2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale

It's not unusual for carmakers to offer hybrid and gas-powered variants of a particular model. But it is a little unusual for the hybrid version to come out first. That's what Alfa did with the Tonale. For its first model year the tiny Tonale (c'mon, that's fun to say) was offered only as a plug-in hybrid. For 2025 Alfa added a turbocharged 2.0-liter gas trim to the lineup. With 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque the gas version is slightly less powerful than the hybrid. It uses a nine-speed automatic transmission, which drives all four wheels. It's also considerably less expensive than the PHEV Tonale.

There were too many subcompact luxury SUVs to choose from when the Tonale hit the segment last year, which could be why Alfa chose to distinguish it with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Volvo XC40 Recharge is an all-electric subcompact luxury SUV that aligns fairly closely with the PHEV Tonale in purpose and price. But now that there's a gas-only variant, the Tonale better aligns with more traditional, and lower-cost, subcompact luxury SUVs like the BMW X1, Audi Q3, and Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLB.