Smart 3 vs Alfa Romeo Tonale

What's the difference?

The #3 Brabus is very nearly one of the great bargains of 2024, with the sort of style, luxury, features, performance and grip you’d expect from the much-more-expensive GLA AMG 45. It’s that good.

What would make it great is a sunblock for the hot glass roof on a sunny day, Australian road tuning for the infuriating ADAS tech and a revised steering tune that didn’t make it feel inconsistent at times.

See past these, though, and the #3 Brabus exceeds expectations.

We’re glad Smart is back.

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.

Smart says Mercedes designed the #3 and it shows.

In silhouette, or when glanced peripherally, it could be the love child of the A-Class and EQA. Only the friendly face betrays its non-Benz heritage.

Longer and wider than the #1, it is also 80mm lower – achieved via a lower ride height, flatter seats and a thinner floor.

Helped by a 35mm wheelbase stretch, it provides a nicely-balanced and proportioned crossover, with a decent drag coefficient of 0.27. The Brabus’ big wheels also fill out the arches very nicely.

Key length/width/height/wheelbase dimensions are 4400mm/1844mm/1556mm and 2785mm, respectively.

Unusually for a coupe/crossover mash-up, there’s slightly more room inside compared to the upright donor model.

Let’s take a longer look in there.

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.

On first approach, you ask yourself whether the #3 is a crossover or a small-to-medium SUV. The low roof and cool frameless doors certainly suggest the former, as do the comparatively small apertures.

That said, with the windows down, those sash-less doors help entry and egress.

Once ensconced inside a long if slightly narrow cabin, the #3 offers ample room for even the tallest adults up front, as well as a reasonably spacious back seat area, though you’d call that more of a '2+1' seater given the lack of girth for three. Most folk shouldn’t struggle to find the right driving position, either.

Presumably keen to impart a generic Mercedes vibe, the #3’s interior is somewhat reminiscent of a GLA’s, albeit from last decade – down to the pronounced T-shape dash featuring a trio of circular vents in the middle, a standalone screen above and (unconvincing) metal-look plastic trim below.

Understandably, like so much of the Brabus, this might appeal to aspiring A45 AMG owners, but it seems oddly dated, given the advanced electrification going on underneath.

Likewise, none of the minimalism cleverness of the ForTwo city-car original is referenced, even digitally. A lost opportunity, really. The OG Smart is an icon.

Meanwhile, ahead of the driver, a narrow digital strip looks twee and cheap, as if ripped from a Japanese 'Kei' car. It’s a strange design detail for a $71K SUV.

Still, the #3’s cabin layout is largely a success, and much of that is due to the first-class quality and finish. Unlike some of the aforementioned Benzes of the previous decade, squeaks and rattles are notable by their absence.

Depending on your body, the racy sports seats up front are either perfectly bolstered or far-too snug, but they provide a decent level of comfort and support. And they position you just right for controlling the centre display, which dominates all.

The 12.8-inch touchscreen feels slick, responsive and right-sized for the car. At first, it can also seem like info-overload and perhaps a bit cheesy with its animal animations, but real thought has gone into it to provide an extraordinary level of functionality.

Across the top are icons for access to media, sat-nav, apps and camera view settings, while the bottom row is for various climate and trip info. While somewhat logically presented, the charging-station list seemed outdated and/or at-times incorrect in our test car.

Mercifully, the Smart has a row of short-cut buttons for 'Vehicle Modes' (including turning off the infernal lane assist and one-pedal accelerator/braking), 'Driving Mode' ('Eco'/'Comfort'/'Sport'/'Brabus'), glass demisters, climate and display-off.

Annoyingly, the latter is closest to reach, revealing the #3’s left-hand drive market bias, as the driver must stretch across to access the first two (and more important) settings.

There are also several handy screen-activated modes including 'Entertainment Mode' that temporarily leaves the accessories and climate control on; 'Rest Mode' reclines the driver’s seat down flat and dims the interior lights; 'Energise Mode' is designed to pep you up; and 'Pet Mode' keeps a climate-controlled atmosphere while deactivating all buttons that a stray paw might press. Clever.

There’s lots more besides, and using the touchscreen is better in this than most other Chinese vehicles, but it remains fiddly and distracting.

It’s also worth pointing out that the fixed glass roof needs a blockout for Australia. A Smart spokesperson said an aftermarket cover is available, but as supplied to us, sitting under it over a run of hot days is almost unbearable without a hat. This is not good enough.

