Alfa Romeo Debuts Tonale Performance SUV Concept:
Shows Alfa's Intent To Enter Premium Compact UV Segment...
This morning at the Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, the Alfa Romeo brand showed the public what the future of the Alfa Romeo is going to look like. Enter the Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept. This compact SUV, blends performance, luxury, function as well as efficiency. The Tonale Concept also shows Alfa Romeo’s intentions to enter the world’s fastest growing segment.
The name Tonale comes from the Tonale Pass, which is not far from the Stelvio Pass in the Alps. The Tonale Pass is a large natural amphitheater famous for its majestic peaks, the natural spectacle of frothy waterfalls and snow all year round in a breath-taking natural setting.
While it looks similar to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the Tonale is injected with Alfa Romeos of the past. The gorgeous Italian design language is blended with voluptuous curves and rounded edges. However the new design language is more aggressive than the Stelvio’s with a front fascia with the incorporated Alfa “Scudetto” trademark grille design, that is pushed forward from it side profile. This gives the Tonale Concept a more athletic side profile, like a jungle cat ready to pounce on its prey. The Alfa Romeo design team gave the Tonale a more aggressive styling front and rear, by making the headlamp and tail light housings more narrow which add to the sinisterness of the new compact SUV.
Inside the Tonale Concept is where it gets interesting. The driver oriented dash layout gives the driver’s peripheral focus to a 12.3-inch full digital cluster as well as a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The new infotainment system features a seamless multitasking interface, that allows the driver to have all of it’s functionality at their command. While the interior is very driver oriented, the overall layout is designed comfortably for four passengers.
The hand-drawn gestural lines stretch throughout the environment to create a muscular tension, as if what surrounds you is ready to lunge forward, following theme with the front end. The emotional significance of the Tonale Concept’s interior is also generated by the contrast of rich materials, such as the cold solidity of aluminum combined with the soft and welcoming warmth of the leather and Alcantara.
The interior features translucent backlit panels, such as the central tunnel, providing the perfect location for the essential Alfa Romeo element, the Dynamic, Natural, and Advance Efficiency (DNA) drive mode selector. The Tonale Concept’s interior provides an inclusive experience, with details typically reserved for the exclusive.
With Tonale’s DNA drive mode selector, the “Dynamic” mode evolves into “Dual Power” and guarantees the maximum output from the two engines. The infotainment touch screen features an E-mozione button, which offers specific throttle settings, sharper braking and more direct steering response. “Natural” mode continues to maintain the best performance optimization, and the compromise between using electric and internal combustion engines is managed automatically. This translates into everyday energy and fuel savings, but not at the detriment of performance. The “Advance Efficiency” mode becomes “Advance E” for performance in full electric mode. So, in line with the principles of the brand, the plug-in hybrid propulsion enhances the beauty, sporty and dynamic driving characteristics of each Alfa Romeo model, taking them to a new level.
While Alfa Romeo hasn’t release detailed specifications on the powertrain, we believe it maybe the same system found in the Renegade and Compass PHEVs that made their debut in Gevena as well. The Jeep PHEV’s feature the 1.3-liter turbo inline-four from the Renegade lineup, combined with the electric motor setup make 240 horsepower. That powertrain can propel the Renegade PHEV in 0-62mph (0-100kph) in about seven seconds.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale introduces the world to the their next generation design language, as well as cement’s Alfa Romeo’s performance legacy into the future with the aid of electrics. While we won’t see this exact Concept make it into production, we expect to see something very close to the Tonale in the Alfa Romeo lineup in 2021 as a 2022 model year vehicle.
2019 Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept Image Gallery:
