LAUNCH PAD

One of the standout models at the recent Autostyle Design+ Edition event in Mantova, Italy was this gleaming green Tonale, the new premium compact SUV from Alfa Romeo. It’s now available to order, with Irish customers able to choose between two highly specified versions, the Ti and Veloce, as well as a Special Launch edition, all coming with their own distinct identities but featuring rich technological features and connectivity, together with the sportiness expected from this famous Italian marque.

The Alfa Romeo Tonale is the most technologically advanced Alfa Romeo ever. It’s the first vehicle to be equipped

with an NFT digital certificate and possesses top-level connectivity and an innovative infotainment system designed to offer Over The Air (OTA) updates and integration with Amazon Alexa. As standard across the range it comes equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth, navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, together with a six-speaker sound system and wireless charging pad.

Dual zone air conditioning, automatic headlamps with dusk sensor and automatic high-beam, auto wipers with rain sensor, auto-dimming rear view mirror and electric folding and heated exterior mirrors ensure driver comfort across the range, while keyless go, powered tailgate and front and rear parking sensors with backup camera with dynamic lines add extra convenience. Intelligent adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking (AEB), drowsy driver detection, speed assist, traffic sign recognition bring enhanced safety as standard to the Tonale range.

From launch, the new Alfa Romeo Tonale, built in Naples, is powered by the brand’s first electrified powertrain. Unique to Alfa Romeo, the 1.5-litre 160hp Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) petrol engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and features a brand-new and exclusive 48-volt 15-kW, 55-Nm ‘P2’ electric motor which is capable of powering the wheels even when the internal combustion engine is off, offering an authentic hybrid driving experience.

The car delivers the driving dynamics and agility of a true Alfa Romeo thanks to the deployment of specific technical solutions which offer the most direct steering in its segment, a brake-by-wire system for regenerative braking and Dynamic Torque Vectoring.

Jarlath Sweeney

As Nissan Ireland introduces new models that provide the Japanese brand with electrified versions across all its passenger car range, James McCarthy, Group CEO of Nissan Ireland has criticised reports that the Government is planning to reduce its target of 1 million EVs on Irish roads by 2030.

Speaking at the launch in Ireland of the all-new Nissan X-Trail with e-Power hybrid technology and the addition of e-Power engines to the Qashqai, Mr. McCarthy said Government needs to step up its EV strategy, not reduce the target to 650,000 as is anticipated to be announced in the forthcoming Climate Action Plan.

“We are on track to achieve the target of 1 million EVs by 2030. Now is not the time to be writing a new Climate Action Plan on EV adoption or to be phasing out the grants that are incentivising thousands of motorists to make the switch to zero emissions driving,” he said, adding: “Nissan has backed the Government EV target since 2019 when we predicted that 15% of car sales would be EV by 2022. We were bang on the money. EV sales are currently 86% up on last year and 15,000 motorists have made the switch to electric driving in 2022. This trajectory proves that we can achieve the target of 1 million EVs by 2030 and there is no rational reason to abandon it.”

Joining the Juke Hybrid and the all-electric Leaf and Ariya, Nissan’s e-Power technology on the X-Trail and Qashqai uses a 1.5 litre petrol engine with a 140kW electric motor and high-output battery. However unlike most other hybrids, the petrol engine is solely used to charge the battery, with the electric motor always driving the wheels. A twin-motor e-4ORCE version with AWD is also available on the seven-seater X-Trail.