Alfa Romeo Tonale vs Cupra Formentor

What's the difference?

Stuck between efficiency and performance, the Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce Ibrida can’t really decide what kind of car it wants to be.

Fun, but not fun enough. Efficient, but not truly frugal. Pragmatically sized, but not super practical. Improved on inclusions, but not on price point.

The one area this car truly excels at is looking really good no matter what it’s doing. I’m not sure that’s enough to increase its appeal in what has become the most competitive new car market in the world.

It’s clear that Cupra has listened to feedback as this updated Formentor addresses many key criticisms of the pre-update car. Overall it makes it easier to live with and to recommend than before.

Although the VZe's updated PHEV powertrain offers double the amount of electric range, the V forms as a sweet spot of the line-up as it offers all the power and equipment you'd ever need. It's hard to look past the top-spec VZx though as power is a drug.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

As per the Alfa Romeo brand promise, the Tonale is, as far as small SUVs go, beautiful.

The update refines what was already a good looking car further, with a re-designed front grille and air intakes and a lower front area to make the car look wider, more muscular and sophisticated.

The design enhancements take inspiration from other famous Alfas of recent memory, from the Giulia sedan to the 33 Stradale sports machine, as well as other tweaks which make it more familiar to the more recently launched Junior small SUV.

The new Tonale’s footprint is actually physically wider, too, with a revised track width to go with the aesthetic.

The brand also offers an appealing array of colours, as usual, with a new red and green shade available for this update, as well as an Ocra shade for the Sport Speciale limited edition trim.

Inside, it’s typical Alfa, and in a great way, too. Unlike so many of its rivals which are chasing the new Chinese brands into cabin tech overload, the Tonale looks and feels understated and restrained, with more of a focus on physical controls than screen real estate.

It’s surprising how much this dates a cabin, with the Tonale in some ways feeling a generation old, but then the abundance of physical switchgear and a tight, refined and driver-centric cockpit are increasingly rare, even amongst traditional brands.

The three-spoke wheel is full of physical controls, every grade gets big metal gear shift paddles and the digital instrument cluster has nice-looking classic dial-style themes to go with the overall aesthetic of the car.

All of this is certainly a choice, but I think the niche customer willing to take a chance on an Alfa will like what’s on offer from its sculpted frame and restrained interior.

As with many updates, the Formentor has received some mild changes to the exterior design. A lot of it centres around the new, shark-like front end which brings it in line with the Leon, Terramar and Tavascan.

I’ve always been a fan of the Formentor’s slightly raised but still hunkered-down hot hatch-look. The body lines and wheel-arch flares also lean into the dynamic aesthetic.

The VZx trim looks particularly sexy with its 19-inch black and copper forged alloy wheels and the black quad exhaust tips.

I cannot wait for the VZ5 to arrive as it’s set to receive even larger 20-inch alloy wheels and more prominent quad exhaust tips that are stacked and finished in copper.

Inside it’s fairly similar to before but a highlight is the larger 12.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system. It suits the dashboard nicely while not looking too big.

There are still the pronounced, hexagonal air vents up front, plus the ambient lighting strip that wraps all the way from door to door. It’s a cool look.

If you’re keen on the ultra-sporty look, you can option Sabelt front bucket seats with carbon-fibre backs as part of the Extreme package in the VZe and VZx. It’s worth noting that this removes the front centre airbag though.

Unfortunately, and also like a lot of Italian cars, this commitment to aesthetics makes the interior less than stellar on the practicality front.

Hopping into the driver’s seat, things feel small immediately, as you’re surrounded by dark trim and bolstered seats which hug you tightly, and I like to think I’m not even that wide.

Several adjustments later, and I find my left knee pushed up against the (mercifully, synthetic leather trimmed) centre console.

Not only does it feel physically tight, but there are also some practicality oversights. The revised gear shifter and array of buttons on the centre console takes up a lot of space, and isn’t even very nice to use, with the rotary dial simply turning on the spot rather than tilting on a spring, which makes it difficult to tell which gear you’ve selected.

