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Alfa Romeo Tonale drops the non-hybrid 2.0-liter for the U.S.

Until last week, we were expecting the Alfa Romeo Tonale to be sold with two powertrains here. When the compact crossover greeted the world for the first time in February, Alfa Romeo told us our market could expect a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the base option, putting out 256 horsepower through a nine-speed automatic to all four wheels. The premium choice would be a plug-in hybrid powertrain that paired a 177-hp, 1.3-liter four-cylinder turning the front axle with a 121-hp electric motor working the rear axle for a combined 275 hp. The PHEV would also be capable of 30 miles of pure-electric motoring in the U.S. Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philippe Imparato told Automotive News Europe during the media drive that the non-hybrid 2.0-liter is no longer an option for the U.S. because Alfa Romeo needs to go especially aggressive on reducing emissions here. In Europe, the Tonale can be ordered with both powertrains as well as a diesel. Here, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently proposed a new set of regulations that lay out tougher benchmarks for an automaker's CO2 emissions. If the regulations pass, 35% of an automaker's sales in the state will need to be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) by 2026 and 100% by 2035. California, by itself, is on the cusp of passing Germany as the world's fourth-largest economy, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, 13 states and the District of Columbia adhere to CARB emissions rules, nine of those follow California's ZEV program, and three more states will join the ZEV regulations over the next three years. Alfa Romeo sold just over 18,000 cars here last year, and it needs plenty of Tonales to offset all those Stelvios. Across the Atlantic, the Euro 7 emissions giving carmakers public fits are slated to come into force on July 1, 2025. For these reasons as well as Alfa Romeo's commitment to going all-electric this decade, Imperato told ANE the PHEV is "an existential need" in the lineup. An Alfa Romeo spokesperson in the U.S. elaborated to Car and Driver, "As a premium brand, the PHEV better aligns with what our customers want in this segment as it provides an elevated experience, greater performance, and more than 30 miles of electric range." The subtext here is that the Tonale's corporate twin, the Dodge Hornet, will offer both powertrains when it goes on sale next year.

Alfa Romeo planning a four-cylinder, 350-hp Giulia Veloce?

At the moment, Alfa Romeo sells a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder Giulia with 280 horsepower for $37,995, and a 2.9-liter, twin-turbo six-cylinder Giulia Quadrifoglio with 505 hp for $72,000. A vacuum separates those poles, and the marketplace, echoing nature, hates it. Some recent Internet sleuthing in The Netherlands and in the U.S. might have identified a suitable object to fill that void: a 350-hp version of the 2.0-liter turbo. Last December, Dutch shop Squadra Tuning discovered an entry on Fiat Chrysler's Dutch-market parts site for a 2.0-liter turbo Giulia producing 350 metric horsepower (345 U.S. ponies). Not long after that, an Autoevolution reader submitted an image of an FCA document for the NAFTA region, which listed a 2.0-liter, 350-hp model for the USA equipped with the eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The name of the model powered by that engine: "Giulia Veloce." Certain international markets already offer a Veloce trim with an auto transmission and all-wheel drive, but engine choices are the 280-hp 2.0-liter we already get, and a 2.2-liter turbodiesel we don't get. If those overseas discoveries were merely smoke, conjecture took a huge step toward fire a few days ago when Bozi Tatarevic found a 2.0-liter, 350-hp engine option on Mopar Tech Authority, FCA's OEM service portal. Car and Driver asked Alfa Romeo for clarification, the carmaker responding, "No plans for any other engines for Giulia in North America for 2018 model year besides the 2.0L and 2.9L [gasoline] versions." Having ruled 2018 out, onlookers have turned their eyes to 2019 for the introduction of this 350-hp motor. What's more, a comment on Tatarevic's tweet sends speculation into 48-volt overboost. Twitter user Rob P replied, "This is pretty well established as happening. MY2019, USA only. 280hp + 48V electrical system + elec. assisted turbo = ~350bhp 'Veloce' in USA nomenclature." No matter how the horses are made, assuming 350 cavalli make it across the Atlantic, Alfa's lineup will profit from the addition: Buyers in the sport sedan segment would get some Italian sprezzatura to cross-shop against German Monumentalitat. Related Video: News Source: Bozi Tatarevic / Twitter via Road and Track Rumormill Alfa Romeo Luxury Performance Sedan FCA alfa romeo giulia 48-volt system giulia

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.