Alfa confirms that the new models will all be launched in the US shortly after European launch.

After the 4C Spider goes on sale in the U.S. this summer, Alfa Romeo will begin to flesh out its lineup with a new sedan and SUV by the first quarter of 2017. Reid Bigland, head of the Alfa Romeo brand in North America, says that Alfa’s new D-segment sedan will be revealed in Milan, Italy, on June 24.

The new range will go on sale in the U.S. in the first quarter next year. The still-unnamed sedan has been referred to as the Giulia, but Bigland said the name was still being hashed out.

He also declined to discuss powertrain or equipment specifics about the car, but said its performance would exceed segment rivals such as the BMW 3 series, Mercedes-Benz C class and Audi A4.

“I’m confident that it’s going to blow your Italian socks off when you look at the specifications associated with this vehicle,” Bigland said in an interview Thursday.

After the first Alfa sedans arrive, the brand will ramp up with additional trims in following months, Bigland said, signaling a high-performance version may be in the offing.

“I think with the D-sedan, you can expect performance at or above the Porsche, BMW and Mercedes for like-to-like classes,” he said. “With our base, our mid and our high, look for them to be a little bit of a notch above based on what they have in the market right now.”

A D-segment SUV would arrive next year in either the fourth quarter or possibly in early 2017, Bigland said, when it would go up against the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Porsche Macan.

The two models will both be based on rear-wheel-drive technology dubbed Giorgio, a report in January said. The SUV will likely be produced alongside the sedan at the Cassino plant near Rome.

The two new nameplates will be among the eight new models that Alfa Romeo plans to roll out globally by 2018 as parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles seeks to rebuild the iconic Italian marque to rival the big German luxury brands.

You can reach Ryan Beene

REPORT HERE

PICTURES FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY