Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV

FIRST DRIVE Plug-in premium SUV aims to mix driving fun and low tax costs

- Alastair Crooks

ALFA Romeo claims that the Tonale SUV its most popular model in the coming years, and that this plug-in hybrid version will account for at least half of sales, so there's a lot riding on this new car.

The UK also has one of the biggest take-up rates of plug-in hybrid vehicles in Europe. We've driven the Tonale PHEV before on the continent, but now it's time to see how it stacks up on our roads.

The Tonale has plenty of solid PHEV rivals in the shape of the latest BMW X1, plus the Mercedes GLA, Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40. However, only the X1 sits in the same eightper cent company-car tax band as the Tonale, and Alfa is placing plenty of importance on fleet sales for the PHEV.

Its low Benefit-in-Kind tax rate comes courtesy of relatively low CO₂ emissions of 26g/km, and there's 43 miles of electric range from its 15.5kWh battery, too. However, it's worth noting the X1 beats the Tonale on both of these fronts.

Alfa Romeo expects the £48,495 Veloce to be the most popular trim, and while that undercuts the more powerful BMW X1 xDrive30e M Sport by £470, it still features an extensive list of standard equipment.

There's a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 12.3-inch digital dash and wireless smartphone charging, plus a host of safety systems on board.

The PHEV's cabin is no different to the mild-hybrid model's, so it feels relatively well put together (bar for the odd piece of flimsy plastic) and elements such as the Giulia-derived steering wheel and aluminium paddles are nice touches.

The infotainment is also simple to use, although there's nowhere to rest your hand while operating it. There are also physical switches beneath it for the climate controls. Cabin space is also decent, but the boot is a only average at 385 litres; that’s down on the plug-in X1.