The Alfa Romeo Tonale has just been restyled... and Stellantis has already planned its production stop date

L'Alfa Romeo Tonale is probably in the final year of its career. The Milanese manufacturer's compact SUV has recently benefited from a number of upgrades to remain competitive in a particularly competitive market, Stellantis has already set a date for the end of its industrial adventure. According to our information, Tonale production at the Pomigliano d'Arco plant will cease next year. This may seem a long way off, but it marks the beginning of a new phase for the company. Alfa Romeo and its SUV range.

A relatively short career for Alfa Romeo's first electrified SUV

Officially presented in February 2022, the Alfa Romeo Tonale will ultimately have a career spanning just over five years. A relatively short cycle for such a strategic model, since it represented the Italian brand's first electrified compact SUV and was intended to enable Alfa Romeo to win over a new audience.

Despite a recent restyling and various improvements designed to enhance its appeal in the face of ever-increasing competition, the Tonale's fate now seems sealed. Production of the SUV will cease at Pomigliano d'Arco in November 2027, making way for an entirely new model... at another plant.

This information also confirms an important point: contrary to recent expectations, the future C-segment SUV will not cohabit with the Tonale for several years. It will take over directly from it.

The A4U project becomes a reality

The other major lesson concerns the famous in-house project known by the code name «A4U». Long mentioned in Stellantis planning documents, this new C-segment SUV has now been officially confirmed by the Group.

Positioned at the heart of the European market, this future model will be based on the STLA Medium platform and produced at the Melfi plant, alongside the Lancia Gamma. Its dimensions will be significantly greater than those of the current Tonale, with an announced length of over 4.60 meters. It will thus be closer to the current Stelvio than to the Tonale MY26. The new SUV will be offered with a range of powertrains, from hybrid to 1000 % electric.

Replacement rather than coexistence

Confirmation that the Tonale will cease production in November 2027 clarifies Stellantis' industrial strategy. The future A4U SUV produced at Melfi will directly replace the Tonale produced at Pomigliano d'Arco. The decision also reflects Alfa Romeo's evolving positioning. The future model will be larger, more premium and should offer a higher level of performance, particularly in terms of perceived quality.

The Group also seems to have learned some lessons from recent years. While the all-electric strategy seemed inevitable just a few years ago, the choice of a platform capable of accommodating several types of powertrain demonstrates a desire to adapt more closely to market realities and customer expectations. To find out, just look at the Lancia Gamma and DS N°8.

Finally, the product plan is respected

This announcement is also interesting when compared with the planning documents that we were able to consult at the beginning of 2024.

Looking at the projects now confirmed, we can see that the broad outlines of the original plan are still valid. After the launch of the Junior, Alfa Romeo is preparing a new C-segment SUV for 2027 to replace the Tonale. At the same time, the brand is still working on the a compact sedan to succeed the Giulietta and the 147.

While some programs have fallen behind schedule, notably the future generations of the Giulia and Stelvio, the strategy for renewing the core range seems to be following the timetable devised several years ago.