Deliveries of the Alfa Romeo Tonale shouldn’t start in the United States until the second quarter of this year, but the crossover is already enjoying very strong demand. So much so that the automaker is reportedly adding a second shift to the Pomigliano plant in Italy where the Tonal is produced.
At the same factory, Stellantis also made Fiat Panda and the manufacturer stopped production of the small car. Soon, the same assembly line will also be in charge of the Dodge Hornet, essentially a rebadged version of the Tonale. The Italian crossover is currently on sale in Europe and Japan, and will be arriving on US shores soon for a starting price of $42,995 in the entry-level Sprint trim.
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The Pomigliano plant saw a strong increase in production by 34 percent last year to a total of 165,000 units, of which 20,000 were Tonales. With the addition of a second shift for the crossover, Tonale’s output will increase to around 400 units per day. The announcement also means 1,600 workers who were temporarily laid off from factories will return to work.
In its first year on the market, the Tonale recorded 11,171 sales in Europe but it was announced back in November last year that pre-orders for the model had reached 35,000 units. On the Old Continent, this model is sold with plug-in hybrid, mild-hybrid and diesel engines, in contrast to the United States, which only provides a PHEV powertrain. The power plant pairs a small 1.3-liter turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor for a total output of 285 hp.
The Tonale is part of Alfa Romeo’s plans to have at least 40 percent of its sales coming from outside Europe by the end of the decade compared to just 18 percent in 2021. The closely related Dodge Hornet is also expected to generate strong sales by initial estimates. demonstrating over 40,000 potential sales per year.
