Alfa Romeo Tonale vs Ford Mustang

What's the difference?

This is the first hybrid Alfa Romeo, and its most efficient model yet - two things those historically loyal to the brand might be hesitant to embrace - but like the Giulia and Stelvio it joins in the line-up, this plug-in hybrid Tonale is extremely important to the Milanese brand.

The Tonale, still a relatively new nameplate, must establish itself as a new ‘accessible’ point to the brand in the popular small SUV segment. 

But this, the Veloce plug-in hybrid (PHEV), must prove that even in the more attainable small SUV segment, the brand can still produce something to gain the tick of approval from the rusted-on ‘Alfisti’ - Alfa Romeo’s loyalists.

On top of keeping Alfa’s existing fans happy, the Tonale must also contend with existing segment favourites like the BMW X1, Volvo XC40 and Audi Q3.

Alfa surely knows it won’t reach sales figures to contend with those mentioned, but what the brand can aim for is to be a sexier, desirable alternative.

So, is the Tonale PHEV the right piece of kit for the job?

The new Ford Mustang GT was not designed for Paris.

Fighting through the morning peak hour rush (which seems to extend through the middle of the day and the afternoon), the new Mustang feels like a caged animal. Which is appropriate, given the car’s namesake is a wild horse that exists to roam the American wilderness.

But once we finally break the shackles of Parasian traffic we find ourselves getting to let this Mustang gallop across the French countryside and unleash its full potential. But more on that later…

The reason we're driving the Mustang in France is because the American brand wanted to connect it to its new racing program at the famous Le Mans sports car race (you know, the one in the Matt Damon movie, Ford v Ferrari).

No less than Bill Ford, great-grandson of the company’s famous founder, was on-hand to see the Mustang at Le Mans, such is the passion for performance.

Ford (the man, not the company) took the opportunity to declare that the Blue Oval brand is not only committed to internal combustion engines for the foreseeable future, but it will retain the V8 under the bonnet of the Mustang GT for as long as it can legally do so.

Australians will have to wait a few more weeks (maybe months) before the seventh-generation Mustang arrives, but here’s what you can expect when it lands on local roads.