Los Angeles ? ? Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV?s Alfa Romeo luxury brand, working to expand its significance in the U.S., on Wednedsay unveiled the stylish and curvy Stelvio SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Head of Alfa Romeo Reid Bigland touted the all-new midsize SUV as ?the fastest SUV ever,? with a zero-to-60-miles-per-hour time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 177 mph thanks to a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter, bi-turbo V-6 powering the vehicle?s top-trim Quadrifoglio.
?The all-new Stelvio sets an entirely new benchmark for the SUV segment,? he said during the unveiling, adding the vehicle was ?uniquely engineered to challenge two-door sports cars on the track.?

The new 2018 Stelvio is expected to be available beginning early next year in Europe, followed by the United States in the second quarter. It?s the second of eight all-new vehicles planned for the Italian make that is re-entering the U.S. market after a two-decade absence. The first was the midsize Giulia sedan, which is expected to arrive stateside next month. The SUV is named after one of the greatest driving roads in the world ? the Stelvio pass in the Italian Alps.
?You might say Alfa Romeo is the opposite of the autonomous driving movement. At Alfa Romeo we want people to become actively, physically and emotionally engaged,? Bigland said. ?At a time when the thrill of owning a luxury car seems to be fading, we believe Alfa Romeo offers a welcomed alternative.?
The Alfa Romeo brand is important to Fiat Chrysle...