Senior sibling of the Junior receives a handful of exterior changes, as well as revisions to its powertrain.
Three years after making its already then delayed world premiere, Alfa Romeo has given the Tonale its second series of revisions, albeit a lot more than those applied last year.
New outside
Incorporating elements from the 33 Stradale and Junior that replaced it earlier this year Alfa Romeo’s smallest SUV, the Tonale’s visual tweaks comprise a new grille and front bumper, a shorter overhang and new alloy wheels up to 20-inches.
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Elsewhere, the lower front air intakes have been restyled, the front and rear tracks widened, and the Alfa Romeo badges changed to resemble those of the Junior.
On the colour front, a black roof remains available as an option in conjunction with a standard sunroof, however, three new hues have been added; Rosso Brera, Giallo Ocra and Verde Monza.
Inside
Building on the mentioned revisions, the additional changes to the Tonale’s interior are minor and involves a new weave seat pattern called cannelloni, Alcantara upholstery and the first-time option of an all-red leather finish.
Contrasting red stitch work on the dashboard, doors, centre console and steering wheel are now standard across every Tonale derivative.
Carried over is the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14-speaker, 470-watt Harman Kardon sound system, the 10.25-inch Uconnect infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a series of safety and driver assistance systems.
On the model front, Alfa Romeo has reshuffled the range to comprise four variants; Sprint, Ti, Veloce and for a limited time a special launch model called the Sport Speciale based on the latter.
Adjusted power
As well as no dynamic changes, up front, Alfa Romeo has kept the same engines as before, namely a 1.6-litre Multijet turbodiesel producing 96kW/320Nm and a 1.5-litre turbocharged mild-hybrid that has been uprated from 118kW/240Nm to 128kW/240Nm.
While both are still front-wheel drive, for the former, a six-speed dual-clutch transmission is employed, with the latter getting a seven-speed dual-clutch.
For the plug-in hybrid, the combination of the Brazilian-made 1.3-litre Firefly turbo-petrol and 15.5-kWh battery pack remain, but now in two states of tune; the new 140 kW and a 198 kW which replaces the previous 206 kW.
The only transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch, though the Q4 all-wheel drive system is standard on both.
In North America, where sister brand Dodge sells the rebadged Hornet, the Tonale will be equipped with a the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol from the Giulia and Stelvio that makes 191kW/400Nm.
As with the plug-in hybrid, the 2.0-litre gets the Q4 all-wheel drive system from the off, however, with a nine-speed automatic sending the amount of twist to the ground.
Not yet confirmed
Going on-sale before year-end in both Europe and North America, Stellantis South Africa is yet to confirm the facelift Tonale for the local market.
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