The Alfa Romeo Tonale may not be as fun to drive as the dated but still impressively nimble Stelvio, but it also wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to draw in the kinds of buyers who don’t know the difference between rear and front-wheel drive, while also printing money. And since European law enforcement isn’t necessarily ‘roided out and convinced it’s at war with its citizens, it generally made sense that Italian cops adopted the Tonale as a police cruiser. That relationship, however, has since soured, with the police union now complaining the Tonale cruiser’s handling is dangerously bad, and Alfa Romeo threatening to sue if it doesn’t stop.
On April 29, the Carabinieri Trade Union Association announced it had filed a complaint with the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, alleging that the Alfa Romeo Tonales they’d been issued were inadequate for their mobile radio response units. Per an online translation of the original Italian, the union claims “numerous operational reports from military personnel on duty highlight serious critical issues related to the road holding of the vehicle, in particular when used at high speed or on rough road surfaces, conditions typical of mobile radio activity.” Additionally, the complaint “expresses deep concern for the safety of operators forced to use a vehicle that could compromise the effectiveness of interventions and put their safety at risk.”
In other words, they don’t handle well, and the Carabinieri don’t want to drive them anymore. Yikes. That said, it’s also important to note that we’re talking about “a 163 horsepower car model” that’s also “equipped with partial armor,” so the Tonale cruisers they’re complaining about probably don’t drive the same as the plug-in-hybrid Tonales we get here that make 285 hp and aren’t weighed down with partial body armor. (Even our new nonhybrid Tonales have 268 hp.)
Alfa Romeo responds
No automaker wants to see complaints that their vehicles are unsafe, and according to Italy’s Quotazioni, Alfa Romeo has already responded. An official spokesperson said (again, using an online English translation from the original Italian), “Alfa Romeo reiterates that its vehicles comply with the most stringent safety regulations in force and are subjected to rigorous evaluation tests also by the Police Forces of the countries in which they operate, including the Carabinieri, in Italy.” They added their own praise for the Tonale’s technology and safety features, claiming those are “qualities that have earned the trust of over 100,000 customers worldwide.”
They also emphasized that “[Alfa Romeo] therefore confirms the high level of quality, reliability and safety of its models, developed with advanced technological standards and in compliance with approval and regulatory requirements.” While suggesting they’d be willing to work with the appropriate authorities to resolve the police union’s complaint, they also concluded their statement by saying Alfa, “[reserves] the right to protect its image and reputation in the appropriate venues.” Feisty!
Having never driven a Tonale police cruiser, I couldn’t possibly tell you how legitimate the Carabinieri’s complaints are, but I won’t pretend I don’t love the idea of watching this play out in court. With everything else that’s going on, who wouldn’t enjoy a little low-stakes drama that won’t impact their lives, either way? As for those of you who will inevitably question where the Italian police could possibly be going at such high speeds, it’s probably a good idea to take a step back and consider the possible consequences if they failed to arrest a home cook before they made carbonara with American bacon, served ragu Bolognese over spaghetti or put cream in their Alfredo sauce.
Society would obviously collapse immediately, and Italy would be no more. You don’t want that now, do you?
