I
n the days when Italy was
a distant and exotic place,
manufacturers would give
their cars Italian-sounding
names to enhance their
appeal. So we had the Ford
Cortina, the Ford Capri
and the Triumph Dolomite.
Even the uncharismatic
Morris Marina was
renamed the Ital to boost
lacklustre sales. All were as
Italian as supermarket pizzas
but the marketing men hoped
to borrow kudos from the likes
of Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa
Romeo, names spoken with
awe among car enthusiasts.
Back then, only Italians could
build the fantastic-looking
machines that dominated motor
sport and adorned bedroom
walls. Half a century on, Italian
marques have lost some of their
allure, not because they’re lesspretty but because we’re a bit
more serious now. Playboys are
out of fashion — except for
Rod Stewart, of course.
So, what are we to make of
the latest offering from scuderia
Alfa Romeo? The Tonale
(pronounced To-nà-le, as
opposed to toenail) is the
company’s first venture into
what is known as the compact
SUV sector, and the first car
produced under a new owner,
the corporate giant Stellantis.
It’s as handsome as an SUV can
be, with nods to glorious Alfas
of old, notably in the styling of
the front end and wheels.
Given Alfa’s motor racing
pedigree and the fact that the
late Enzo Ferrari, founder of
the car company of the same
name, started his career there,
it has a lot to live up to. The
British line-up will kick off thisSeptember with two versions,
the Ti and Veloce, and a starting
price of about £36,000. For this
you get a 1.5-litre four-cylinder
turbocharged petrol engine
plus a battery-powered electric
motor with seven-speed
dual-clutch gearbox.
I tested the 158bhp Veloce
in its native habitat around
Lake Como on some narrow,
twisty roads and empty
stretches of autostrada. I can
report that it does, indeed, drive
like a well-put-together compact
SUV. It’s nippy in town, as it
needs to be in Italian traffic,
and eager when you hit the
accelerator thanks to the extra
kick from the motor. The ride
is firm, and flicking the mode
selector into “Dynamic” firms
things up even more. So, for
example, you can corner flatly
on the series of switchbacksDRIVING●Nick Rufford
Can Italian style rescue SUVs
from the middle of the road?
REVIEW:
ALFA ROMEO
TONALE
50 • The Sunday Times Magazine