I have two prevailing thoughts about the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Intensa you see here.
The first being that I wish this Tonale was instead its almost-identical Dodge Hornet twin, because that would grant me the opportunity to fill this article with all sorts of Green Hornet references. Buuuuuut, I’ve not actually seen any version of The Green Hornet—not even the Seth Rogen remake—so maybe it’s a blessing that I don’t have to try to torture that reference throughout an entire article.
The other thought is that after 20 years in this biz, this is my first-ever Alfa Romeo. Not a 4C. Not even a Giulia. But this: a rebadged entry-level Dodge crossover. For a brand that touts 115 years of passion, I can’t see a compact crossover keeping that passion burning for another 115 years, let alone five. But I’m one of many who associates Alfa Romeo with Spider, the iconic roadster that’s said to be as intoxicating to drive as it is painful to live with. And if I’m gonna be passionate about a car that will cause me pain, it needs to be more than a tarted-up RAV4 competitor.
But seemingly everyone else—admittedly “non-car” people—all seem to love this Tonale. Or more accurately, the all seem to love its vibrant Verde Fangio paint, not to mention all the special-edition Intensa model upgrades that include black exterior trim, black 20-inch phone-dial wheels with bronze accents and big ol’ black front brake calipers with the Alfa Romeo logo applied in gold. (The rear brakes, curiously, still get the Mopar “M”.)
This Intensa trim also gets distinct interior touches that include aluminum steering column-mounted paddle shifters, seating surfaces covered in perforated Alcantara, and an embroidered Intensa logo on the center. And thanks to details like the textured metallic dash trim and brown leather steering wheel inserts, this Alfa feels properly premium inside.
The Tonale’s cabin does its best to create a proper driver’s cockpit by wrapping the dash and center console around the deeply bolstered front seat, with relatively high door sills further enclosing the space. It all feels cozy to me, though I can see mainstream buyers finding things claustrophobic inside. That said, I could do with a bit more headroom.
Controls are a mixed bag, with tactile buttons for primary comforts like temperature controls, and a 10.25-inch center touchscreen display managing everything else. Don’t get me wrong: the screen looks great, and it’s got Apple CarPlay, but everything is so damn small—I swear that some of these on-screen icons are smaller than the ones found on my phone.
The other confusing bit is that “DNA” dial, which I know is the drive-mode selector. The problem is the car doesn’t tell you what is happening as you switch things from “D” to “N” to “A”. There’s no text telling you that the Tonale is, say, switching from comfort mode to sport, nor are there any illustrative infographics. Even after hours of studying the Tonale page on the Alfa Romeo site, I still can’t find out what “D”, “N” or “A” are supposed to stand for, or what’s supposed to happen when I twist the dial between these three letters.
Whatever the mode, the performance itself ain’t that bad. Motivation comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four rated at a respectable 268 horesepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A 9-speed automatic transmission comes standard, as does all-wheel drive. This powertrain packs a lively punch, and I’m thankful for the fact that it’s console-mounted gear-select lever lets me change gears the “right” way—pushing forward to downshift and pulling back to upshift. The steering feels artificially heavy, but it’s precise and helps contribute to this this Alfa’s feeling of composure through corners. Is it enough to make me think I’m driving a sports car and not another crossover? No, but it’s miles more fun than a RAV4.
With its as-tested price of $49,495, though, I’m not sure exactly who the Alfa Romeo Tonale Intensa is for. A well-moneyed Alfisti likely already has a 4C in their garage while a not-so-moneyed one probably has a $5k beater Spider in theirs. Are these people clamoring for a small crossover? And $50k opens the doors to vehicles that offer more performance, more provenance, and theoretically, more reliability. But remove all that design-only Intensa stuff and you’ll find that the mechanically identical base model starts at a much more reasonable $36k.
Would I personally sink that kind of coin into any new Alfa, let alone a Tonale? Of course not. But keep in mind I’m also an idiot who daily drives a 34-year-old Honda. Perhaps if I found a Tonale with an insane lease deal, offered at a local dealer with a complimentary service package and generous loan vehicle program, I’d maybe consider one. I mean, it still is cool to tell people you drive an Alfa, even if it is a fancied-up competitor to a Toyota RAV4.
