New Tonale Will Be The Last Combustion-Powered Alfa Romeo Before Brand Goes Electric

Alfa Romeo has confirmed what many have suspected: the Tonale plug-in hybrid SUV will be the legendary brand's last gas-powered vehicle for the US market. From the model year 2025, all new Alfas will rely on battery electrification for propulsion.

Alfa Romeo's vice president of marketing and product, Vincent Noirbent, shared the news with Autoblog. The sole exception to this is Zagato's just-teased and ultra-limited Giulia Quadrifoglio coupe, due next year. Chances are, a few examples will be offered to US customers.

Aside from that, Alfa's BEV future is definitely happening, which leads us to the following question: what will the brand's first EV be? A coupe? Sports car? Something more extreme? We know that Alfa will rely on parent company Stellantis' STLA Large architecture for future sedans and SUVs. We also know that Alfa won't just build an SUV for the sake of building an SUV.

The current Giulia and Stelvio ride on the soon-to-be discontinued Giorgio rear-wheel drive platform. Overseas in Europe, Alfa is expected to launch a smaller combustion-engined model sometime between now and 2025, but it's not coming stateside because it wouldn't suit our market.

Basically, the Tonale is as small as Alfa will get on our side of the pond. Once the first Alfa EV debuts in 2025, the company plans to release new models annually through 2030.

Not so long ago, we were concerned about Alfa's future in the North American market as sales of the current lineup never took off, unfortunately. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, however, clarified that there's no need to be worried.

Alfa is on a 10-year product plan which, hopefully, will result in it becoming seriously competitive against the likes of Audi and BMW.

"Alfa is going very well. The business has been turned around, and it is profitable. It is now in a position to fund its own future - it's safe," he said at the Paris Auto Show earlier this year.

In June, Alfa launched its new brand identity with a new store in Milan, Italy. The showroom is inspired by nature inside while the exterior takes on a more traditional appearance. As part of its move upmarket, the location also featured a luxurious lounge area, cafe, and a private showroom. Expect at least some of these dealership enhancements to come to the US in the coming few years.