2019 Geneva - Alfa-Romeo Tonale Concept previews the brand's first compact crossover

At a time when it's main rivals from Germany and the UK are flooding the market with crossovers and SUVs to satisfy the exploding demands, Alfa-Romeo is waging a lone battle with the Stelvio. It's not hard to guess then the Italian luxury brand is struggling to grow and meet sales targets. 

But the scenario could change very soon. All the Italian car-maker has to do is to put the Tonale Concept you see in this post to production with minimal changes. 

Having debuted at the ongoing 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Tonale - just like it's sibling, the Stelvio - is named after an Italian mountain pass. At 1,883 m elevation, the Tonale pass is not as high as the Stelvio pass, which indicates the Tonale's positioning in the Alfa-Romeo lineup.

Sporting attractive Italian design cues that Alfa-Romeo does to perfection so often, the Tonale Concept impresses at first sight. The fascia, with it's thin lights and the long vertical grille, is seemingly inspired by the Brera while the gorgeous 21-inch alloys decorating the wheels are an ode to the 33 Stradale. Things you would normally see on a concept - thin LED lights, exaggerated wheel arches, ultra-thin mirrors and flush-fitted door handles - are very much there. Remove them all and you'll realize this baby Alfa is a butch-looking crossover with spot-on proportions.

Inside, the Tonale Concept features back-lit panels, generous use of leather and Alcantara and a dashboard with a 12.3-inch display screen and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with a new version of Alfa's infotainment screen to keep the show-goers engrossed. Expect all of these to be toned down when the production model debuts.

Though Alfa-Romeo has been mum on the details, they have been generous enough to say the Tonale would have a hybrid powertrain under it's hood when it gets to production. Underpinnings are expected to be shared with the Jeep Renegade and the Jeep Compass with the Tonale likely to prioritize driving dynamics and luxury to meet the requirements of it's target clientele.

Whatever it is, we can't wait to see this in production. Even if it looks half as good as it does now, the folks at Alfa sure have a winner on their hands!