Alfa Romeo Tonale Reportedly Not Good Enough Yet for New CEO
With the 4C roadster currently being phased out, Alfa Romeo’s 2021 North American lineup only has two models. A third was supposed to go on sale late this year, but it appears we won’t see it on the road until early 2022.
We’re of course talking about the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a crossover that’s a bit smaller than the Stelvio and available in plug-in hybrid configuration.
- Also: Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept: The Brand’s First PHEV
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First introduced as a concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Tonale is taking its sweet time to launch, even though small SUVs are hugely popular and the brand desperately needs it to boost sales.
We anticipated the production model to be revealed this summer, but sources have confirmed to Automotive News Europe that it will be delayed by at least three months.
Why? Because new Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato is reportedly not satisfied with the development of the Tonale. He wants more performance, which will require additional work.
The company has declined to comment on the matter, so we don’t know exactly what its targets are for the Tonale in terms of power, acceleration and range.
As an Alfa Romeo product, it’s reasonable to expect something much sportier than the Jeep Compass 4xe and Renegade 4xe sold in Europe with a similar powertrain. That seems to be Imparato’s thinking, too.
These two Jeep PHEVs combine a turbocharged 1.3-litre gasoline engine with an electric motor and 11.4-kWh battery to generate up to 236 horsepower and reach 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds. EV range is close to 50 kilometres.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale needs to make a big statement if it hopes to stand out from other small luxury SUVs, led by the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.