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Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini concept is a stylish way to parent

Your grandparents' boots were made for walking, and they're still cool. Your parents' minvans were made for, well, you, and now that you're the car buyer, you've made it clear minivans are uncool. Crossovers and SUVs run family bus routes now, and they're simply not as handy for hauling the kiddie army as the playroom-on-wheels that is a minivan. Alfa Romeo has an idea about how to change that. The automaker's UK arm interviewed 2,000 parents to get insights about parent- and kid-friendly features. The results come together in a one-off called the Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini — the Kid's Edition, as it were. The biggest gripe parents had was how hard it is to keep their vehicles clean. A spiffy leather organizer that Alfa Romeo should sell for every Tonale, not just the babyfied ones, hangs over both front seats. It's got shaped slots for a drink bottle, a bento box for snacks, and pens. It also protects the seat backs from the repeated kicks that children are known to apply during journeys. A small trash container sits on the floor behind the center console. And because parents today use a thing called a "reward chart," kids can keep track of their progress keeping the vehicle clean so mum and dad aren't embarrassed to take the boss for a ride. There are more cleaning supplies in the boots, these for the elders. They include a battery-powered vacuum charged by the Tonale, and a collapsible caddy with products like a boot cleaning brush, leather cleaner, tissues, and wet wipes.      Move vital parenting duties are aided by the retractable changing station in the cargo area and the baby monitor in the back seat. A survey by diaper brand Huggies found 86% of parents needed to change their child's diapers "on the move." The custom changing station can slide out from under the parcel shelf after the hatch is raised, and is upholstered in an easy to clean changing mat. The video monitor for kids in the back seat can be placed to watch over rearward- or forward-facing baby seats, the feed available in a smartphone app that guardians in the front row can check. The obligatory entertainment needs come courtesy of screens on the seatbacks, headphones hung from the seatback organizers, tablet pockets for up to three children, and a foldable toy caddy. For parents who consider "minivan" a four-letter word, this one-off Tonale is definitely a stylish solution to managing the warehouse of goods so many kids seem to travel with nowadays.

Alfa Romeo working on seven-seat, mild-hybrid SUV

Alfa Romeo will kick off its next product offensive with an SUV larger than the Stelvio (pictured) being prepared for launch about two years from now. The people-hauler, built on the Stelvio's Giorgio platform (the same as the Giulia sedan), will be the first brand offering with an electrified drivetrain, and the largest vehicle Alfa Romeo has ever built. A report last year said the coming SUV would probably slot into the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE segment, however, the XL Stelvio has been benchmarked against the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, and a seven-seater model is likely. Alfa Romeo Chief Technical Officer Roberto Fedeli opened up to Auto Express, saying that a larger, heavier SUV could embody brand DNA with the help of "a 48-volt mild hybrid solution." The near-instant get-up of an e-turbo would counteract weight gain expected to be around 440 pounds. Fedeli revealed Alfa Romeo's testing a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder with an e-turbo on a simulator, and said they "can achieve around 350 to 400 bhp." Right now, the standard Stelvio produces 280 horsepower from its turbocharged 2.0-liter. A larger model that opened proceedings at 350 hp would create enough separation between the Stelvio and a rival like the 333-horsepower Audi Q7 with the 3.0-liter six-cylinder. Were there a Quadrifoglio version, we'd imagine it would want to outdo the 505-hp coming from the four-leaf Stelvio. After the SUV launches, the next-generation Euro-market Giulietta bows. After that, perhaps a new 4C? This summer, Autoline Network reported that the 4C would die in 2020 due to lagging sales. Yet, according to Auto Express, Alfa Romeo execs are still deciding "whether to completely reinvent the Alfa 4C for its next generation with a new chassis architecture and engine." We know that a heavily tweaked 4C appears next year as a 2019 model, the revisions aimed at getting the coupe closer to what it should have been from the beginning, and Fedeli wants a halo car to pitch alongside Alfa Romeo's Sauber F1 sponsorship. A brand new 4C would be a lot to ask, although it appears the door isn't totally closed. Related Video:

Next Mazda MX-5 Miata headed for 2015 Chicago debut

Twenty-six years after it was introduced at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the much anticipated fourth generation Mazda MX-5 Miata will meet the press at the 2015 Chicago show. A piece in Autocar refines some of the details on the larger, lighter Miata that a Mazda insider has said will be "our best-looking car ever."
The company has relented on the quest for the metric tonne, the 1000-kilogram (2,200-pound) target too difficult to achieve in light of cost constraints. You can still expect it to lose a generous dollop of weight - Autocar says a curb weight of 1,100 kg (2,420 pounds) will still make it the lightest in its class. And Mazda will be stressing a fun driving experience through light weight and a modest amount of naturally-aspirated horsepower. Engine capacities of 1.5 and 2.0 liters are expected. Sounds familiar (and good), right?
The Miata's interpretation of Kodo design will be veer from that found on the Mazda3 and Mazda6, with "very clean and simple" lines marking out "more muscular proportions" and elongated bodywork on a longer wheelbase. A stretched engine bay will make room for the current Skyactiv engine and perhaps the future Skyactiv 2 powerplants, initial reports suggesting there could be a 30-percent increase in fuel economy from the moment it arrives.