2013 Alfa Romeo Giulia

is gearing up for the release of its latest baby, the Giulia. It’s a long time coming considering rumors on the car have been around for quite some time now. But in the classic case of ‘better late than never’, the new Giulia,

which is expected to hit the production line at the tail end of 2012, is now further along in its development. This poses as great news for fans of the Italian marquee while on the flip side, the sports sedan’s forthcoming release should be a cause for concern from some of its German rivals, particularly BMW and Audi.

For a brand that has seen its recent struggles, Fiat is hoping that Alfa Romeo’s new Giulia sports sedan will be the car that will help the Italian brand recover its place in the auto industry. It’s a tall order for a sports sedan given the stiff competition it’s going to face in the market once it’s released, but nevertheless, Alfa Romeo is confident that they have found the car that will lead them back to prominence in the 2012 Giulia.

UPDATE 04/13/2011: It seems Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne, is unhappy with the design for the new Giulia so Alfa Romeo may have to wait until 2013 to make its return to the U.S. We’ve waited this long, what’s a few more months?