On top of that, the wireless phone charger nestled beneath the climate controls is only good for one phone and takes up the entire area which could have been a more useful storage tray.

The bottle holders are located further back and deep-set, they have spring-loaded ridges to fit a few different bottle sizes, but you can lose a small coffee in them. The centre console box is also tiny, but it’s nice it has something for your elbow to rest on.

As with the restrained approach to screens, one of the biggest benefits of the Tonale’s interior is its commitment to physical buttons and toggles. There’s an entire set across the centre for your climate functions, a physical drive mode selector and a button for the suspension adjustment, a steering wheel adorned with buttons and dials, which have been re-thought to work a bit better, too.

This makes the Tonale easy to use, although while the digital dash is straightforward, the Stellantis multimedia suite is a little busy, with a few too many fiddly sub-menus.

The back seat offers just enough space for me behind my own driving position (at 182cm tall) with a little airspace for my knees. Soft trims largely continue, and the seats are nice. There’s a decent-sized bottle holder in each door, a drop-down armrest with two more, which even hides a ski port behind.

Boot space measures a decent but not stellar 385 litres. It was able to consume the whole CarsGuide three-piece luggage set, but only with the cover removed.

I can’t help but feel like this car has aesthetics and hopefully driving dynamics in mind above other considerations, as its German rivals have more to offer in terms of space and practicality.

The standard seats in the Formentor have a sporty design but are still supportive and comfortable. The driver’s seat offers electric adjustment and memory as standard, while both front seats are heated.

The optional Sabelt front bucket seats hug you tighter which is nice if you plan to driving on twisting roads. It’s cool that they retain the electric adjustment and heating as this is rare in ultra-sporty seats.

Looking ahead, this steering wheel is one of my favourites on offer from any brand currently. The rim isn’t too thick or thin, plus there are plenty of physical buttons and dials. It makes it a joy to interact with.

This update has made the steering wheel-mounted engine start-stop and drive mode buttons standard across the line-up. It makes the less sporty trims feel a touch more special.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is still standard across the line-up and offers plenty of configurable options. You can set it up exactly how you'd like.

Moving across, there’s the aforementioned 12.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system. It operates on updated software which makes navigating key menus much easier.

Some key climate control functions remain at the bottom of the touchscreen which is a little easier to interact with on the move. Ideally a physical button cluster would be better but you can’t have everything.

Another key change with this update is the touch sliders under the touchscreen are finally illuminated, allowing you to see what you’re pressing at night. This should have been standard since launch.

Storage up front is adequate for a car of this size. There’s a wireless charger that’s not ventilated, two USB-C ports, a strange cupholder set-up with essentially 1.5 cupholders, a centre console box with a lid that ratchets, as well as a glovebox on the passenger side.

It’s clear the focus of the Formentor’s cabin is up front but space in the second row is a better than you’d think. At a leggy 182cm I have decent leg and headroom behind my own driving position, but toeroom is particularly good, allowing you to slide your feet comfortably under the seat ahead.

What isn’t so nice is the front seats are rather bulky, particularly the optional Sabelt bucket seats. They block your view ahead, requiring you to either lean over or look out the side window.

Second-row amenities include a third zone of climate control with air vents on the back of the centre console, as well as two USB-C ports and a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

There are ISOFIX points on the two outboard seats, as well as top-tether child seat anchorages across all three rear seats.

All versions of the Formentor now receive a hands-free power tailgate which is handy if you’ve got your hands full. It opens and closes with a kick under the rear bumper.

Boot space depends on the trim level. The S offers 450L, the V and VZx have 420L and the VZe only offers 345L with the rear seats upright. The latter is poor due to the placement of the high-voltage battery.

With the rear seats folded there’s between 1300-1400L of boot space, depending on the trim level.

Boot-related amenities include a light and some hooks. It’s great to see a space-saver spare wheel as standard across all variants besides the VZe. This is once again due to the high-voltage battery.

You even retain a space-saver spare wheel if you opt for the Extreme package in the VZx, though it has a note stating you cannot put it on the front as it physically won’t fit over the larger front brakes.

