What's the difference?
Alfa Romeo’s Tonale has been a success for the company globally, but you wouldn’t know it in Australia.
Alfa, along with brands like Fiat, Peugeot, Renault and even Skoda are scrabbling for traction in our oversaturated market, absolutely heaving with mainstream mid-size SUVs and cheap competition.
Euro alternatives are on the back foot and the Tonale looks like it’s on the precipice of extinction, registering just 50 units in the sales data this year.
That hasn’t stopped Alfa from introducing this new updated model with a raft of improvements it says will help boost its chances.
Is it worth a second look? Let’s find out.
This is the baby SUV for Hyundai’s line-up but it does tend to remind you of this a little too often for this to truly be fun.
Still, it presents an interesting road-side presence and a comfortable urban driving experience.
Coupled with the competitive price tag, is this the little SUV that could? I’ve been driving it for the last week to find that out for you.
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.
The Hyundai Venue Elite is a sweet-looking, compact SUV that should suit drivers who only need an A-to-B sort of car in the city. Or an empty nester who doesn’t want to feel flustered by any high-end tech and wants knobs and dials where they expect them to be.
Some elements of the safety set could be better though and that’s something to consider. However, for an urban landscape, you can practically fit it anywhere. With its engine specs, it's also happiest in the city - don't consider this a road trip car.