Now over 110 years old, the Alfa Romeo moniker is an iconic Italian brand that has stood the test of time. The Alfa Romeo Tonale is the historic brand’s first foray into the electric segment. While not fully electric, the Tonale is a plug-in hybrid or PHEV SUV. As a plug-in hybrid luxury SUV, the Tonale comes with a steep price tag, but is it worth it? Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the $50K 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce trim. 

A look at the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce 

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale is one of the top luxury PHEVs in the subcompact SUV class. According to Car and Driver, Alfa Romeo offers the 2024 Tonale in three trim levels. The base level trim is the Sprint which Alfa Romeo starts at $42,995. The middle trim Tonale option is the Ti which has an MSRP of $45,655. The highest trim Tonale is the Veloce which starts just under $50K at $49,695. 

All three Tonale trims are powered by a 1.3L four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor mounted on the rear axle. Together, these two power sources generate a combined 285 hp on each Tonale trim. In addition, all three Tonale trims have a six-speed automatic transmission, and each one only offers an AWD drivetrain. 

Which 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce trim offers the most value 

From a power and performance standpoint, the three Tonale trim levels all stack up exactly the same. The differentials between these Tonale trims come in the form of styling upgrades and tech amenities. While the base Sprint trim does come with a lot of standard amenities like heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 10.25-inch infotainment system, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility, front, and rear park assist, LED adaptive headlamps, among others, it simply doesn’t offer all the luxuries that come standard with the Ti or the Veloce. 

According to the Alfa Romeo trim comparison, a few upgrades that the Ti has that are not available on the Sprint include a wireless smartphone charging pad, interior ambient lighting, a power-operated rear liftgate, and a Red Brembo Brake system.

The Veloce trim is where luxury comes to play in the Tonale lineup. Along with all the amenities that come standard on the first two trims, the Veloce also comes standard with eight-way power ventilated leather seats, aluminum steering column-mounted paddle shifters, aluminum pedals, 19-inch diamond cut five-hole aluminum wheels with red calipers, front and rear torque vectoring, a gloss black grille, a gloss black window trim, and dual chrome exhaust tips, just to name a few. 

While the luxury presented on both the interior and exterior of the Veloce trim, these bells and whistles probably aren’t worth the $50K price tag for the majority of consumers. The mid-level Ti trim provides excellent upgrades and amenities that are both aesthetic and practical. All in all, the Tonale Ti trim will offer the most value to the majority of consumers, priced at the slightly more affordable starting point of $45,655.

A look at the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce’s top competitors 

While the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale is no doubt a luxury SUV, it’s significantly pricier when stacked up against its primary competitors like the 2023 Audi Q3, the 2023 BMW X1, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class, and the 2023 Volvo XC40. These four models all have starting MSRPs between $36,000 and $39,000, which is $3,000 to $6,000 cheaper than the starting MSRP on the baseline Sprint trim on the Tonale. However, Car Connection doesn’t rank any of these models higher than the Tonale. 

The only key competitor that is priced higher than the Tonale is the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric SUV which starts at $55,300. However, this luxury SUV is slightly larger than the Tonale, being in the mid-size segment. Overall, the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale is a strong crossover SUV that has a lot to offer to consumers looking for a luxury plug-in hybrid SUV. However, its nearly $50K price tag on its top Veloce trim doesn’t make the Tonale an entirely affordable PHEV option. 

For consumers looking for a more affordable PHEV SUV, the 2024 Dodge Hornet trims are aesthetically quite similar to the Tonale, minus some Italian luxuries. Plus, the Hornet’s lower trims are around $10K cheaper than the Tonale.