Alfa Romeo teases Tonale replacement

Alfa Romeo has teased a new small SUV, and it will likely be a replacement for the Tonale. 

Joining the dots with previous statements from Emanuele Cappellano, head of Stellantis for the enlarged Europe region, as well as tidbits of information from Stellantis, the new SUV in the image is the Tonale's successor. That said, there's a small chance the new SUV will sit alongside the Tonale, at least for while.

Interestingly Alfa refers to the a car as a C-segment SUV, rather than referring to it by name, suggesting it will wear a different nameplate to the Tonale.

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From the single teaser image released, the new unnamed model seems to have an aggressively raked tailgate, meaning it will have a 'coupe SUV' body rather than the more conventional and capacious upright SUV style used by the Tonale.

Stellantis has confirmed the car seen here will be based on the STLA Medium platform that serves as the basis for the Peugeot 3008 and 5008 SUVs, the third-generation Jeep Compass, as well as models from DS, Lancia, Opel and Citroen.

The automaker is keen to point out that STLA Medium is a multi-energy platform and the new Alfa will feature "multi-energy powertrains... to compete in the heart of the market". If it follows the pattern of its platform-mates, the new Alfa Romeo SUV will be available with 48V mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric drivetrains.

The Tonale by comparison was one of the last vehicles developed by Fiat Chrysler before it merged with PSA Peugeot-Citroen to form Stellantis. As such, it uses the much older Small Wide platform, which traces its roots back to Fiat's partnership with GM that yield vehicles included the 2005 Fiat Grande Punto, 2006 Opel Corsa and 2008 Alfa Romeo MiTo. Updates throughout the years has seen the platform evolve to accommodate a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

Styling for the new SUV is being handled by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo in Turin, and the car will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2027. Production will take place at the company's factory in Melfi, in southern Italy.

The new SUV will be part of a two-prong attack on the C or small car segment, alongside a belated successor to the Giulietta hatch, which went out of production in 2020.

While the C-segment SUV rides on the existing STLA Medium platform, the new Giulietta will be based on the STLA One architecture announced earlier this year and which supports hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric drivetrains.

In addition to these two models, Alfa Romeo is also working on the next-generation Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV. Replacements for these cars were due to be on the market by now, but have been delayed as the brand is adding combustion-powered variants to both models.

Both the Giulia and Stelvio are based on the STLA Large architecture used by the Dodge Charger, and were initially envisioned as the first all-electric models in the brand's history, but slower-than-expected EV adoption, especially in the States, has forced the company to change tack.

MORE: Explore the Alfa Romeo Tonale showroom