The first of anything is kind of a big deal, such as the first man to walk on the Moon, the first Apple phone or the first guy to hook up with Rihanna. The same is true for Alfa Romeo, a company struggling to balance heritage with modern trends.

Though it used to be considered a top player in the premium market, Alfa lost its powerful sedans and stuck with two little hatchbacks for many years. Now, they're launching models in quick succession, thanks to lots of money from parent company Fiat-Chrysler.

First comes the Giulia sedan, which was shown a couple of months ago and will enter production in 2016, followed by the yet unnamed SUV.