Alfa Romeo listens to consumer demand and brings the non-hybrid version of the Tonale to the U.S. while also giving the model a $10,000 discount.
2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale gets a discount and a new engine too.
When Alfa Romeo first introduced the Tonale CUV, the original game plan was to offer it with two engines, the spicy plug-in hybrid equipped four-cylinder and a pure ICE engine. However, Alfa decided to flip the script at the last minute and axed the former engine from the U.S. market (though Canadians across the border had exclusive access to the engine instead.)
This didn’t make much sense, and Alfa Romeo is now not only giving U.S. owners access to the base engine but also a $10,000 discount as it attempts to jumpstart demand for the Tonale to help give the struggling brand a diamond in the proverbial rough in the luxury vehicle market.
Two flavors of Tonale performance
The newly available 2.0-liter engine gives buyers a non-hybrid alternative that’s less expensive.
The newly reintroduced 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is the same as the one you find in non-hybrid Hornets and the engine here retains the 268 hp seen in the Dodge with a nine-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive being part of the package. Buyers who choose to not go for the plug-in and opt for this powertrain instead will get a noticeable discount too with a base 2.0-liter model starting at $38,530. We suspect that this move was made to appease Alfa Romeo dealerships who desperately need something to sell and were not pleased with the last-minute bait and switch on Alfa’s part when the CUV first appeared.
The Tonale also gets the simplified trim structure that the Giulia and Stelvio get with all three now only being available in only one or two trim levels. All three also feature a new Tributo Italiano Special Edition model with the limited production styling package being a premium over other models. In the case of the Tonale, its take on the package starts at $57,180. The PHEV model is unchanged, and still gets its performance from a hybrid equipped 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 285 hp.
More Alfa Romeo Stories
- Road Test Review: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce PHEV – Italian Flair
- Alfa Romeo May Bring Junior SUV to the U.S. as Brand Attempts to Jump Start Electrification Strategy
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Alfa Romeo needs to pull a rabbit out of its hat to survive
The revisions to the Tonale come as the brand struggles to grow in sales due to an aging lineup and inner turmoil at Stellantis.
While the Tonale’s new engine will help give a boost to sales, it might not be enough to help the brand’s lagging sales in the U.S. The Giulia and the Stelvio are slow sellers and the duo has not received a major update in several years. This noticeable age has put a dent in their sales and the Tonale was supposed to help provide a third revenue stream though the decision to make it a pricey PHEV model for the U.S. at launch caused the model to have a slow start in attracting customers.
With Carlos Tavares now out at Stellantis, it will be interesting to see if his potential successor will give Alfa Romeo (and other struggling brands within the broader Stellantis empire) as much time to prove themselves as he did and unfortunately for Alfa Romeo, it has been a consistent money loss leader within the company.
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