If you get a puncture on the front, you need to swap a wheel from the rear onto the front, then put the space-saver spare on the rear. You should technically be doing this anyway as space-saver spare wheels aren’t meant to go on the front in cars that are primarily front-wheel drive, like the Formentor.

New with this update is an entry-level, mild-hybrid trim called the S. It’s priced from $49,990 before on-road costs.

However, all the variants that carried over received a price increase of at least $4000. The Formentor V now starts at $57,490 before on-road costs, the VZe now costs $68,990 and the VZx costs $69,990.

At the top of the line-up is the forthcoming, limited-production VZ5 which is due towards the end of 2026. It’s priced from $94,990 before on-road costs, which makes it the most expensive Cupra ever offered in Australia.

All Formentors now receive a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system as standard, as well as a hands-free power tailgate and heated sports bucket front seats.

Stepping up to the V, which was previously the entry-level model, you get a more powerful engine with all-wheel drive, as well as 19-inch black and copper alloy wheels.

The VZe, which is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) trim, gains a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system, leather-appointed upholstery and adaptive suspension. The latter was previously standard across the line-up.

Lastly the VZx gets 19-inch black and copper forged alloy wheels, black quad exhaust tips and a trick torque-splitting rear differential that allows for a Drift mode.

The entire line-up can be optioned with a panoramic glass sunroof for an additional $2000.

The Formentor S and V can be optioned with the Leather & Sound package for $2200 which brings Nappa leather-appointed upholstery, power adjustment and memory for the passenger seat, as well as a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system.

Lastly, the Formentor VZe and VZx can be optioned with the Extreme package for $6500 and $7000, respectively. It brings matrix LED headlights, Sabelt Cup bucket front seats, then four-piston Brembo front brakes in the VZe and six-piston Akebono front brakes in the VZx.

The Veloce Ibrida we tested is equipped with the lesser of two powertrain options in the Tonale range, although the hybrid set-up here is curious.

It pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a small electric motor inside the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to send a combined 128kW/240Nm to the front wheels.

While it only rates as a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, the motor is powerful enough to motivate the car without the assistance of the engine at low speeds, making it closer to a real plugless hybrid than the usual enhanced start/stop system the ‘MHEV’ moniker usually indicates. In this sense it is similar to Audi’s MHEV+ system.

While the previous Tonale was criticised for a clunky transition between motor and engine power, the brand promises it has refined the switch for this update (see Driving).

If you want all-wheel drive though, you’ll have to opt for the significantly pricier plug-in hybrid version.

On top of that, the Tonale is said to have some of the ‘most direct steering in its segment’ on top of the standard sporty suspension and brake package.

At launch all versions of the updated Formentor feature turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engines of varying sizes and power outputs, as well as dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

This will change when the flagship VZ5 with its turbocharged five-cylinder from the Audi RS3 arrives later this year.

The entry-level Formentor S is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder with 48V mild-hybrid assistance and total system outputs of 110kW and 250Nm. It has a seven-speed dual-clutch and is front-wheel drive.

The Formentor V gets a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder that produces 150kW and 320Nm. This is 10kW more than before. It has a seven-speed dual-clutch and is all-wheel drive.

The Formentor VZe has a 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder and an electric motor with total system outputs of 200kW and 400Nm. This is 20kW more than before. It has a six-speed dual-clutch and is front-wheel drive.

Lastly the Fomentor VZx has a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder that produces 245kW and 420Nm. This is 17kW and 20Nm more than before. It has a seven-speed dual-clutch and is all-wheel drive.

The fiddly hybrid dual-clutch and compact engine combine to give the Tonale Veloce Ibrida a combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption figure of 5.4L/100km. It requires mid-shelf 95RON unleaded, and has a decent fuel tank size of 55 litres suggesting a driving range of around 1000km on a full tank.

After some enthusiastic testing my car was producing a dash-indicated 6.8L/100km but I think you could get lower if you were asking less of it.

CO2 emissions are good for a combustion car in this segment, at 123g/km.

