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Alfa Romeo Stelvio CUV to debut at 2016 LA Auto Show

America loves crossovers. Alfa Romeo wants to succeed in America. So it only makes sense that the troubled Italian automaker will introduce its first ever CUV on American soil. That's per a report from Australia's Motoring, which claims we'll clap eyes on the Stelvio for the first time this November in Los Angeles. The news was announced by Alfa Romeo and Maserati boss Harald Wester, who said it'd be a late fall debut, according to Motoring. That almost certainly means the mid-November to-do in LA. "We will have an additional product in the [CUV] segment with the new Alfa, to be presented in late Autumn this year, and for the time being there are no plans for Maserati to further extend our range downwards in the more compact SUV segment," Wester told Motoring. The Stelvio – the name was confirmed by FCA boss Sergio Marchionne last month and comes from the iconic Italian pass and the snaking road attached to it – will be based on the Giulia's rear-wheel-drive platform, and will be offered in both two- and four-wheel drive versions. Like the Giulia, there will be both four- and six-cylinder options, which according to the Aussies will include a high-performance Quadrifoglio Verde model. Related Video:

Marchionne: FCA, but not Ferrari, interested in Formula E

It seems like automakers have been clamoring to get on board with Formula E lately. In just the last few weeks a number of manufacturers have either become more directly involved, or otherwise announced entry into the series in coming years. That includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, with the latter two abandoning other series to join the electric one. Now, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says his company might join Formula E as well, according to Motorsport. Previously, Marchionne had toyed with the idea of bringing Ferrari into the Formula E field, but now says that would be unlikely. Instead, he thinks an FCA brand would be a better fit, perhaps Alfa Romeo or Maserati. At the moment, Maserati seems like the best fit, as Marchionne just announced that the brand would electrify its entire lineup after 2019, with each car it sells having either a hybrid or electric powertrain. Fans would probably be excited to see Maserati return to racing, and Formula E would be a good test laboratory for the development of electric propulsion technology. Still, another brand could represent FCA in Formula E, and apply the knowledge learned there to its vehicles, as Marchionne says half of the FCA fleet will be electrified by the end of the company's five-year plan ending in 2022. Marchionne said that while Ferrari won't be directly involved, he doesn't know which FCA brand – Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, or Maserati – would enter. As interesting as an electric Dodge race car would be, it seems unlikely, especially because of, well, Maserati. We're hoping it's Jeep, though. Related Video: News Source: MotorsportImage Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images Green Alfa Romeo Ferrari Maserati Green Culture Electric Racing Vehicles Sergio Marchionne FCA Formula E

Alfa Romeo: Reports of 4C's death by 2020 aren't true

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a purpose-built sports car that hasn't put up stellar sales figures in the US. As we found out, it's an uncompromising machine, which is probably one reason why the automaker is struggling to shift a large number of units. A recent report from Autoline, citing Auto Forecast Solutions, claims that Alfa is planning to axe the 4C Coupe and 4C Spider from its lineup by 2020. The report claims that the automaker plans to cancel the next generation of the 4C to focus on manufacturing new models that would have more sales potential. Alfa only managed to sell 309 units this year – that's only 11 more units than the Dodge Viper, which will be going out of production next year. When we questioned an Alfa Romeo spokesman on whether the 4C would be discontinued by 2020, he stated that no plans had been announced yet and referred us to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' five-year plan. The plan mentions two "specialty" models that Alfa plans to introduce between 2017 and 2020. It's not clear whether these models would be in addition to or act as direct replacements for the 4C Coupe and 4C Spider. There's also a possibility that the upcoming models would serve the same purpose as the 4C models, but carry different names. The 4C marked Alfa's return to the US since it left in the 1990s. As part of the automaker's comeback, it plans to put a sports sedan, in the form of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, up against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series later this year. Related Video: