In the nineties Alfa Romeo was quite successful, with the beautiful 147, 156 and 166. But as it so often happens with Italian brands, there is no further action. In recent decades, a model offensive for Alfa Romeo was announced time and again, but then it went out like a candle. The only two Alfa Romeo models still available are the Giulia and the Stelvio. The first one is six years old, the second one five years old.
We already saw production version Alfa Romeo Tonale
They would be joined by a suv under the Stelvio, the Alfa Romeo Tonale. We were shown a study model of this in March 2019. The production model (which we already saw in October 2019) would make its debut in early 2022, six years after the introduction of the last new Alfa! But that will now be later, reports the site Automotive News Europe. Jean-Philippe Imparato, the new Alfa Romeo director, is said to think the Tonale’s plug-in hybrid powertrain is not Alfa-worthy.
Plug-in hybrid powertrain needs to be more powerful
Imparato comes from Peugeot – which he managed to drag away from the edge of the abyss – and finds Alfa Romeo in a difficult situation. Fiat Chrysler has merged with Groupe PSA (Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot), giving the Italian brands much-needed access to French engineering. But the Alfa Romeo Tonale is still based on Jeep technology, with a 190 or 240 hp plug-in hybrid powertrain. A powertrain with 300 horsepower is available at PSA, so Imparato probably wants the Tonale to come up with more power.