Alfa Romeo Tonale vs Jaguar E-Pace

What's the difference?

If you’re an ‘Alfa Romeo person’, or even just an ‘Italian car person’, you’ve got this on your short list and there’s little I can say that will change your mind. 

And you wouldn’t be making a bad decision if you did pick up a Tonale.

But if $80,000 sounds like a lot for a small SUV and you still want something that looks stylish and feels special, the mild-hybrid Tonale Veloce should do, if the likes of the X1, Q3, or XC40 don’t scratch that left-of-centre itch.

And a fun small SUV? A Mini Countryman JCW, Audi SQ2 or VW T-Roc R are all different sizes, but all more powerful than the Alfa and all fall below the $70,000 mark.

But, if you’re keen on that plug-in hybrid drivetrain and have a day-to-day lifestyle that’ll allow you to make the most of its electric range (and most major city-dwelling Australians do to some extent), then the outlay might just be worth it to be able to check out the Tonale in your garage or driveway every day.

The Jaguar E-Pace Chequered Flag P250 is a compact, polished premium SUV package. Good value, super safe and spacious, it combines brilliant practicality with comfort and healthy performance. It’s a little thirsty, there are some relatively minor dynamic niggles, and Jaguar’s ownership package needs to lift its game. But for those who don’t have a lot of room to spare, yet don’t want to skimp on the luxury experience, it’s a compelling option in a highly competitive category.  

If Alfa any traditionalists are hesitant to embrace the Tonale’s hybrid drivetrain, surely the Tonale’s styling has the opposite effect.

Small SUVs can fall victim to trying to look too much like a hatchback, or being plastered with lots of little trim details to break up large areas. The Tonale, on the other hand, looks like an SUV regardless of size, and its styling elements are decidedly restrained.

Most notably, at the front, Alfa Romeo has employed the ‘scudetto’ shield-shaped grille and horizontal lower grilles to form the ‘trefoil’, a face as familiar as BMW’s kidney grille or the Porsche 911’s round headlights.

The aforementioned ‘3+3’ headlights are sleek, and somewhat mirrored by similarly styled tail-lights that flank a light bar across the middle of the boot. Badging is minimal, the ‘Tonale’ on the rear in a cursive ‘Alfa’ typeface and the small ‘Veloce’ lettering found only on the front three-quarter panels.

The 20-inch wheels are so Alfa Romeo in their ‘teledial’ circular design, though all three wheel options for the Tonale fit into this theme. In a car park or on the driveway, they’re certainly eye-catching to those not expecting them - a friend said upon sight of this test car, "Look at the wheels. They’re silly! I love them!".

Inside, the cabin space isn’t too ‘busy’ with visual elements, though some of those that are there - the row of buttons for climate control or the multimedia screen, for example - are possibly a little too simple. The buttons could be from any old car, and the screen looks like a ‘tacked on’ rectangle.

Just about everything else looks suitably restrained but relatively elegant for a small SUV, though, with elements like the steering wheel remaining rather simple and (in modern terms) timeless. The paddles behind it are a bit of visual theatre, too.

Like the exterior, the interior adopts some circular cues like the air vents, door speakers, DNA drive mode dial, and even the cowl over the driver display. 

The second row is a little more spartan, with little in the way of visual ‘wow’ and a disappointingly basic vent (albeit adjustable in two different directions) and USB ports mounted in hard grey plastic.

For the most part, the interior looks quality, and with relatively minimal hard or scratchy plastic, feels it too.

Ian Callum. Jaguar’s design director for 20 years, from 1999 to 2019, evolved the brand’s look and feel from traditional and conservative, to cool and contemporary, without throwing the heritage baby out with the new design bath water.

The E-Pace will be one of the last Jaguars to emerge under his full-time direction (Callum remains a consultant to Jaguar) and at the time of its global launch in 2018 he was keen to highlight the car’s gender neutrality, summing it up as, “Not too genteel; muscular and curvaceous at the same time.”

And it’s hard to argue the point. The E-Pace follows the distinctive Jaguar design template set in place by breakthrough models like the F-Type sports car, and larger F-Pace SUV.

At just under 4.4 metres long the E-Pace is smaller than mainstream medium SUVs like the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, but it’s appreciably wider, giving it a broad footprint and athletic stance.

Ultra short front and rear overhangs, and black 19-inch, five-spoke alloy rims enhance that impression, at the same time highlighting a relatively lengthy 2681mm wheelbase.

