The Alfa Romeo Tonale is similar to the Dodge Hornet, but costs about $8,000 more. The retro teledial wheels are a $2,000 extra.The first decade or so of the automobile’s new electric era hasn’t been kind to nostalgia acts. I’m talking about the car companies who love to play up their “heritage,” the brands with cabinets overflowing with trophies from Formula 1, Daytona and Le Mans, and brands whose cars can be found in the permanent collections of prestigious art galleries.
My favourite part is the lovely green paint, a $2,000 option that gives it a shimmering, Wizard-of-Oz vibe. The colour is called Verde Fangio metallic in an apparent attempt to tap into the cachet of five-time Formula 1 world champ Juan Manuel Fangio. My other favourite feature of the Tonale is those retro teledial wheels, also a $2,000 option, which are just perfection.
More damning is the fact that this Alfa Romeo is also available as an almost identical Dodge. Alfa really got mugged by Stellantis on this one. The details may never come to light, but judging by the crime scene, it looks as if the parent company robbed Alfa of its new subcompact SUV, slapped a different grille on it, stripped out some of the features and put it on sale as the Dodge Hornet for around $8,000 less than the Alfa.