It’s been nearly 3 years since we first saw the Alfa Romeo Tonale concept.
Things have been relatively quiet against a flurry of other Stellantis reveals, but now it’s time for the production model to debut. Alfa Romeo announced this week that its next big model will reveal itself on Feburary 8 at 9 AM EST.
Why is it a major deal? One of the few things we’ve known with certainty over the past few years is the Tonale’s crossover form — a compact (C-segment) model to slot in below the Stelvio. That makes sense, since crossovers are red hot, but there’s more to it than that. “The Metamorphosis” event, as it’s noted in Italian in the teaser above, refers to Alfa’s transformation toward an electrified brand, and that’s how this Tonale will make its mark.
As the situation presently stands, the brand aims to phase out internal combustion entirely by 2027. So, the Alfa Romeo Tonale Plug-in Hybrid is an important stepping stone toward that goal. We’ll have more detailed information in a couple weeks, but at least now we know exactly when Alfa’s next model to compliment the Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossover will emerge in production form.
Based on the reveal timing, it’s likely we’ll see the first Alfa Romeo Tonale CUVs delivered sometime this summer. As far as we know, the brand’s first PHEV will use a similar setup to the (similarly sized) Jeep Compass 4xe. While it’s not on sale in the U.S., Jeep’s compact plug-in hybrid uses a 1.3-liter turbocharged engine at the front mated to an electric motor in the rear, tied to an 11.4-kWh motor. Pure-electric range stands at about 30 miles, though it remains to be seen how the specs may vary in Alfa Romeo’s application.
Speaking of the brand, check out one of our most recent Alfa updates on the Tonale’s big brother below:
