A few months ago, Alfa Romeo outlined plans to build a new flagship sedan positioned above the Giulia to rival the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, just as the Giulia is competing against the BMW 3 Series. At the time, it was rumored to arrive in 2018 as a large sedan similar in size to the 5er with a 2.2-liter diesel and 2.0-liter gasoline engine from the Giulia with RWD and AWD. However, a new report by Automotive News suggests that Alfa's new flagship sedan has been delayed until 2021.

The timing would place Alfa Romeo's 5 Series fighter after the refreshed Giulia and updated Stelvio crossover. Alfa Romeo's American comeback hasn't been a roaring success, so we can't see it happening somehow. Since launching earlier this year the Giulia's US sales have been disappointing, despite us constantly singing its praises. According to Good Car Bad Car, only 918 Giulia's were sold in America last month, and only 5,494 have been sold so far this year. To put that into perspective, BMW nearly sold nearly that many 3 Series cars last month, with 5,379 cars shipped in August and 37,170 cars sold so far in 2017.

Of course it's bound to take a while for Alfa Romeo to establish itself in America, but there's no doubting that FCA will question the viability of launching another Alfa Romeo sedan in America if this lackluster sales performance continues. Let's hope the recently launched Stelvio can make its mark in the US. After all, Alfa Romeo's future in America could be riding on the Stelvio being a major sales success. It's facing stiff competition in the crowded crossover market, but has a fighting chance thanks to its competitive base price.