Alfa Romeo has announced prices of its Tonale Plug-In Hybrid - the most efficient Alfa Romeo ever, with of CO2 emissions of 29g/km and 49 miles of electric-only mode driving.

The Speciale costs £44,595, while the posher Veloce is priced at £48,495. A range-topping Ti version will join the range later in the year. This puts it squarely against rivals such as the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40.

Plug-in Hybrid Q4 offers the best performance in the Tonale range. The hybrid system combines a 177bhp, 1.3-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission powering the front wheels, with an electric motor capable of supplying 90kW of max peak power and 250 Nm of torque to the rear axle. This gives a total of 271bhp and four-wheel-drive traction.

The 15.5 kWh lithium-ion battery supplies an electric range of over 49 miles in the urban cycle and more than 372 miles of total range, with official CO2 emissions of 29 g/km. This gives the Tonale a competitive BIK rate of 8%.

The battery takes around 2.5 hours to fully charge from a 7.4 kW home charger, and the Alfa can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 84 mph in full-electric mode and 128 mph in hybrid mode.

Orders are now open for the Veloce and Speciale, with first deliveries taking place in the first quarter of this year.

Trimming your Tonales? The top spec Ti arrives later in the year