Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Alfa Romeo Tonale

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio was a head-turner. True to the Italian heritage of design, the Stelvio looked fantastic whether parked or in motion. Seeing a Stelvio on the road was a rare sight, as most opted for German or Japanese premium compact SUVs. In 2022, the Stelvio received high praise for resembling the luxurious aesthetics of a Prada item compared to the more mainstream Lexus RX. Alfa Romeo managed to make the Stelvio look as upscale as a Maserati Levante or Aston Martin DBX without the hefty price tag.

For 2024, the Stelvio featured striking "trilobe" LED headlights with three separate lighting elements, replacing the previous bi-xenon lights. These headlamps, along with the tinted taillights, added to the vehicle’s modern and aggressive look. The prominent downward triangle grille with a reshaped insert paid homage to its uniquely aggressive yet tasteful design, standing out in a market filled with less understated competitors.

The Competizione trim was based on the Veloce but added black 21-inch "phone dial" wheels, red brake calipers, black trim, and special matte paint called Moonlight Grey. Inside, red stitching adorned various elements, enhancing the sporty aesthetics. The limited Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversary edition added exclusive gold and carbon fiber touches.

In any trim, the Stelvio's design, with its perfect proportions, promised a sporty SUV experience. The interior emphasized function over luxury, with snug seats and a layout reminiscent of older, more analog vehicles. The materials and fit were good, but not as opulent as some competitors. The analog layout was notable, steering clear of a screen-dominated dashboard, adding a touch of charm with components like the start button on the steering wheel.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale, too, was a visual delight. Available in three trims—Sprint, Ti, and Veloce—each trim had distinctive design cues like a dark grille for Sprint, a silver grille for Ti, and a "Gloss Black" grille for Veloce. The design maintained fidelity to Alfa Romeo's legacy, with its adaptive LED headlamps mirroring a trio of aggressive U-shapes while the rear LED taillights matched this distinctive line-up.

However, the wheels seemed to be an aspect needing reconsideration. While the designs were eye-catching with their classic five-hole rotary dial pattern, the smaller wheels seemed somewhat disproportionate. The Tonale came in five distinct colors, with standouts like the bright red and the charming "Verde Fangio Metallic."

Inside, the Tonale impressed with comfortable and visually pleasing elements. Predominantly dark with silver highlights, certain trims like the Veloce brightened things with perforated Alcantara seats showcasing red backing.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio was built for the pavement. Alfa Romeo demonstrated clarity on this aspect by avoiding any off-road features. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio, powered by a 505-horsepower twin-turbo V6, offered thrilling performance reminiscent of a taller version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia. With adaptive dampers and four driving modes, this model provided a thrilling driving experience through every twist and turn.

Mechanically brilliant components like the limited-slip differential, massive tires, and a seamless AWD system contributed to its prowess. Even the lower trims, priced between $46,000 and $60,000, borrowed much of this charm albeit with lesser power—featuring a single-turbo 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing 280 horsepower. The Competizione trim was uniquely equipped with adaptive dampers, providing extra flexibility on rougher roads.

The Stelvio's superior handling was supported by a near 50/50 weight distribution and a sophisticated suspension design. Unlike the simpler MacPherson design prevalent in many SUVs, the Stelvio's suspension design ensured comfort and stability, consistent with Alfa Romeo's promises.

With AWD standard on all trims except the base Sprint, which came with RWD, the Stelvio’s fuel economy remained decent for its class, offering 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway in the RWD variant. The Quadrifoglio, despite its power, was efficient compared to other high-performance SUVs.

Contrastingly, all 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale models in the U.S. boasted a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 15.5-kWh battery and a 90-kW rear motor, delivering a commendable 285 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode was standard, and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, though standard in Veloce, were optional for the Ti.

Alfa Romeo claimed the Tonale could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, topping out at 125 mph. Equipped with a “DNA” switch for adjusting drive modes, the Tonale offered "Dual Power" for maximum performance, "Natural" for balanced driving, and "Advanced Efficiency" for electric-only mode. Although not a pure sports car, the Tonale delivered confident handling and reasonable acceleration, promising an engaging driving experience.

While specific fuel economy figures were not announced, the Tonale’s electric-only range was expected to exceed 30 miles, indicating good efficiency for a plug-in hybrid.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio exemplified a case where exceptional handling compromised interior space. Rear seats were tight, with limited legroom and narrow door openings due to the rear suspension design. This resulted in an uncomfortable space for backseat passengers over prolonged periods.

Even the front seats were compact, with small footwells and a thin center console limiting space between the driver and passenger. Despite being classified as a midsize crossover, the Stelvio felt more compact, particularly in the cargo area, which offered just 18.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 56.5 cubic feet with seats folded. A redeeming factor was the generous headroom.

The analog controls offered a tactile experience, although the cramped infotainment screen and obstructive shift paddles hampered usability. The small 8.8-inch screen struggled with touchpoint accuracy and visibility, remaining a minor letdown amid its crowding menus.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale balanced its compact exterior with surprisingly ample interior space. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard, while leather and ventilated seats were available on the upper trims. The eight-way power-adjustable front seats, joined by four-way lumbar adjustment and dual-zone climate control, provided comfort to both front and rear passengers.

Although lacking a standard moonroof, the Tonale delivered in terms of interior dimensions, offering 41.7 inches of front legroom and 38 inches in the rear. Headroom was 38.8 inches in the first row and 38.2 in the back.

Cargo capacity was favorable in the Tonale, with a trunk space of 22.9 cubic feet expanding to 50.5 cubic feet with the seats folded. This loading space outdid smaller competitors like the Lexus UX and Volvo XC40.

While the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio's infotainment was distinctive for not using Stellantis' Uconnect 5 system, it fell short in practicality. Its 8.8-inch touchscreen was integrated neatly but was difficult to use due to its small size and packed interface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto didn't occupy the entire display, adding to the usability challenges.

Conversely, the new 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, keeping the classic look, was a notable improvement with multiple display options including retro layouts and full maps. Traffic Jam Assist and lane-keeping features were part of the suite, though their effectiveness wasn't thoroughly tested.

Standard tech features in the Stelvio included heated seats, navigation, a wireless charger, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Optional extras included a panoramic moonroof and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale excelled in technology offerings, with consistency across trims. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and a 12.3-inch driver information display that was easy to configure. The 10.25-inch touchscreen with Uconnect 5 was impressive, offering seamless navigation and user-friendly speed camera alerts.

Up to five user profiles could be stored, allowing customized settings for various drivers. The six-speaker sound system was standard, but an optional 12-speaker Harman Kardon system added to the Ti and Veloce enhanced the auditory experience.

Amazon Alexa integration allowed for advanced connectivity features through Alfa Connect, including remote operations and vehicle tracking capabilities.

The 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio had not been tested by NHTSA or IIHS as of the review, but it scored five stars in Euro NCAP tests. Standard safety features included forward collision warning, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rear parking sensors. Additionally, the Ti and Veloce trims offered an Active Assist Plus package with advanced driver-assistance features like lane keeping and traffic jam assist.

In contrast, the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale came with an extensive list of standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, brake assist, Drowsy Driver Detection, lane-keep assist, rear cross-path detection, and traffic-sign recognition. Though lane-keep assist proved overly aggressive at times, the vehicle’s safety tech was generally impressive.

The Active Assist Plus package further enhanced safety systems, offering Level 2 ADAS, intelligent speed control, and a 360-degree camera view. As with the Stelvio, official ratings from IIHS or NHTSA were not yet available, but the extensive safety features suggested a strong performance in crash tests.