Over the next few years, Alfa Romeo should bring a new compact SUV to market to take over from the Tonale, although the company still has not confirmed anything officially and reports remain based on rumors. One of the most persistent theories points to production in Melfi on the STLA Medium platform, which would make the model one of the plant’s key products. No one knows yet how much of that plan Alfa Romeo has already locked in, but the brand does seem ready to change direction compared with the current Tonale.
Alfa Romeo Tonale, the future successor could take a much sportier direction
That shift would not only affect the size of the vehicle, which according to some reports could grow to more than 4.60 meters in length. More importantly, Alfa Romeo appears ready to rethink the model’s overall character. When the Tonale first arrived, many Alfa Romeo enthusiasts criticized it for not fully expressing the spirit of the brand, a perception made even stronger by the absence of a Quadrifoglio version. Alfa Romeo now seems to have taken those criticisms seriously and may be working on a replacement that feels noticeably sportier, more aggressive in its dynamic character, and closer to what people have historically expected from a car carrying the Alfa Romeo shield.
As for powertrains, the lineup should revolve around electrified solutions consistent with the STLA Medium platform. Current reports also suggest that the Quadrifoglio version should keep a combustion-based powertrain, staying aligned with the performance tradition Alfa Romeo has always tied to that badge.
What still remains unclear is whether the future model will keep the Tonale name or whether Alfa Romeo will introduce a different one. That choice would carry some weight, especially because the current name has become linked to much of the criticism that surrounded the model in recent years. In any case, Alfa Romeo’s next compact SUV looks set to become something substantially different, as the brand tries to prove it can still build cars that excite people even in the most commercially important part of its lineup.
