Barely revealed, the Alfa Romeo Tonale could receive the reinforcement of a Dodge model for the American market, according to photos leaked from the factory.
Revealed in early February, the Alfa Romeo Tonale has not yet started its career that it already has the lead in the wing. During the presentation of the vehicle, the boss of the brand Jean-Philippe Imparato also revealed his ambitions for the American market, in particular with a dedicated engine: a four-cylinder without hybridization of 2.0 displacement, offering 256 hp. Competition, already tough in this segment, could be even tougher with a rebadged Tonale at Dodge as leaked footage shows.
Photo: Cole Marzen (@ cmarzen_209 sur Instagram)
Inconspicuous differences
Unearthed on Facebook, where a factory employee obviously posted a video of the vehicle quickly erased, these pictures show a slightly reworked Alfa Romeo Tonale bodywork. If we immediately recognize the general shape of the SUV and the famous 20-inch telephone rims of the Tonalethe front cover and the shape of the headlamps seem new.
The bonnet notably incorporates new ventilation, while the headlights have a reworked light signature, with orange indicators on the sides. Alfa Romeo’s triangular grille seems to have disappeared. It could be replaced by a finer and horizontal element reminiscent of Dodge productions like the Charger coupe. The rear is unfortunately not visible in the photos.
A thorn in the side for Alfa Romeo?
Could the arrival of this barely rebadged Tonale at Dodge hurt Alfa Romeo? Indeed, the brand is trying to come back in force with an ambitious new model and a desire to move upmarket against the German premium like BMW or Audi. While vehicle rebadging is quite widespread, particularly within the Volkswagen Group, the idea of seeing the same model at the Dodge dealership with a slightly lower price could hurt the Italian brand’s future premium reputation… Response during the year with the official presentation of this future model.
Photos : Cole Marzen (@cmarzen_209 on Instagram) / Autopareri.com
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