Alfa Romeo, owned by the FIAT group, is one of the few brands that does not yet have an electrified version in their fleet. Neither electric nor hybrid. This will change next year with the arrival of the first plug-ins, and especially in 2022, with the launch of its first electric car.
Tonale will inaugurate the electric era in Alfa Romeo. The car will be a compact SUV that, in 2021, will hit the market with a plug-in hybrid version. The first is in the history of the Italian brand and the third model of the manufacturer, which will include Stelvio, the Giulia and Tonale itself, once the Giulietta was withdrawn from the market at the end of this year.
From Alfa, they want to give their personality to the new Tonale, which they assure will not be a simple copy and paste of the rest of the range. It will have its elements and they hope to maintain the transalpine brand’s spirit and character.
The plug-in hybrid version will borrow the technology installed in the Jeep Renegade. This will involve installing a 1.3 GSE turbo gasoline engine with 180 hp. This will collaborate with an electric motor located on the rear axle. This will give you a combined power of 240 hp while the autonomy within electric mode will be 50 km WLTP. All with a price that should be placed in figures similar to the Jeep, which starts at 40,900 dollars.
The electric version will use a version of the PSA eCMP platform, which is already used by proposals such as the Peugeot 208, Peugeot 2008, Opel Corsa, and DS 3 Crossback. Something that will make it easier for Alfa to adapt and reduce development costs.
As for its benefits, from Alfa, they want to maintain the sporty image of the brand. It is to be expected that it does not share figures with previous models that, as we recall, always mount a motor of just 100 kW (136 HP).
According to the Alfa Romeo spokesperson: “For electric cars, we will stay consistent with Alfa Romeo’s sportiness and use electric motors with a high-performance approach in mind. We are seeking to meet the expectations of an Alfa Romeo customer, but also those of customers seeking comfort.”
Alfa also wants to appeal to the classic spirit of the brand. They have confirmed that they are working to offer their clients the possibility of the car making artificial noises to convey emotions. According to the Alfa spokesperson, “The idea is to create a specific sound to achieve both the driver and the car’s emotions. An advantage of an electric vehicle is silence if the customer wants to drive that way. But it will also have the possibility of an aggressive mode.”
He also adds that in the coming months, we will see a rapid evolution of technology. It is quite possible the brand is already working with a new type of battery that allows putting on sale a competitive B-SUV from an aesthetic point of view, but also the technician.