AUTONEWS

Early retirement: Alfa Romeo Tonale could retire earlier than expected

When Alfa Romeo introduced the Tonale in 2022, the model had a special role in the future of the Italian brand. It was the first electrified Alfa Romeo, an entry into the popular compact SUV segment and a car that was supposed to mark a turning point in the brand’s history as a model that had to attract a large number of new customers.

However, just a few months after the latest redesign carried out at the end of last year, information emerged that the Tonale could end production as early as 2027.

According to Italian unions FIM-CISL and UILM, production at the Pomigliano d’Arco plant is set to stop in November 2027, although Stellantis has not officially confirmed these plans yet, Carscoops has learned.

The news is all the more surprising given that the Tonale underwent a refresh in late 2025 that brought a modernized design, improved interior, and technological improvements. Such interventions usually extend the life of a model, rather than heralding its imminent demise.

If the information proves to be correct, the Tonale will remain in production for just five and a half years. That’s significantly shorter than the brand’s other models. The Giulia and Stelvio are expected to remain on the market for more than a decade, while the former MiTo and Giulietta models were on sale for ten and eleven years, respectively.

One of the main reasons for the possible discontinuation of the model lies in the future of the factory in Pomigliano d’Arco.

The plant that currently produces the Tonale and Fiat Panda is set to be adapted to produce a new generation of affordable electric city cars. These include the successor to the Fiat Panda and a related Citroën model. They are expected to play an important role in spreading electric mobility among European customers.

The Tonale passed the 100,000-unit production mark in 2024, but demand has since waned. The smaller Junior SUV has arrived on the market, quickly becoming Alfa Romeo’s best-selling model.

Alfa’s SUV is also not helped by the fact that it uses the FCA Small Wide 4×4 LWB platform, an architecture whose roots date back to 2005.

Even if production ends at the end of 2027, remaining stock could allow the Tonale to remain on sale through part of 2028.

At the same time, Alfa Romeo is already working on new models that should fill the space in the compact class. The development of a new compact SUV on the modern STLA Medium platform, with hybrid and fully electric powertrains, has been confirmed.

In addition, a new compact hatchback on the STLA One platform is being prepared, which should become the spiritual successor to the former Giulietta.

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.

If the rumors come true, the Tonale could be remembered as the model that ushered Alfa Romeo into the era of electrification but also as one of Alfa’s shortest-running models.

The current-generation Alfa Romeo Tonale is reportedly slated to end production at the Pomigliano d'Arco factory in November 2027. This brings the compact SUV's lifespan to roughly five and a half years, a shorter run than expected, as the plant prepares to retool for affordable urban EVs.

Production End Date: Italian unions report that the current Tonale line will cease operations in late 2027, although this shift has not been officially formalized by Stellantis.

Recent Revisions: Despite a recent late-2025 refresh that modernized the design and focused the lineup to a gas-only 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the Tonale has faced collapsing sales in key European markets, such as Italy.

Shift to Urban EVs: The Pomigliano facility is expected to pivot toward producing smaller, mass-market electric vehicles.

Lineup and Trims...If you are exploring or evaluating a Tonale, the recent lineup updates include:

Gas-Only Transition: Following the discontinuation of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, current models are powered exclusively by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.

Trims & pricing: The lineup features trims such as Sprint, Veloce, and Sport Speciale.

Dimensions & utility: The 178-inch crossover features a wheelbase of 103.8 inches and expands to 54.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded.