Trends are a powerful force in every marketplace. The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale is hitting every popular trend in the current zeitgeist. The new Alfa Romeo is a plug-in hybrid crossover that will also lean on the financial trend of NFTs. This new crossover will either utilize its timeliness for greatness or be so timely that its many features will be defunct as soon as its new technology cycles through. 

What does the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale have to do with NFTs? 

As Road Show points out, the Tonale won’t come with a silly digital image of a Gorilla wearing a Led Zepplin T-shirt or whatever the hell the newest trendy NFT is. Instead, the Tonale will use blockchain technology to keep a verifiable ledger of the vehicle’s official service records, which aims to improve residual values as these new cars become used. 

Well-maintained records are something that classic car people are well acquainted with. Seeing an itemized list of repairs and replacement parts and where the repairs were done or the parts purchased can do wonders for the sale of second-hand cars. 

As is expected, this NFT adoption comes with a catch. Alfa set the NFT up to only respond to Alfa dealer repairs. Although this is a fairly boring use of a very bombastic new technology, Alfa has been smart to implement this small token in a way that feels practical and not overly gimmicky. 

What are the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale specs? 

As Alfa Romeo gears up to bring a new all-electric car to market in 2025, it is starting soft with the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale. The US versions of this little crossover will come one of two ways; a gas-only Tonale and a plug-in hybrid. 

The gas-powered Tonale will get a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 256 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Alfa also bestowed AWD and a six-speed automatic transmission. 

The plug-in hybrid Tonale is a different deal. This being Alfa’s first foray into the semi-electrified world, Alfa is giving it everything it’s got. The 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale will sport a 272-hp 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-four powering the front wheels and a 90-kilowatt electric motor in the back. Its 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery aims to provide a manufacturer-estimated range in excess of 30 miles on its own. 

Will the Alfa Romeo Tonale be fast? 

Although it won’t get gobs of power, Alfa made a point to focus on the chassis. The goal was to make a luxurious crossover that also has a little bit of that sauce. Don’t let the plug-in hybrid part trick you into thinking the Tonale is just fuel-efficient. 

Another big difference between the two Tonales coming to America is the gearbox. The gas-powered one will get Alfa’s six-speed auto, and the plug-in hybrid version will get a nine-speed auto. 

Overall, this new Alfa crossover is well-poised for success. The sleek new looks, a hot new powerplant, and good fuel economy, to boot, shows a real force heading to the car market.