2024 Renault Scenic review: At last — a fun electric car
In this spot last month I reviewed the new electric Peugeot 3008 and now, hot on its heels, comes its deadliest rival, domestic or otherwise. As regulars will be aware,…
After recently been thoroughly surprised in an entirely positive way by the Maserati Grecale [Sometimes less is so much more, August], I approach the Alfa Tonale, another Italian SUV from the same Stellantis stable, with hope soaring in my heart. It certainly looks the part – quite the most attractive car in its class I’d say – and the interior is no less easy on the eye, effective and spacious too. So far so good.
Sadly then and as a thing to drive, this is a deeply disappointing Alfa, probably the least inherently likeable car (if not the worst) to come from that stable I have driven. And, no, that’s not just because it’s an SUV for I’d never dream of saying the same or anything close to it of its Stelvio big brother.
Let’s put it another way: even if this weren’t an Alfa Romeo and came with no weight of dynamic expectation, and even by the frankly modest standards of 1.8-tonne SUVs, I’d be pretty put out by it. Looks aside there is nothing that is anywhere close to what I want an Alfa to be, or how I’d like it to behave.
The little 1.3-litre engine, heavily boosted by both turbo and hybrid additions, is coarse, the ride is queasy, the handling utterly uninvolving and the steering so remote that one attempt to round a corner with any kind of enthusiasm will convince you never to try anything so foolish again. If this is Alfa’s future, I fear for it. AF
Price £48,495
Engine 1.3 litres, four cylinders, petrol, turbocharged, hybrid
Power 276bhp
Torque 295lb ft
Weight 1835kg
Power to weight 150bhp per tonne
Transmission Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
0-60mph 6.2sec
Top speed 128mph
Economy 217mpg (WLTP)
Verdict Enormous disappointment.
In this spot last month I reviewed the new electric Peugeot 3008 and now, hot on its heels, comes its deadliest rival, domestic or otherwise. As regulars will be aware,…
If you look at the Land Rover LRX concept from 2008 and this Range Rover Evoque, you’ll be left in no doubt what a debt the latter owes the former.…
Back in 2011 Rolls-Royce announced that it had made an electric car. Just one, mind, to canvass the views of current and prospective customers and those of a small number…
I’m always quite nervous when it comes writing about industry stories, largely because I think they are of far greater interest to nosey hacks like me who know some of…
Five years ago, missing the Geneva Motor Show was virtually unthinkable for any major car manufacturer. This year’s list of exhibitors is embarrassingly full of largely unknown brands. Andrew Frankel looks behind the staggering demise
Searching for the pinnacle of motor car production, Andrew Frankel winds the clock back 14 years to ‘peak car’. We just didn’t know this was as good as it was ever going to get
The electric revolution is set to continue in 2024, with a new MG roadster, Porsche’s battery-powered Macan, and Renault’s fun-focused 5. But the combustion engine will continue roaring too, says Andrew Frankel, thanks to supercar makers and a rare BMW M5 Touring
It was a year dominated by new electric car launches — too many of which were lacklustre. But among the cars that over-promised and underdelivered, Andrew Frankel found some gems — both battery- and petrol-powered
This is the most important new Volvo in years. Decades possibly. At least to Volvo. The EX30 is Volvo’s first crack at the compact crossover EV market, a sector that…
The car industry is ploughing billions of pounds into electric cars but sales declined among private buyers in September. Andrew Frankel puts his finger on the problem
Remember Jaguar? Time was when it was the pride of the nation, and even in more recent times it’s made some fine cars among a few frankly undeniable clunkers. When…
I try hard, as hard as I can, not to pre-judge cars. Let them stand or fall on their own merits rather than your preconceptions of how they’re likely to…