Alfa Romeo Giulia QV priced from $143k

Alfa Romeo has finally put a dollar figure on its range-topping Giulia QV.

The Italian brand has announced its red-hot sports sedan will cost from $143,900 (plus on-road costs) when it arrives in local showrooms from the middle of February.

That positions it directly between its two main adversaries, the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S which cost from $139,615 and $158,115 respectively, even though it is faster than both of them around the famed and gruelling Nurburgring Nordschliefe circuit.

The Giulia QV is one of the most hotly anticipated cars of 2017, as it sets the tone for a multi-billion dollar reinvention of the storied Italian car maker. It has also intrigued fast car enthusiasts with its performance credentials thanks to its Ferrari-derived 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that pumps out 375kW of power and 600Nm of torque, which is enough to propel the rear-drive sedan from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

As announced late last year, the Giulia QV will feature a high level of standard equipment, including a full leather cabin with snug-fitting sports seats, a high-end multimedia system with sat nav, digital radio and the latest in connectivity as well as a comprehensive suite of active safety systems such as automated emergency braking, lane departure and forward collision warnings.

The QV will sit atop the regular four-cylinder models, which starts with the standard Giulia and rises through the Giulia Super to the Giulia Veloce. While Alfa Romeo has already outlined details for those variants, it has yet to reveal final pricing, which is expected to start under $60,000 for the entry-level model.