The reveal of the Alfa Romeo Tonale is right around the corner, and less than two weeks away from its official debut on February 8 our spy photographers were able to capture it testing yet again. Thanks to the many spy shots, teasers, leaks, and official concept vehicles we’ve seen since the SUV started making its rounds, we have a decent idea of what the production vehicle will look like.
The front will feature distinctive triple-beam LED
headlights connected to a classic Alfa Romeo grille by an unbroken line of
intakes. Lower down, the bumper will feature a large opening that spans the
full width of the vehicle and is flanked by vanes on either side. Out back, the
taillights feature a similar triple-element motif to the headlights, and as is
the trend with many vehicles today, they are connected by a full-width light
bar. In the interior, the most noteworthy details we’ve seen are a sculpted
dash and large screens for the infotainment system and gauge cluster.
Overall, the SUV’s design should be very similar to the
concept, just with more realistic proportions that adhere to production and
safety requirements. As far as power is concerned, the Tonale is expected to
use a plug-in hybrid powertrain borrowed from the Jeep Compass 4xe. The system
consists of a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine mated to a rear
electric motor that, depending on configuration, makes as much as 237 hp and 270 Nm of torque, although those figures will
likely be higher for the sportier Tonale since Alfa Romeo’s CEO, Jean-Philippe
Imparato, wanted better performance for the Italian SUV.
After its public debut on February 8, the Tonale will go on
sale this summer, and will compete against the plug-in hybrid versions of the
Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3, and BMW X1.