The Chequered Flag’s dark mesh grilles across the nose, and long tapered LED headlights, complete with ‘J-blade’ LED DRLs around their outer edges, create a recognisably feline face, with dark accenting on the fender grilles and window surrounds adding an extra air of intensity.

A raked, almost coupe-style roofline, tapered side glass, and broad haunches combine to accentuate the E-Pace’s dynamic look, the long, slim, horizontal tail-lights and fat chrome-tipped exhaust outlets both current Jaguar hallmarks.

The interior feels as tightly wrapped and carefully designed as the exterior with the instruments, media screen and key controls clearly oriented towards the driver.

In fact, a specific defining edge sweeps down from the top of the dashboard, around the centre stack and across the console to form a flying buttress barrier (complete with left-side grab handle) between the driver and front passenger.

And if you’re still associating Jags with walnut veneer interiors, think again. An understated ‘Noble Chrome’ finish is used to highlight the gearshift surround, instrument panel, and other details across the dash and doors. 

The upright sports gearshifter is a distinct departure from the rotary controller used in older Jaguar models, yet according to Jaguar, the beautifully tactile front ventilation dials were inspired by the rings of a classic Leica camera lens.

Inside, the Tonale feels relatively spacious for a small SUV, with possibly more places to put things than you might expect from a traditionally enthusiast-focused brand. 

In both front and rear seats, no part of the body or console impedes on passenger space - though the door armrests feel like they're a little far to comfortably rest an elbow on - and nothing gets in the way when reaching controls or the centre console.

Ergonomically, everything falls well to hand and no far reaches are really required, though the cupholders in the centre are a little narrow for some relatively normal-sized cups or bottles, and have rubber grips inside that require a little extra pull to retrieve items from.

Other options for bottles include the door pockets, or for a small bottle even the centre console bin is quite deep (albeit narrow).

Smartphones, even fairly tall ones, will rest securely in the angled - a nice touch - wireless charging bay, though while having the phone in a position it won’t slide out from is a plus, angling a phone screen to be visible to the driver might be too tempting for some. It is, mercifully, a little obscured by the gear shifter.

On controls, the steering-wheel design hasn’t changed for more than half a decade which, honestly, is so, so fine. Really, Alfa’s steering wheel has few buttons including the engine start, a relatively timeless (read: simple) visual style, and a thin rim with moulded thumb rests that encourage 9-and-3 hand positions.

The buttons on the wheel are easy, clear, and feel nice, and controlling the driver display is relatively easy as there aren’t really sub-menus to get lost in.

The main multimedia screen is also relatively well laid out, marking a nice step up from previous Uconnect systems (Jeep and Fiat owners will also know), though the connectivity with wireless phone mirroring, Android Auto in my case, was a little laggy and dropped out occasionally, seemingly in the same spot on the same Melbourne CBD street during my commute each morning.

The downsides are relatively few on the practicality front, but there is another: the boot space in the hybrid suffers due to the battery space needed, so 500 litres for the non-plug-in Tonale variants is down to 385 litres for the PHEV.

That’s still less than an electric Volvo XC40 Recharge (claimed to be 418L), though fortunately it grows to a spacious 1430 with the seats folded down, and is accessible via an automatic electrically opening boot door.

Another important point, while we’re in the boot, is the lack of spare tyre. Instead, a repair kit is provided - something those who enjoy a road trip might lament.

For a car measuring less than 4.4 metres between its bumpers, a 2681mm wheelbase is lengthy, and interior space is also enhanced thanks to the E-Pace’s broad beam and relative height.

Somehow the front part of the cabin feels cozy and spacious at the same time, this strange dichotomy created by the steeply sloping dash and centre console increasing the feeling of space, yet keeping key controls and storage options within easy reach. 

Speaking of which, front seaters are provided with a generous lidded storage box/sliding armrest between the seats (housing two USB-A ports, a micro SIM slot, and 12V outlet), two full-size cupholders in the centre console (with a smartphone slot between them), a loose items tray ahead of the gearshifter, a sizeable glove box, an overhead sunglasses holder and big door bins with enough room for large bottles. 

Special note on the centre storage box. The space extends forward, a long way under the console, so a pair of 1.0-litre bottles can be laid down flat, with plenty of space still on top. And a net pocket on the underside of the lid is great for small, loose items.

