Should you buy one?

The Alfa Romeo Tonale has a pretty yet reasonably practical interior, plus lots of safety kit to help keep your family safe. It’s also fun to drive fast – if slightly uncommunicative – but comfortable enough at slow speeds that it won’t annoy. The downsides are the powertrains, which do get a little confused at times. The way it can feel tricky around town but super at speed seems the reverse of how most buyers would want their family SUV to behave.

The Tonale plug-in hybrid is better than the mild hybrid model, adding some much-needed performance punch to match the Tonale’s sporty looks. The four-wheel drive system also makes the car more competent in the bends and the 40-ish miles of electric running potential makes it a very attractive prospect for those residing in low-emission zones.

The trouble is that the Tonale is also surrounded by very talented opposition. Many of these rivals offer a much more rounded experience, where you won’t find yourself having to make excuses to passengers for the behaviour of the powertrain. Alfa Romeo may well iron out these inconsistencies over time, but for now we suspect many buyers looking for a fashion icon SUV of this size will be better served by the Range Rover Evoque, while those seeking fundamental reliability have a whole host of German-engineered models to choose from. We’d start with the Skoda Karoq.

What we like

The Tonale has a knack for turning onlookers’ heads as it drives past. Both hybrid systems are clever and the suspension is very well set-up for cornering. The cabin is also attractive and reasonably practical.

What we don’t like

Although capable, it isn’t particularly engaging to drive – the steering is numb and both hybrid systems are clunky at low speeds. The view out is quite poor at times, and the cabin can feel claustrophobic.