Alfa Romeo Giulietta officially axed: Italian Audi A3 competitor discontinued to make room for new Tonale 2021 small SUV

Alfa Romeo will wind down production of its Giulietta small hatchback later this year to make room for its upcoming Tonale small SUV.

Alfa Romeo head of marketing Fabio Migliavacca told Autocar that the “Giulietta is expected to finish its life at the end of this year.

“The trend is to have SUVs in the C-segment, so the Tonale SUV will be the replacement for Giulietta,” he said.

The move means the Italian luxury car brand will soldier on with just three models – the Giulia sedan, Stelvio mid-size SUV and 4C sports car – until the new Tonale lands.

Alfa Romeo Australia is yet to confirm any details on upcoming Tonale, but a late 2020 introduction in international markets could earmark a local debut sometime next year for the new small SUV.

The Tonale, which will rival other premium small SUVs such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Volvo XC40 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, was first shown in concept form at last year’s Geneva motor show before the production version broke cover in late 2019.

Based on the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) ‘Small Wide 4x4’ platform, the Tonale could share its underpinnings with the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, the latter of which was recently discontinued in Australia.

No engine or interior details have yet been revealed about the Tonale, but the concept vehicle is rumoured featured a plug-in hybrid powertrain lifted from the Jeep Renegade, as well as an all-digital instrument cluster.

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Sales of the Giulietta have slowed this year, with just 35 new registrations in the first three months representing a year-on-year decrease of 37.5 per cent.

For reference, the Giulietta is currently Alfa Romeo’s cheapest model, kicking off at $35,950 before on-road costs for the Super and topping out at $42,950 for the Veloce.

Alfa Romeo Australia says it has enough stock on hand to satisfy customer demand until production winds down towards the end of 2020.

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