The Alfa Romeo Tonale is a crossover concept introduced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Smaller than the Stelvio, the Tonale concept is based on the Jeep Renegade and previews the company's second crossover. It's also Alfa Romeo's first hybrid vehicle. There's no word as to when it will go in production, but it should happen sometime in 2020.

It's been three years since Alfa Romeo joined the SUV market with the Stelvio, and the Italian firm is considering an expansion. With full access to parent company FCA's platforms, Alfa Romeo is putting the Small Wide 4x4 chassis to good use. Already available in the Jeep Renegade, Jeep Compass, and Fiat 500X, these underpinnings will be adopted by the Tonale, Alfa Romeo's smallest crossover yet. When it hits the market in 2020, the production version of this concept will compete against premium offerings like the Mercedes-Benz GLA and BMW X1.

Exterior

When rumors of an Alfa Romeo SUV based on the Jeep Renegade began to surface, some started to worry that the Italian brand might fall down the badge engineering path of its compact crossover. As this concept shows, there's nothing to worry about. Alfa Romeo isn't making any compromises and the Tonale looks very much like a modern Alfa, but also sports classic cues from some of the company's most iconic models.

Up front, the familiar shield grille and the wide bumper vent borrowed from the Giulia and the Stelvio are joined by three-unit LED headlamps inspired by the Alfa Romeo SZ of the late 1980s. Their wide and flat design give the Tonale's front fascia an aggressive look. The front hood reminds me of Quatrofoglio-badged Alfa Romeos thanks to its muscular lines that form a V toward the nose.

Onto the sides, the Tonale looks pretty generic for a modern SUV. It isn't particularly muscular, but the beltline is notably wider than the rest of the body. Alfa says that this design feature pays tribute to the old Duetto and Disco Volante Spider. Interesting features include tiny quarter windows that extends upward rather than downward like on current production SUVs and heavily sculpted side skirts with chrome inserts. The flush door handles and the camera-style side mirrors remind us that the Tonale is just a concept for the time being.

The wheels are also fancier than those seen on production Alfa Romeos. They feature the familiar "phone dial" design first introduced on the 33 Stradale from the 1960s, but with thinner rings and additional cutouts toward the lip. They're pretty cool this way, as you can see the large brake discs and the red calipers. They're also pretty big at 21 inches, way bigger than you'll get on the production model.

The rear fascia isn't particularly impressive, but Alfa went with three-piece taillights that mirror the headlamps for a nice effect. There's also a thin stripe between them so the red lights extends over the entire width of the fascia. A small spoiler sits atop a rather tall rear windscreen. The latter is a notable departure from current compact SUVs, which suffer from poor rearward visibility. A big license plate recess sits between the lower tailgate and the sporty bumper that incorporates two exhaust pipes on each side.

The big question is, how much of this concept will make it into production? Well, the SUV looks ready to hit the production line with minor changes. Alfa will probably add regular side mirrors and door handles and will design bigger headlamps and taillights. The wheels will become smaller, while the rear bumper won't be as aggressive.

Interior

The Tonale's interior stands as proof that Alfa Romeo wants to deliver a compact SUV that's more than just a rebodied Renegade. While Jeep's interior is modern but utilitarian and boxy, Alfa Romeo went with organic design features and an overall sporty feel. The dashboard is clean outside the A/C vents and wraps around the driver and passenger areas by running seamlessly into the door panels. It's finished in a two-tone color, with black used on the upper part and light brown on the lower section. it's this brown section that connects with the upper section of the door panels to form a "cocoon" around the occupants.

A 10.25-inch infotainment display sits on the center stack, but the really interesting part is that there are no buttons and knobs to talk about. Alfa is probably envisioning a new infotainment system that incorporates all controls in its touchscreen. The A/C vents at the corners are also digital. The center section, through which the air enters the cabin in regular cars, displays the temperature. Air probably enters through the ring surrounding it.

The instrument cluster is slightly hidden under a binocular-shaped hood with chrome rings. The display measures no fewer than 12.3 inches, but Alfa Romeo went for round edges instead of a rectangular screen. The red lighting in both dials give it a sporty look. The steering wheel has a flat bottom, but it's slightly bigger than the sporty wheel in the Giulia Q. The dark chrome spokes and the monochrome badge in a middle are a nice touch.

The wide center console lacks the usual gear shifter and hand brake, but features an unique weave pattern that lights up via the vehicle's ambient lighting system. The same pattern is visible on the centers of the door panels. The console extends all the way toward the back, as Alfa went with a four-seat layout for enhanced comfort for rear-seat passengers.

The infotainment system provides access to Alfa Romeo's Lifestyle and Social communities through a couple of new features called Alfista and Paddock. Alfista gives you live access to Alfa Romeo gatherings, drives, and meets. You can confirm attendance, order racing tickets, or apply to win VIP access to special events.

Paddock is an in-vehicle garage and market for real-time viewing and purchasing of interior and exterior performance upgrades and equipment. You can also scroll through the latest Alfa Romeo Merchandise and Apparel products, as well as order them through the touch of the screen.

Drivetrain

This is where the Tonale stands out among other Alfa Romeo vehicles because it has an electric motor in addition to a combustion engine. Unfortunately, Alfa Romeo had nothing to say about the hybrid drivetrain beyond the fact that the electric motor motivates the rear axle.

With no other Alfa features a hybrid drivetrain, the production version of the Tonale will pretty much debut a new powertrain. However, there's a big chance that Alfa Romeo will borrow an existing drivetrain from parent FCA group. With Jeep having just unveiled a hybrid version of the Renegade, on which the Tonale is based on, Alfa Romeo will probably use the same combo.

The gasoline-electric powertrain in the Renegade marries a turbocharged, 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine to an electric motor. The gas mill cranks out up to 177 horsepower in the Jeep, while the electric motor's output is still a mystery as of March 2019. But Jeep that the combo delivers between 190 and 240 horsepower, so the electric motor could deliver up to 100 horses. In order to differentiate the Tonale from the Renegade and main its performance credentials, Alfa Romeo will probably use an upgraded version of this drivetrain, so expect it to generate in excess of 250 horsepower.

All-electric range, on the other hand, should remain similar at 31 miles, while top speed will be limited to less than 100 mph when using electric power only.

Alfa Romeo will also make adjustments to the DNA drive setup of the Stelvio for this crossover. The "Dynamic" mode will evolve into "Dual Power," as the mode that delivers the most output from the two units. It will still include the E-mozione button that enhances throttle settings and provides sharper breaking and more direct steering response.

The "Natural" mode will continue to offer a compromise between performance and efficiency, while "Advance Efficiency" mode will become "Advance E." The latter will deliver the best performance in full electric mode.

The concept vehicle rides on a set of exclusive Pirelli tires that will probably make it on the production model.

Final Thoughts

The Tonale may be just a concept vehicle, but a production version was already confirmed. This is big news from many perspectives. First, the Tonale will become Alfa Romeo's second SUV. Alongside the Stelvio, it should bring more customers to Alfa Romeo and increase the company's profits. Second, it's the brand's first plug-in hybrid and will pioneer Alfa Romeo's new path toward electrification. The experience gathered from designing the Tonale will help the Italian firm create hybrid version for other vehicles, including the Stelvio, Giulia, and Giulietta. And why not, Alfa Romeo may soon introduce a stand-alone EV.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

Read our full review on the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

Four Things I Love about the Stelvio

Four Things I Hate About the Stelvio