The Tonale is the first new Alfa Romeo in more than five years. With the model’s debut, the legendary Italian brand enters a new segment of the market, introducing its first compact SUV, or CUV (crossover utility vehicle). Joining the larger Stelvio SUV and the Giulia sedan, the Tonale now represents a full third of Alfa’s current lineup.

We spent a day taking a European-spec Tonale PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) on a first drive around northern Italy, and even got it out on track at Alfa Romeo's Balocco Proving Grounds.

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: It’s pronounced “toe-NAH-lay.” The name refers to the high-mountain pass in the Rhaetian Alps, and while there may be sophisticates who are unfamiliar with the source, there aren’t any teeing up jokes about phalanges and their keratin tips.

The 2024 Tonale PHEV is also the first-ever car to be offered with a non-fungible token, or NFT, certificate, though what that means for the purchaser “IRL” remains to be seen. Alfa suggests that it will improve the car’s resale value, for one thing, because the NFT tracks the vehicle’s life and will serve as digital proof that it has been properly maintained.