When Alfa Romeo unveiled the 2023 Tonale SUV, it announced that it would be available with two different powertrains. The standard engine, is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 256 horsepower and the second option is a 1.3-liter plug-in hybrid with 272 hp. Well now it looks like Alfa Romeo has decided to cancel plans for the non-hybrid 2.0-liter engine.
Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philippe Imparato revealed to Automotive News Europe during a media drive that the 2.0-liter will not be offered in the U.S. The main reason for canceling the non-hybrid engine is because of the need to reduce emissions. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently proposed new regulations that set tougher benchmarks for automaker’s CO2 emissions. The regulations haven’t passed yet, but if they do, 35% of an automaker’s sales in the state need to be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) by 2026 and 100% by 2035.
An additional 13 states and the District of Columbia follow the CARB emissions rules, while nine of those adhere to California’s ZEV rules, while three additional states will also adopt the ZEV regulations over the next three years. Because of this, Alfa Romeo needs the Tonale to offset the sales of the Stelvio and Giulia. The good news is that not only is the plug-in hybrid more powerful than the 2.0-liter, it has 30 miles of electric range.