Move to the back, and again, despite the E-Pace’s diminutive size accommodation is good. Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm (6.0ft) position, I enjoyed plenty of leg and headroom, even with the inclusion of a standard glass sunroof. 

Shoulder room is pretty handy, too. And backseaters are provided with a lidded storage box and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, netted pockets on the front seatbacks, and useful door bins, with enough room for standard bottles. There are also adjustable centre air vents housed with a 12V outlet and a trio of storage hidey holes.

Cargo space is another plus for the compact E-Pace, offering 577 litres with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat up, expanding to a substantial 1234 litres with it folded down. 

Multiple tie-down anchor points are helpful for securing loads, there are handy bag hooks either side, as well as a 12V outlet on the passenger side, and a netted bay behind the driver’s side wheel tub. A power tailgate is also a welcome inclusion.

Towing capacity is 1800kg for a braked trailer (750kg unbraked) and a ‘Trailer Stability Assist’ system is standard, although a tow hitch receiver will set you back an extra $730. A steel space spare sits under the cargo floor.

At $63,600, before on-road costs the Jaguar E-Pace Chequered Flag P250 lines up against a formidable bunch of Euro and Japanese compact SUV competitors, like the Audi Q3 40 TFSI Quattro S Line ($61,900), BMW X1 xDrive25i ($64,900), Lexus NX300 F Sport ($61,700), Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4Matic ($63,000), and Range Rover Evoque P200 S ($62,670). All tough nuts to crack, and all AWD, except the FWD Lexus.

And when you’ve entered the $60K bracket it’s fair to expect a lengthy list of standard features, and aside from the safety and powertrain tech detailed in the Safety and Driving sections, the top-of-the-pyramid Chequered Flag grade delivers a fixed panoramic glass sunroof, grained leather seat trim (with contrast stitching), 10-way adjustable heated electric sports front seats, dual-zone climate control, and a 10-inch ‘Touch Pro’ multimedia screen (with swipe, pinch and zoom control), managing audio (including digital radio), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, sat nav, and more.

Other boxes ticked include the ‘Black Exterior Pack’, adaptive cruise control, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated and power-folding door mirrors (with approach lights), rain-sensing wipers, auto LED headlights, LED DRLs, fog lights (front and rear), and tail-lights, a power tailgate, ‘Ebony’ headlining, ‘R-Dynamic’ leather steering wheel, black gearshift paddles, keyless entry and start, ‘Chequered Flag’ metal scuff plates, and bright metal pedals. 

Our ‘Photon Red’ test example was also optioned with a head-up display ($1630), Meridian audio ($1270), privacy glass ($690), and rear animated directional indicators ($190).

In fact, the Jaguar E-Pace options list is stuffed with individual features and packs, but the standard fit-out delivers good value in terms of the asking price and category competition. 

Engaging driving is key to an Alfa Romeo justifying being somewhat on the pricier end of the cost spectrum, so numbers like ‘208kW’ for a total system output in a small SUV are welcome to see on paper.

The Tonale’s 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine alone makes 132kW and 270Nm, aided by an electric system outputting 90kW and 250Nm. The 208kW is its total useable peak, with Alfa not stating a peak torque figure, but a 0-100km/h claim comes in at a fairly impressive 6.2 seconds.

That’s helped by the Tonale’s all-wheel-drive nature, the front wheels driven by the engine via a six-speed torque converter automatic, and electricity powering the rears.

The E-Pace Chequered Flag P250 is powered by a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol version of Jaguar Land Rover’s modular ‘Ingenium’ engine, based on multiples of the same 500cc cylinder design.

This ‘AJ200’ unit features an aluminium block and head with cast iron cylinder liners, direct injection, electro-hydraulically-controlled variable intake and exhaust valve lift,  and a single, twin-scroll turbo. It produces 183kW at 5500rpm, and 365Nm from 1300-4500rpm. 

Drive goes to all four wheels via a (ZF-sourced) nine-speed automatic transmission, and an 'Active Driveline’ all-wheel drive system. With a default rear axle bias, it constantly monitors driving conditions, updating torque distribution every 10 milliseconds.

Two independent, electronically-controlled (wet-plate) clutches distribute drive between the rear wheels, the system able to send 100 per cent of that torque to either rear wheel if required.

A 42.5-litre petrol tank and a 15.5kWh lithium-ion battery combine to provide an electric driving range of 60.5km that’s backed up by the ability to charge or save power for when it’s needed by letting the internal-combustion engine (ICE) kick in.

