Best in class
Whole-life cost analysis: PHEV SUV Comparison
Alfa Romeo Tonale Martyn Collins
Alfa Romeo is an iconic brand, and it seems to be flourishing under new Stellantis ownership. Firstly, the Italian manufacturer has returned to profit and at the end of last year there was a new model – the Tonale, which we’re leading with in plug-in hybrid form here.
Outside, it gets off to a good start in the looks department – in fact we’d go as
Alfa Romeo Tonale 1.3VGT PHEV Veloce
P11D: £48,440 CO2 (tax): 29g/km (8%) BIK 20/40% a month: £64/£129 Fuel consumption: 45mpg National Insurance: £1,682 First year VED: £10 Subsequent VED: £180 Engine size/power: 1,332cc/280hp AFR: 13p
far as to say this Alfa Romeo is probably the best looking of the set. At the front, there’s a distinctive triple light signature, whilst from the side there’s the coupe-like roofline – and these are just some of the design highlights.
Inside, this Alfa Romeo is equally attractive, with the minimalist look to the dashboard, and cowled digital instruments. There is also a standard fit 10.25in touchscreen, which has attractive graphics and is easy to operate. The front seats are supportive, and the trim feels good quality.
This Tonale is fitted with the far more fleet-friendly plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Also more powerful, this PHEV Alfa Romeo is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a rear-mounted electric motor (equalling four-wheel drive), giving an impressive 280hp – although full power is only available in ‘Dynamic’ mode, selected by the ‘DNA’ drive mode controller. Another positive for the Alfa,
is that because it has a 40-mile EV range, it just squeaks into the lower 8% BIK car tax bracket.
On the road, with almost 300hp and decent handling, the drive lives up to the badge. However, this Alfa Romeo joins a busy mid-sized PHEV SUV sector – can it be the cost-per-mile victor here? All these models are plug-in hybrids, but the Alfa Romeo and BMW X1 perform best in terms of BIK, thanks to their 8% figures. With the Range Rover Evoque and Audi Q3 in third and fourth. This is thanks to the Alfa and BMW’s 40 miles of EV range.
Alfa quotes up to 217.3mpg for this Tonale, but according to figures supplied by Kee Resources, this Alfa Romeo has a more realistic 45mpg, which puts it in first place, with the BMW in second with its 38.2mpg figure, Audi is in third position with its 32.8mpg figure and the Range Rover in last place with its 27.8mpg figure.
Residual value: 48.8% Depreciation: £24,801 Fuel costs: £7,014 SMR: £2,311
Alfa Romeo models haven’t always performed well when it comes to residuals, and sadly its decent 48.80% figure is still only good for third place, with the Audi behind in last position. The two cars that hold their value best here, are the second-placed BMW and the winning Range Rover Evoque. The Alfa Romeo remains in third place when it comes to depreciation, with its £24,801 figure – just £290 behind the second-placed BMW and the Range Rover again in first. Although, perhaps most surprising is the Audi in last place here.
With the Tonale also coming first in terms of National Insurance (£1,682), and for SMR (£2,311), it’s a shame the plug- in Alfa Romeo can only achieve third place for its cost per mile figure.
56.87p Cost per mile
48 | June 2023 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
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