Meet the Alfa Romeo Tonale: Production-ready SUV leaks ahead of official unveiling

Images of the Alfa Romeo Tonale have leaked ahead of its official reveal, with photos of what appear to be the production version appearing online after a private showing in Italy.

The brand’s new Volvo XC40 rival – not just Alfa Romeo’s first small SUV, but also its first plug-in hybrid – was revealed in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show.

And what appears to be a production-ready Tonale (it’s named, like the Stelvio, for an Italian driving road, the Tonale Pass) hasn’t strayed too far from that original design brief, if these photos, first published on carscoops.com, are anything to go by.

Those razor-thin headlights have changed, for one, being made a wider, and the bulging 21-inch alloys from the concept car appear to have been toned down as well.

While we haven’t seen the interior yet, the concept car was home to a leather-wrapped and driver-focused cabin, headlined by a 12.3-inch digital binnacle and 10.25-inch central touchscreen.

We’re also none the wiser on what’s under the bonnet, but we do know that Alfa has promised its Tonale will “open the way to new technological solutions that maximise the pleasure of sporty driving” thanks to an electric motor housed at the rear axle. But the focus here is on fun over frugality, with the Tonale to feature a “Dual Power” mode which will unlock maximum output from the engine and motor for spirited blasts.

While Alfa Romeo in Australia is yet to confirm timings on the Tonale, we understand they’re pushing to have it head as early as possible, and with an international launch rumoured for next year, that could be sooner rather than later.