Alfa Romeo has debuted a one-off special edition of their Tonale crossover SUV, tailored towards the needs of parents. Featuring a baby-changing station and an in-built baby monitor, this unique Tonale may just be the answer to the needs of young families the world over.
The Tonale Edizione Bambini features a number of additions created in response to a UK study of parent drivers. Research showed that 59 percent of those surveyed feel that their car’s interior retains a sense of style but admitted that, after having children, it’s a challenge to keep their car cabins tidy. Fifty-six percent of those who took part also felt embarrassed to have other passengers in their car thanks to the mess made by their kids.
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Enter the Tonale Edizione Bambini. First off, the Bambini concept has been designed with more storage spaces for the various paraphernalia that comes with being a parent. You’ll find custom-made seat tidies that neatly fit the backs of the driver and front passenger seats. Not only do they match the rest of the upholstery, but for those who really want to ensure that their offspring have the best chance of being a bonafide alfisti, they feature an embossed Alfa Romeo logo. As a neat feature, each tidy also features a chart pocket, ideal for keeping track of tidiness and encouraging messy kids to clean up their act. And, if you thought a simple seat-back tidy couldn’t be harped on about anymore, Alfa has even added protection panels to mitigate the impact of children who kick the front seat backs − apparently, that happens an average of 3.5 times on every journey. Who knew?
Keeping things clean is high on the priority list. There’s a six-liter touchless bin installed to ensure that wrappers and drinks bottles don’t end up rattling about the cabin. There’s also an included 12V vacuum cleaner stowed on the trunk floor. Also found in the luggage area is an organizer featuring a cleaning bag with a boot-cleaning brush, leather cleaner, tissues, and wet wipes.
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Thankfully it’s not just about protecting and cleaning up. The Tonale Edizione Bambini features a number of ways to ensure that children are kept entertained along the way. There are tablet holders so that movies and games can be a source of distraction on long journeys, and there’s a central tidy that folds away, too, allowing you to stow fun toys to chase away boredom. For peace of mind, there’s an in-car baby monitor, which can be connected to smartphones via an app for use by front-seat passengers and can be positioned for both front and rear-facing child seats.
But, perhaps the pièce de résistance of the entire concept is the retractable baby changing unit. If you have a newborn, you’ll know that changing on the go is no fun. According to Huggies, 86 percent of parents have had to make a pitstop to replace diapers while traveling. The unit on the Tonale reveals itself from the parcel tray, complete with its own custom changing mat, and can be quickly retracted with no impact on trunk space.
While the Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini is officially a one-off creation, there’s certainly scope for its thoughtful elements to make an appearance in the future. Even if a dedicated Bambini edition is too much to ask for, we could certainly see a calling for some of the items to feature on an optional extras list in time to come — perhaps even for the Dodge Hornet too.
