The Italian brand's newest crossover is about to break cover.
Just a few days ago, it was announced that the Alfa Romeo Tonale would be shown to the world on February 8, 2022. This is almost three years after the concept model was put on display at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. A new teaser video posted by the brand's official Twitter account now gives us some insights regarding what we might expect.
The short, 12-second clip first highlights the iconic Trefoil grille with a pair of LED DRLs that give the compact crossover a rather angry expression. We're then shown the digital instrument cluster displaying the brand's badge and a portion of the steering wheel. The tweet explains that this car's driver-centric cockpit design houses the multi-functional “Cannocchiale” cluster.
Discover driver-centric design in the cockpit of the new #AlfaRomeoTonale, featuring the multi-functional “Cannocchiale” cluster. “La Metamorfosi” begins February 8th. https://t.co/7tknJCcFTR pic.twitter.com/dh7o9BUwBq
— Alfa Romeo USA (@AlfaRomeoUSA) January 26, 2022
As we understand, the Tonale will be a crucial product for Alfa Romeo particularly in the USA where its current line of products has not quite seen the success that it was hoping for. The Giulia and Stelvio have been treated to several special editions and more powerful and exclusive performance models but the historic Italian marque continues to struggle against the established Germans.
The Tonale is the brand's chance to tackle a segment that has been showing great market potential, but Alfa will be entering an arena of some commendable competitors with the Stellantis Small Wide 4×4 platform which currently acts as the underpinnings for the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X.
As such, it is expected that the Tonale will employ a turbocharged 1.3-liter gasoline four-cylinder supported by an electric motor to produce a combined 240 horsepower. This is set to make it the company's first-ever plug-in hybrid model and will likely pave the way for future electrified cars.
If the concept was revealed three years ago, why has it taken Alfa Romeo so long to unveil the finished product? That's because brand CEO Jean-Phillippe Imparato was not satisfied with the initial production-ready model when he first inspected it last April. The main issue was with the PHEV system which he complained did not have sufficient performance. With this in mind, the upcoming model may boast a higher figure than the aforementioned one.
Keyword: Get Excited For The New Alfa Romeo Tonale