The Latest Breaking News from Tonale

When Stellantis published U.S. sales results for its Alfa Romeo brand for the first half of the year, the numbers didn’t look good. Through June, the Italian marque was down 34 percent, with all three models posting double-digit declines: Giulia (-32 percent), Stelvio (-40 percent), and Tonale (-28 percent). Combined,…

Enthusiasts could argue that Alfa Romeo has been selling its soul to the SUV overlords since the Stelvio debuted a decade ago. The smaller Tonale and Milano crossovers also run counter to what the fabled Italian automaker traditionally stands for. A larger SUV to rival the Porsche Cayenne is expected…

The plug-in hybrid crossover is on its way to US dealers now.

Balocco, Italy — Heading downhill on Route SP338 though the Italian countryside, the road narrows to a single lane on the way to Bollengo, a ribbon of fast curves and 180-degree hairpins ahead. I floored my Alfa Romeo tester’s throttle and the steel stallion surged through the tree-lined curves.

ARESE, Italy — A walk back in time through Alfa Romeo's museum here northwest of Milan reveals a company history as twisted as the country mountain roads on which its performance cars gained their reputation.

The plug-in hybrid, 280-horsepower starlet has one unfortunate rival: the cheaper Dodge Hornet.

The compact crossover debuted over a year ago and is already on sale in Europe.

The brand already has 35,000 orders for the crossover.

The crossover goes on sale early next year.