And while this has the potential to mean essentially no fuel is used in short-run, day-to-day driving, anything resembling a longer trip means you’re unlikely to reach the kind of efficiency figures Alfa Romeo claims.

The official combined fuel consumption figure for the Tonale PHEV is 1.5L/100km, though achieving this would require stopping and recharging the battery every 100km of driving, and the driving would need to be in perfect conditions for battery range - i.e. relatively low speeds.

The Tonale PHEV is efficient, yes, but it’s not ‘1.5L/100km efficient’ in the real world if you need to take a drive longer than a standard work day with maybe an errand or two.

After 23 kilometres of real-world driving, the indicated battery range dropped from 65km (odd given Alfa’s spec sheet provided claims a 60.5km range) to 30km, an indicated drop of 35km.

A 12 km discrepancy between over just 23km of standard driving isn’t ideal, though the trip included some highway driving - not an electric drivetrain’s best stage.

Alfa Romeo says a household-style 3.0kW charger should fill the battery from empty in 5.5 hours, while a ‘fast’ charger at 7.4kW should take 2.5 hours via the Type 2 charging port.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.7 litres/100kmL/100km, the Chequered Flag P250 emitting 174g/km of CO2 in the process.

In our week with the car, over close to 150km of city, suburban and freeway conditions (including a cheeky B-road run) we recorded an average of 12.0L/100km, which is getting up there for a compact SUV. That number equates to a real-world range of 575km.

And it’s worth noting that despite the use of lightweight aluminium for key body panel and suspension components, at a touch over 1.8 tonnes the E-Pace is line ball for kerb weight with its larger F-Pace sibling.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 69 litres of it to fill the tank.

This might be the make-or-break topic for a select few Alfa Romeo customers - is the Tonale fun to drive?

Yes, thankfully.

Where the mild-hybrid was sometimes criticised for being slightly underwhelming for a car wearing the snake-adorned badge from Milan, the extra power, all-wheel-drive grip and electric torque delivery make the Tonale feel spirited enough for a sporty-leaning small SUV.

The DNA dial really does come into play plenty, too. 

D, for dynamic, is pretty much reserved for when you’re actually ‘driving’ the Tonale - its stiffened suspension and relatively greedy power draw isn’t for low-speed commuting or daily efficiency.

N, or natural, is best for most long-ish commuting or trip situations, particularly highway driving where relying fully on the battery range isn’t ideal, as mentioned.

A, for advanced efficiency, is the ‘EV mode’ and best suits anyone whose daily commute takes them between urban or suburban areas which can be done under EV driving, though it can be used up to 206km/h.

If you don’t mind the petrol engine kicking in on occasion, leaving ‘natural’ to its own devices will result in some relatively frugal driving - a week of testing, commuting, filming and enjoying the Tonale used less than a tank of fuel, including one round trip of more than 140km.

Commuting in the Tonale proved comfortable enough - the steering is light and the dual-stage valve suspension in its softer mode combined with the electric drivetrain resulted in a calm and controlled feeling.

Its suspension soaks up bumps well, though a consistently uneven road surface can feel a little jittery (though not harsh or crashy) after a while.

Getting more dynamic (yes, the D on the dial), however, brought out some interesting characteristics of the Tonale. That light steering is paired with a quick rack (a 14.8:1 ratio, or two-and-a-half turns lock to lock), meaning the Tonale is easy to turn in hard, and a 53F/47R weight distribution provides enough balance (paired with a low centre of gravity thanks to the battery) to keep on top of the small SUVs movements.

All four wheels being driven under its ‘dynamic’ hybrid mode means grip and acceleration in cornering is plenty useful, though braking coming into the corners via the Tonale’s ‘brake by wire’ system could be a little more feelsome.

The gearbox is very eager under acceleration, too much so for commuting, but if it doesn’t suit your needs even for spirited driving then the manual mode is there.

It’s worth noting that those huge brushed alloy shift paddles come into play here, though being attached to the column steering rather than the wheel presents a key ‘pro’ and ‘con’ each: the paddles are always in the same place, just not always in relation to your hands.

The E-Pace’s bonnet, front guards, roof, tailgate and key suspension components may be made of weight-saving alloy, but this chunky little SUV still tips the scales at a sturdy 1832kg. Nonetheless, Jaguar claims the Chequered Flag P250 will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.1sec, which is quick, if not blindingly so.

