Alfa Romeo used the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show to preview the design of a future compact crossover in the form of the stunning Tonale concept.
Alfa Romeo said at the concept’s reveal that the Tonale would be launched some time before the end of 2022. We now know the date will be in the early part of 2022.
Citing supplier sources, Automotive News (subscription required) reported on Thursday that the Tonale would miss a previously planned launch in the second half of 2021 and will now arrive in the early part of the following year.
The reason? It’s reportedly due to new CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato wanting some changes, including increased performance from a planned plug-in hybrid variant.
Imparato previously headed fellow Stellantis brand Peugeot and only joined Alfa Romeo in January.
Production of the Tonale will be handled at Stellantis’ plant in Pomigliano d’Arco, Italy. The plant is responsible for the Fiat Panda subcompact crossover but the Tonale won’t share the Panda’s underpinnings.
According to Automotive News, the plan is to use the platform found in Jeep’s Compass and Renegade. This means the plug-in hybrid powertrain destined for the Tonale will likely end up being a version of the setup used in the Jeeps. It consists of a1.3-liter inline-4 up front and an electric motor at the rear. Output ranges from 190 to 240 hp, and an 11.4-kilowatt-hour battery provides enough juice for an electric range of approximately 30 miles.
But what about Stellantis’ CMP platform which supports battery-electric powertrains? It’s now expected to be used for a subcompact Alfa Romeo crossover twinned with the DS 3 Crossback and Opel Mokka and possibly offering electric power only.
The Tonale, which will compete with the Audi Q3, BMW X2 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, is a key step in Alfa Romeo’s quest to boost sales, which in the United States last year were less than 20,000 units.
Sadly, we will no longer see the previously announced mid-size SUV, GTV coupe and 8C supercar in Alfa Romeo’s future lineup. Plans for those models were dropped in the run up to the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group to form Stellantis.