Compare the2025 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage PHEV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Tonale doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Sportage PHEV and Tonale have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage PHEV has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Tonale’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Sportage PHEV and the Tonale have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Kia Sportage PHEV achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Tonale has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Sportage PHEV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tonale’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage PHEV 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Alfa Romeo covers the Tonale. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Tonale ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 6 times as many Kia dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sportage PHEV’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sportage PHEV’s reliability 16 points higher than the Tonale.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Alfa Romeo is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage PHEV running on electricity gets better mileage than the Tonale running on electricity (88 city/79 hwy vs. 77 city/77 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage PHEV running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Tonale running its gasoline engine (36 city/35 hwy vs. 29 city/29 hwy).

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 34 miles. The Tonale has to start its internal combustion engine after only 33 miles.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage PHEV uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Tonale requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sportage PHEV higher (6 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Tonale (5). This means the Sportage PHEV produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tonale every 15,000 miles.

For better traction, the Sportage PHEV has larger tires than the Tonale (235/55R19 vs. 225/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Tonale.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage PHEV’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the Tonale (108.5 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage PHEV is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Tonale.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage PHEV has a 2.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tonale (8.3 vs. 5.6 inches), allowing the Sportage PHEV to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Sportage PHEV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tonale doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Sportage PHEV has .5 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tonale.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sportage PHEV’s rear seats recline. The Tonale’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Tonale with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 22.9 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tonale with its rear seat folded (65.5 vs. 50.5 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage PHEV uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Tonale doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sportage PHEV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tonale only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

When the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Tonale’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Tonale’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Alfa Romeo Tonale by almost 41 to one during 2024.