TEST: attractive Alfa Romeo Tonale bite Volvo XC40 Hybrid and BMW X1

Alfa Romeo it took time to develop Tonale. After the introduction of the Stelvio in 2017, the Italians remained silent for more than five years. Not a single new model was introduced and sales figures declined. Last year, the long-awaited SUV finally hit the market. Like the Stelvio, the Tonale is named after the mountain pass. And for good reason, because for car lovers, hilly mountain roads are the ultimate. And Alfa Romeo certainly has a reputation in this area.

But this first part of the test is not yet about the exciting driving qualities. We also look at the space, comfort and safety of the Alfa Romeo Tonale 1.5T Hybrid 160. He takes BMW X1 sDrive20i and Volvo XC40 B3, favorites of the Dutch crowd.

Alfa Romeo nods to its glorious past

Alfa’s famous scudetto grille (which literally means ‘shield’) is flanked by three pairs of LED lights and at the rear the logo is centered under a narrow LED strip. It’s all so beautiful that Tonale has to give an eye. The mood is also inside. There, Tonale alludes to historical structures, with ‘Alfa tubes’ of classic instruments. The front position is a little better than that BMW, but you have more space than in a Volvo. You sit a little behind Tonale; A sloping roofline demarcates the bedrooms.

Compared to Tonale, it is also behind Volvo The XC40 is more spacious. The interior is 7 cm wide. If there are no people in the back, the driver can fold the headrests of the rear seats by pressing a button. That’s clearly good. But the BMW X1 has big windows and narrow C-pillars, so it even beats the Volvo.

BMW are messing around with iDrive

The predecessor of the BMW X1 was a winner with its handling, thanks to the intelligent iDrive system. But BMW has been playing with this lately so much that the features disappear like snow in the sun. Gone is the scroll button in the middle, instead you have to make do with multiple menus on the curved display’s central screen. It’s a complete mess. Fortunately, the volume control in the BMW works well, as in the Volvo XC40 unfortunately. The Volvo display and its menus arranged one below the other are easy to understand.

Alfa Romeo Tonale is the most difficult to understand. The menu design has a small display and the touch screen doesn’t always respond when you press it with your finger. The same applies to the button on the tailgate, which closes it automatically. In terms of quality and finish, you see big gaps between different parts of the interior, but it’s uniform. Hard plastic has been used here and there, but everything is beautifully finished and you don’t hear any strange noises while driving. The Tonale also scores points with its 500 to 1550 liter cargo space.

Consolation: Alfa Romeo Tonale failed

It’s only when we start driving that the blades are raised and the gauges don’t go down. At once it seems that the seats of the Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid do not provide enough support for your shoulders. In addition, you are more likely to sit than in a chair; The seat padding is very firm. You will sit comfortably in the back seat, because it gives your thighs just the right support. The seating comfort of BMW X1 is the best. The sports seats are good and the sliding rear seat (with adjustable backrest) is better than those of its two competitors.

Noise comfort in the Tonale is minimal due to high-speed ambient noise. Compared to the busy Italian, the BMW is a well of peace. The roar of the engine and tires are so well muffled that you barely hear them. Tonale riders should brace themselves for a highly balanced chassis. This way they are never left in the dark about the quality of the road surface. If it is poor, the comfort becomes bad, especially when it is fully loaded. The suspension reaches its limit earlier than that of BMW and Volvo.

Volvo XC40 B3 Compact Hybrid without adaptive cruise control

The Volvo XC40 doesn’t have adaptive controls and you won’t miss them on the highway. Standard suspension and damping also work well on bumpy road surfaces. However, the Volvo sways more than the BMW, which has (optional) adaptive shock absorbers. However, not everything is hallelujah with the Bavarian, because his bodywork is in high motion on rough road surfaces. He knows how to own pit covers and thresholds; better than Tonale and XC40.

You can already read the full test (with detailed tests). Automated Audit 10/2023. It can be found on the newsstand and can be ordered locally our webshop.