closed.