The widely anticipated Alfa Romeo rear-wheel drive sedan will arrive in the United States in the first quarter of 2016, Alfa Romeo US boss said at the New York Auto Show.
Reid Bigland added that the brand’s first SUV will follow in the first quarter of 2017. Alfa’s new D-segment sedan will be revealed in Milan, Italy, on June 24 and will first launch on European markets before the end of the year. The sedan still hasn’t got a name, although it has constantly been referred to as the Giulia. However, Bigland said the name was still under deliberation.
The executive didn’t offer details about the Alfa sedan’s powertrains or equipment, but said its performance would exceed segment rivals such as the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
“I’m confident that it’s going to blow your Italian socks off when you look at the specifications associated with this vehicle,” Bigland was quoted as saying by Autonews Europe.
Bigland hinted that after the launch of regular sedan versions, Alfa Romeo will also offer a high-performance model. “I think with the D-sedan, you can expect performance at or above the Porsche, BMW and Mercedes for like-to-like classes. 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,” Bigland said.
Funny thing he mentioned Porsche, because the German automaker currently doesn’t offer a sedan below the Panamera. Bigland also said that a D-segment SUV would launch in fourth quarter 2016 or possibly in early 2017, and would be a rival for the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Porsche Macan.
Renderings via Thorsten Krisch
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