Alfa Romeo Tonale could start as early as spring 2022

According to "Automotive News Europe," Alfa Romeo will have to wait longer for electrification: The compact plug-in hybrid "Tonale," which was supposed to replace the discontinued Giulietta, was actually supposed to be presented in the fall of 2021 and to be delivered to customers by January 2022 at the latest. Images of so-called clinic tests of the production models have already appeared, showing the production version. It features larger headlights and taillight units, larger side mirrors, and door handle bars. However, the proportions of the study have been completely adopted into the series. The drivetrain, including gasoline engines and six-speed gearboxes as both manual and automatic transmissions, comes from Jeep.

So far, so good. But much more important for the brand is the plug-in hybrid drive. Here we have a system output of 190 or 240 HP and 520 Nm of torque each from Jeep, with the 1.3-liter gasoline engine driving the front wheels and an electric machine driving the rear wheels. This allows the front and rear axles to be supplied with drive torque separately and independently, and the all-wheel drive can be controlled more effectively and efficiently than a mechanical system with a driveshaft.

But exactly this drive package doesn't seem to please the new Alfa CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato: Because the Tonale is considered a crucial building block for Alfa Romeo's future and must therefore make a confident appearance. And the Jeep with the small gasoline engine only does that to a limited extent. Although performance and range are adequate, the Renegade and Compass plug-in hybrids set no benchmarks. Therefore, adjustments are to be made, leading to a further delay of three months. This means: The electrified future of Alfa Romeo will likely only reach customers in the spring of 2022.

What does this mean?

Alfa Romeo is once again so depleted that a new model must bring unequivocal success: Because currently, only Giulia and Stelvio remain in the lineup, and not a single electrified model. The Tonale also looks appealing in its production trim but might not set any technical benchmarks at the moment. But that's exactly what it needs to do, as just being beautiful is no longer sufficient for a brand like Alfa Romeo.