Alfa Romeo will unveil its first crossover

Alfa Romeo will unveil its first crossover

Fiat Chrysler's 2010 plan for Alfa Romeo's first crossover promised U.S. production beginning in 2012. Four years later the Italian-built vehicle is finally ready to take its bow.

The midsize crossover, expected to be called the Stelvio, will be unveiled this month at the Los Angeles auto show, a company source said.

The crossover has taken a very different track since the 2010 announcement. Executives took a long, hard look at the ailing brand, leading to the 2014 confession that Alfa's DNA "had not been respected" in recent history.

That was coupled with an announcement that FCA was sinking 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) into the development of an Alfa-only, rear-wheel-drive platform shared by the Stelvio, the recently launched Giulia midsize sedan and a promised six other vehicles. FCA also retrenched the brand back to its homeland of Italy, where all the models will be built.

The Stelvio is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of 2017. It will compete against models such as the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 and give Alfa dealers a vital volume model to sell alongside the Giulia and 4C sports car. Engines are likely to include the 280-hp version of the four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline unit powering the Giulia. A smaller crossover is expected to be revealed later next year.