Thankfully, the other basics are all A-OK.

The climate system coped well the hot sun bearing down through the glass, plenty of useful storage makes up for the disappointingly shallow glove box, while the chilled centre console and massive door bins proved especially handy.

USB access is easy, the wireless Bluetooth/Apple CarPlay performed more consistently than in any recent test vehicle and the standard Beats audio brings brilliant sound.

Out back, most people under 180cm should at least avoid scraping that glass ceiling, and there’s a reasonable amount of room for boots and long knees if the front occupants are sympathetic, but you’d be stretching the truth calling the rear seat packaging SUV-esque.

On the other hand, it’s beautifully presented, boasts a comfy and supportive backrest/cushion for outboard passengers and even a do-able centre pew for shorter-distance riders.

And it provides every expected amenity, including air vents, USB-C ports, door storage, a folding centre armrest with cupholders, and overhead handles/lighting/coat hooks.

And while we’ve already complained about the glass roof, it floods the cabin with light, to make it seem airier than it is. Narrow front seats with a see-through slit further enhance this feeling.

Further back, the 370-litre boot is reasonably long and surprisingly deep thanks to a removable upper floor that’s good for stuffing the optional home charging cables in.

And, of course, it can be extended to 1160L via the split-fold backrests to provide extra loading practicality. And there’s even a small (15L) amount of storage under the bonnet.

Maximum towing capacity is 1600kg for a braked trailer.

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.

Whether the Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid is expensive depends on how you frame it. For a small SUV, it’s fairly pricey, but for a premium PHEV, it’s on the more budget-friendly end of the scale.

At $78,500 before on-road costs for a Tonale Veloce PHEV, the plug-in is nearly $20,000 more expensive than the Veloce ‘mild-hybrid’ (MHEV) at $58,900. The test car (pictured) for this review also has two cost options, the Alfa Red paint being $1990 and the 20-inch grey alloy wheels for $1500.

So, $81,990 is a lot for a small SUV, but it’s still about the same price as a Peugeot 508 PHEV and less than a top-spec Mazda CX-60 PHEV.

Alfa Romeo says the difference in price between the Veloce MHEV and PHEV isn’t as broad as it seems just due to the drivetrain, as the PHEV scores a ‘Lusso pack’ as standard rather than being a $4500 option for the MHEV.

That pack is where a few of the goodies in this Tonale come from, such as the black leather seats adorned with Alfa-badged headrests - eight-way electrically adjustable with heating and cooling in the front - plus a heated steering wheel and a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system.

A couple more features are exclusive to the Veloce PHEV, however, like the sunroof and the chrome finish on its dual-exit exhaust tips.

Standard across the range, however, is the 10.25-inch touchscreen for the multimedia system, running Stellantis’ Uconnect 5 operating system with an Alfa-specific skin, as well as the 12.3-inch ‘Cannochiale’ TFT driver display, plus wireless phone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a wireless device charger.

Other functional standards are the ‘3+3’ LED Matrix headlights, visually inspired by past models like the rare Alfa Romeo SZ coupe, plus adaptive ‘driving beam’ and dynamic indicators.

The #3 Brabus employs one permanent magnet synchronous electric motor per axle, for dual-motor, all-wheel drive performance via a single-speed ‘transmission’. 

They provide plenty of poke, totalling 315kW of power (115kW front, 200kW rear) and 543Nm of torque (200Nm front, 343Nm rear).

Tipping the scales at 1910kg, this means the Brabus delivers an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 165kW/tonne – enough for it to scoot from zero to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, on the way to a 180km/h top speed.

To put those figures in perspective, the similarly-priced VW Golf R only manages 156kW/tonne and 4.8sec to 100.

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.

All #3s headed to Australia for now are fitted with the larger of the two battery packs available – a 66kWh lithium nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) item.

In the Brabus, it is rated to average up to 415km of WLTP-certified range, which is between 20-40km shy of the mid-spec Premium version.

Smart says the WLTP average energy consumption is 17.7kWh/100km. Our 3000km-old test car’s trip computer displayed a life-cycle average of 14.6kWh/100km since delivery.

During our week with the Brabus, we managed an average of 19.4kWh/100km, and that was over a 95km period of sustained highway driving at 114km/h with cruise control on and climate control set at 18 degrees (to combat the radiant heat from that glass roof).

With a big 22kW AC charger and 150kW DC charger capability, the former will replenish that 66kWh battery in about 32 hours using a home plug or 10 hours with an optional 7.0kW Wallbox, while the latter will need just over an hour from 10-80 per cent with a common 50kW DC charger.

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.

Whatever notions ‘Smart’ might evoke, the #3 Brabus obliterates them. This is no buzzy little city-car runabout, but a surprisingly mature and athletic driving machine. This is a seriously rapid performer.

A trio of driving modes give you a hint of what you’re in for. Eco is lightness and fluff. Not very Brabus, but smooth and calm enough for relaxed commuting. And it’s far from slow, scooting off the line with zip and zest. Enough for most.

Comfort is actually a good all-round setting to be in, with an eager yet controlled level of performance. Strong acceleration and instant accelerator reaction show you mean business – if you’re in the mood. Still civilised and serene otherwise.

Sport ups the ante, as you’d expect, providing a decent whack of speed and immediate response. Actually, this is enough to keep up with most sports car costing thrice the price, while maintaining the driver-assist safety net. Fun without the fear.

Brabus mode is off-the-leash fury, turning the #3 into a convincing AMG alternative thanks to blistering thrust and a powerful punch across the spectrum. More (artificial) noise, more drama, more speed, more fireworks. The 'Launch Control' pins you to your seatback.

Yet even in the latter setting, the Smart behaves with a maturity beyond the brand’s reputation, capable of quick corners with exceptional (AWD-enhanced) body control and roadholding grip, without a punishing ride.

Underneath, a unique suspension tune for the MacPherson-style struts up front and multi-link rear end keep the Brabus hunkered down more effectively at speed.

And even in pouring rain, there are no complaints about the Brabus’ assured and confident handling. Yes, the suspension is firm, but it’s far from uncomfortable, so, an acceptable trade-off.

Plus, though not strictly one-pedal driving, the regenerative braking pressure is enough for slowing down and speeding up in the ebb and flow of traffic in its strongest mode.

Where we’re less happy is in the #3’s steering. It brings three weight modes to the table – but only two are useful, 'Light' and 'Standard'. Super-easy yet not totally devoid of substance, Light is great for around town and general commuting.

But when you lean on it at speed, the steering, whilst crisp and reactive, is not always linear in feel or motion, especially when accelerating at the same time, as you might when coming out of a fast corner.

Depending on how hard you are on the accelerator, there can be a visible step when turned from the straight ahead that can be quite disconcerting. It’s a bit like when slurping in a lumpy bit in a smoothie.

So, what about 'Sport' mode? Here, the steering is just as described above, but with added weight and not much more. Not worth it. Best is Standard mode.

Another disappointment is the advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS) tech’s state of tune. It’s in a state, literally.

The intrusive and apparently non-permanently switch-off-able lane-keep systems, especially, end up resisting what the driver intends, and even fight to steer the car where it thinks it needs to be. This is frustrating and potentially dangerous.

It’s been reported that Geely, and not Mercedes, undertook the development of these ADAS systems. We’re getting sick of (mostly Chinese) manufacturers rolling the arm over and imposing this sort of nannying and ultimately counter-intuitive driving interference tech.

This needs to be fixed. It stops the #3 Brabus from being a great performance bargain.

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.

With five stars from ANCAP, the Tonale is off to a good start on the safety front.

Its six airbags isn’t exactly class-leading, there isn’t one at front centre, for example, but the PHEV does have the full active and passive safety suite available on the Tonale as standard.

A series of features make the Tonale ‘level 2 autonomous’ including a front camera, lane-keep assist and traffic jam assist, the relatively standard adaptive cruise control, plus traffic sign recognition, driver behaviour warning, and, of course, AEB.

Blind-spot monitoring, side parking sensors, and a surround-view parking camera are standard on the Veloce, aside from the Ti.

The #3 offers a (decidedly-average) five-year or (disappointing) 130,000km warranty, whichever comes first. There is also roadside assistance available for free during this period.

Given other EV manufacturers are going seven and even 10 years in the case of MG, with most including unlimited kilometres, this could be better.

Scheduled maintenance is every 12 months or every 20,000km.

Smart provides a pre-paid four-year/80,000km service plan for $3120, which comes to $780 annually. This seems quite expensive for an EV, even a premium one.

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.