The 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo-petrol engine delivers a solid block of (peak) torque (365Nm) from just 1300rpm all the way to 4500rpm, which combined with no less than nine auto gear ratios means healthy mid-range punch is always available.

The transmission’s adaptive shift system reads the way you’re driving to tailor its behaviour accordingly, and it works well. But shifting gears manually via the wheel-mounted paddles adds to the fun and accuracy.

Thing is, despite being finished in racy black, the paddles themselves are plastic which feels ordinary and is a letdown in an otherwise high-end environment. 

Suspension is strut front, ‘integral’ multi-link rear, and ride quality is surprisingly cushy for a high-riding car of this size. No tricky active dampers here, just a well-engineered set-up tuned to cope with a variety of conditions.

That said, the ‘JaguarDrive Control’ system offers four modes - ‘Normal’, ‘Dynamic’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Rain/Ice/Snow’ - tweaking things like the steering, throttle response, transmission shifts, stability control, torque vectoring, and AWD system.

Dynamic is the sweet spot, buttoning everything down just a little tighter, without any major effect on refinement, the car remaining quiet and composed even when driver enthusiasm starts to take the upper hand. 

The variable ratio ‘Speed proportional’ electrically-assisted steering is nicely weighted and points nicely, but road feel is mediocre. On the flip side, the torque vectoring system, which uses the brakes to put the squeeze on a wheel breaking traction in cornering, works seamlessly. 

Brakes are 349mm vented discs at the front and 300mm solid rotors at the rear, and although they arrest the car well enough, initial pedal feel is ‘grabby’, especially at slow speeds. It’s a challenge to grease your pedal application to the point where the effect goes away.

Under the heading of General Notes, the ergonomic layout is hard to fault with super clear instruments and user-friendly switchgear, but the ‘Ebony’ headlining darkens the interior too much. Even though the huge (standard) glass sunroof lets in a lot of light, we’d prefer the lighter ‘Ebony’ shade available on other E-Pace grades (but not this one).

Speaking of the interior, the sports front seats are grippy yet comfortable on longer runs, and their (standard) heating is a big plus on chilly mornings, the (21:9) wide format hi-res media screen is a pleasure to use, and the level of quality and attention to detail all around the cabin is impressive.

The Jaguar E-Pace received a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2017, and boasts a solid roster of active and passive safety technology.

To help you avoid a crash, there are the expected features like ABS, BA, and EBD, as well as stability and traction controls. While more recent innovations like AEB (city, interurban, and high-speed, with pedestrian and cyclist detection), blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control (with ‘Queue Assist’), ‘Emergency Brake Light’, lane keeping assist, park assist, and rear cross-traffic alert, are also included in the Chequered Flag spec.

A reversing camera, a ‘Driver condition monitor’, and ‘Trailer Stability Assist’ are also standard, but a 360-degree surround camera ($210), and tyre pressure monitoring ($580) are options.

If an impact is unavoidable six airbags are located inside (dual front, front side, and full-length curtain), while a pedestrian protection system features an active bonnet that lifts in a pedestrian impact to provide greater clearance from hard parts in the engine bay, and a specific airbag to offer greater protection at the base of the windscreen. 

There are also three top tether points for baby capsules/child restraints across the rear seats, with ISOFIX anchors in the two outer positions.

Alfa Romeo has a relatively industry standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for its models, and the Tonale falls under this, with five years of free roadside assistance thrown in, too.

Being a plug-in hybrid, the battery does have its own specific warranty, that being eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

The first five services are priced at a maximum on Alfa Romeo’s website, listed at a top of $500 for the first (15,000km/12 months), $600 for the second (30,000km or 24 months, as the intervals go), while the third is $500, the fourth a whopping $1000 max, and the final capped price back to $500.

Jaguar’s three-year/100,000km warranty, is well off the mainstream pace, which is five-years/unlimited km, with some brands at seven years. And even in the luxury segment, newcomer Genesis, and the most established of them all, Mercedes-Benz, have recently dialled up the pressure with the offer of a five year/unlimited km warranty. 

Extended Warranty Insurance is available for 12 or 24 months, up to 200,000km.

Service is scheduled every 12 months/26,000km, and a ‘Jaguar Service Plan’ is available for a maximum five years/102,000km, for $1950, which also includes five years roadside assistance.