One of the biggest changes with this update is the Formentor VZe’s PHEV system.

It now features a larger 20kWh lithium-ion battery pack that allows up to 114km of electric driving, according to WLTP testing. This is roughly double the amount of the pre-update car.

This battery now also offers DC fast charging at rates up to 50kW, plus the AC charging rate has increased to 11kW (it was previously 3.6kW).

Cupra claims the updated Formentor VZe consumes an average of 1.7L/100km, which is 0.2L/100km better than the pre-update car. However, this will depend greatly on whether you charge the battery.

Elsewhere in the line-up, the entry-level Formentor S with its mild-hybrid system has a claimed combined fuel consumption of 5.5L/100km.

The Formentor V is claimed to consume 7.0L/100km and the VZx is claimed to consume 8.3L/100km (8.5L/100km with the Extreme package).

The Formentor V and VZx have 55L fuel tanks, the S has a 50L fuel tank and the VZe has a 40L fuel tank. All require a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, while the VZx requires a minimum of 98 RON premium unleaded petrol.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale should be about the driver, and it at least tries to make this smallish SUV segment a bit more exciting with its standard performance features.

Things feel good immediately, with the tight cockpit, sporty bolstered seats and big chunky metal paddle shifters.

The ergonomics are familiar to other sporty Alfas, although you are sitting noticeably high off the ground.

Pressing the start button on the steering wheel (satisfying) reveals a surprising bark from the exhaust, whetting the appetite for what should be a fun drive.

From there things devolve into a puzzlingly mixed experience, revealing a car which can’t really decide what it wants to be.

The steering is excellent, as the brand suggests, but the pedals have a strange wooden feel to them, I assume because the car is using software to determine how much power is deployed or regenerated electrically and how much requires the engine and brakes.

I only drove the plug-in version of the previous car, so it’s hard to tell how much the transmission has improved. It’s still not the most slick shifting unit, although the low-speed performance is pretty good. It tends to hiccup not from a start, but when you ask it to suddenly give you power when you’re already moving, where a moment of hesitation still seems to exist.

On this topic, even in Sport mode with things dialed up, the manual shifts have enough of a delay when you pull the paddle shifters to take you out of the action. Something not the case in this car’s very good Giulia sedan sibling and its much sharper attitude.

The exhaust, despite its keen start-up attitude, is only okay when you’re riding it up the rev-range.

The Tonale is pretty good on the curvy stuff, although I was expecting more. The aforementioned sharp steering combines nicely with the more aggressive wider track and sporty stiff suspension to make for a halfway decent corner-carving experience, but if you were expecting a lifted hot hatch, it falls short.

The power from the turbo engine and hybrid system simply isn’t punchy or responsive enough to make it thrilling. On top of that, you can feel the height from its SUV body, which makes it a bit uncouth when pushed. Suffice it to say, despite the upmarket Bridgestone Turanza tyre package fitted to our car, there’s a lot of tyre torture when cornering enthusiastically.

It’s actually annoying how much this car teases you with a good time, only to never quite get there.

The more performance-oriented set-up comes with drawbacks, too. This car is a bit noisy at freeway speeds and can have harsh crashy suspension moments on sub-par city roads.

It also has some signature Alfa personality quirks. Somewhere under or next to my seat near the driver’s door had a persistent squeak, for example. Despite my attempts to find it by pushing on every panel or piece of the door and seat to try and find it, it would only make the sound when I was sitting down. 

It’s just like the last Giulia I drove which had a rattle behind the instrument cluster. It wouldn’t be an Alfa Romeo otherwise, I suppose.

The entry-level Formentor S’s mild-hybrid powertrain has modest outputs of 110kW and 250Nm and around town there’s enough juice on tap.

However, once you get out on the open road the ceiling of this powertrain reveals itself quickly, requiring it to dive back through the gears ruthlessly in order to keep up the pace. This is less of a problem if you’ve already got the car in a sporty drive mode.

The small electric motor that’s fed by the 48V mild-hybrid battery provides a minor boost off the mark, but it mainly smooths out the low-speed hesitancy from the dual-clutch automatic.

