Who would have thought that repackaging the Jeep Compass into an Alfa Romeo would be such a colossal blunder? As car enthusiasts, we could see this coming a mile away, but Stellantis seemingly ignored the obvious. The abysmal sales of the Tonale are a testament to their oversight.
Only 887 units of this so-called “luxury SUV” were sold in the second quarter of 2024 in the United States. For the first half of the year, the numbers are equally disheartening: 1,615 units compared to the aging Compass’s 49,842. The Dodge Hornet, a twin of the Tonale, isn’t faring much better with only 11,718 units sold.
Given these dismal sales figures, it’s no surprise that Stellantis has decided to streamline the Tonale lineup for the 2025 model year. The core grade will now replace the outgoing Sprint, Ti, and Veloce trims. However, Alfa Romeo has introduced a limited-production special edition called the Tributo Italiano to try and salvage the situation.
While the press release for the 2025 Tonale doesn’t specify how limited the Tributo Italiano is, it’s essentially a visual package with a few added features like Harman Kardon audio and a hands-free power liftgate. The Tributo Italiano boasts 20-inch Grigio wheels, red Brembo brake calipers, a dual chrome-finish exhaust, a black-painted roof, and aluminum door sills.
Inside, you’ll find perforated leather seats with red accents, the Harman Kardon audio system, and driver seat memory. Although advertised as a limited-run special edition, the Tributo Italiano can be further customized with a moonroof and the Active Assist Package. The 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale offers a range of standard and optional features to cater to various preferences.
Standard features include a Dark Miron grille, black rubber DLO, an adaptive front-lighting system, power folding and heated side mirrors, leather on the steering wheel, power driver and front passenger seating with lumbar support, cloth upholstery, front floor mats, a heated steering wheel and front seats, a wireless charging pad, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Uconnect 5 infotainment system, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection.
Optional features include a moonroof, larger wheels, a Veloce package for sporty looks and dual mode suspension, an Active Assist package for safety and driver assist features, and a Premium package for premium touches like ventilated front seats and ambient lighting. The Tonale is available in six colors: Verde Fangio Metallic, Misano Blue Metallic, Milano White, Grigio Ascari Gray Metallic, Alfa Black, and Alfa Rosso.
The only powertrain available for the Tonale is a 1.3-liter turbo I4 plug-in hybrid setup with a combined output of 285 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque. The zero emission driving range is estimated at 33 miles. In contrast to the Tonale, the Dodge Hornet offers a 2.0-liter turbo I4 engine as the standard powertrain.
