When Alfa Romeo introduced the 2021 Giulia and Stelvio in December, the company noted they would be joined by the “upcoming PHEV Tonale, which will start production next year.” While the company has been tight-lipped about the crossover, Motor.es is reporting the Tonale will be introduced this fall. While nothing is official, the publication says there will be a Tonale Launch Edition and it will go on sale in November. The standard model will apparently arrive shortly thereafter in early 2022.
Previewed by a concept at the 2019 Geneva
Motor Show, the Tonale will slot beneath the Stelvio and become the brand’s
entry-level crossover. Needless to say, there’s a lot riding on it as Alfa’s
return to the United States hasn’t been a roaring success as the brand only
sold 18,292 units in America last year.
The production Tonale will reportedly echo
the concept, but feature revised lighting units and more traditional side
mirrors. The interior is said to largely carryover, but some of the more
extreme elements will likely be dropped.
Engine options remain unconfirmed, but
will reportedly be shared with the Jeep Renegade. If that’s the case, the
plug-in hybrid variant should have a turbocharged 1.3-liter petrol engine with
outputs of 128 hp and 178 hp. The engine is
backed up by an 11.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which powers an electric
motor that develops 59 hp. This gives the plug-in hybrid
Renegade combined outputs of 187 hp and 237 hp. Of course, the most important number is an electric-only range of
approximately 42 km in the WLTP cycle.