Moving up, the Formentor V’s turbo-petrol engine firms as the sweet spot of the line-up if you’re not after the ballistic craziness of the VZx. With the extra power and torque it’s a little less stressed than the S, plus you have the security of all-wheel grip.

The Formentor VZe’s PHEV powertrain is noticeably different from behind the wheel. Extra electric range aside, the electric motor is still packaged within the dual-clutch transmission although unlike the pre-update model, you can no longer feel the car shifting between gears.

There’s plenty of power available and depending on the battery charge the car can turn the engine off and on even at highway speeds. You can’t actually feel it happening, you only see the tacho rise and fall.

Lastly, the VZx is a missile. It feels incredibly unstressed in everyday driving and with a subtle flex of the right foot it gets moving with haste.

Like some Volkswagen Group products, the Formentor can hold a higher gear in its standard drive mode, taking a beat to kick down a gear if required. Thankfully peak torque is available down low in the rev range across the line-up.

Compared to the pre-update model, the VZx now gains a trick torque-splitting rear differential and a ‘Drift’ mode. We had the chance to sample the old and new cars back-to-back on a wet skid pan and the difference is night and day.

The pre-update model has terminal understeer no matter how much you coax it, however the updated Formentor VZx is incredibly tail-happy. You can do smile-inducing four-wheel drifts with ease, plus it will stop itself from going over the edge and spinning out.

Obviously this is something that you can only use on private roads and it isn’t something that you’d use everyday. It’s a cool novelty feature to try if you get the chance.

As standard there is progressive steering across the line-up which ramps up the resistance the more you turn the wheel. In practice this makes the Formentor a fun and agile car to drive, even around town.

A subtle change with this update is the entry-level Formentor S and V now receive a standard passive damper set-up, whereas the VZe and VZx have adaptive dampers. The latter was previously standard across the line-up and it allows you to configure the ride from comfort soft to sporty firm.

While it’s nice to have the configurability, the ride on the standard passive dampers is still beautifully compliant. It’s a little more comfort-oriented than I’d expect from a Cupra but I don’t hate this in the less-powerful variants.

In terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), this is the Formentor’s downfall. Like many European cars, there is a lot of road and tyre noise on the open road, especially on coarse-chip roads.

Surprisingly some of the cars on the launch were already starting to develop random rattles around the cabin. This isn’t great as all the cars were brand new with around 1000km on the odometer.

The Cupra Formentor originally received a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021 and this has been renewed for the updated model based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2025.

It’s worth noting that this doesn’t apply to variants equipped with the Extreme Package, as well as the VZ5, as it removes the centre front airbag.

All models receive 10 airbags including rear-side and front-centre airbags as standard, plus autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with lane centring, a surround-view camera, as well as a parking assist.

New with this update is traffic sign recognition with intelligent speed limit assist which can, thankfully, be permanently switched off.

There’s also a driver attention monitoring system with a camera built into the rear-view mirror. 

You can turn this off by using the central touchscreen but it defaults back on every time you turn the car on.

The Tonale range gets a five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty with a matching five years of roadside assist.

Indicative service pricing, available via the online calculator, extends out to 10 years, and for the life of the warranty costs an average of $666.10 per year or 15,000km visit. That’s a little pricey, with a particular sting at the 48 month mark costing $1421.44 in one visit.

Somewhat shocking residuals for Alfa Romeos are worth factoring in even if you’re purchasing one as part of a novated lease as the value of the car can be much lower than expected by the time your lease expires.

And it’s worth noting there are only eight primary Alfa dealerships and 18 service centres across Australia.

The Formentor, like all other Cupras, is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is a little lacklustre for a mainstream brand now as many have moved to conditional eight or 10-year terms.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

There are three- and five-year pre-paid service packages available that are priced at $1090 and $2190, respectively. In the latter case, this means each service averages out to almost $440 which is fairly average for a European car.

Cupra currently has 40 dealers and 28 service centres in Australia. Many of these are located around major cities.