Fiat Chrysler Automobiles->ke5312 has made no bones about its plans to add a full SUV->ke145 lineup for Alfa Romeo->ke1386 and just recently those plans have taken a step forward as the automaker filed paperwork to trademark the name Kamal. Details behind the name are understandably murky at this point, but all signs seem to point to the Kamal being used for one of the planned Alfa Romeo SUVs.

It’s worth noting that Alfa Romeo has already used the Kamal name before. Back in 2003, Alfa debuted a crossover concept->ke169 at the Geneva Motor Show->ke228 bearing the name. As to which crossover->ke288 will get the Kamal name, that’s unclear too. FCA has been known to keep things like this close to its vest, but if recent proclamations are any indication, the Kamal could be used together with the previously known Stelvio SUV to make up two-thirds of Alfa Romeo’s SUV->ke145 lineup. A third model, likely to be the family’s full-sized->ke4304 SUV, is expected to join the lineup further in the future.

Then again, FCA could just revisit history and use the Kamal name on a concept, much like what happened 13 years ago in Geneva. If there’s anything we know about Alfa Romeo, it's that delays and revisions are all par for the course for the automaker. For one, Autoblog says that there’s still no trademark for the “Stelvio” name in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's database, so the trademark filing for the Kamal name could still be used in a variety of reasons.

What we do know is that FCA wants Alfa Romeo to have a crossover/SUV lineup at some point in the near future. When that will happen is still anyone’s guess and even with news of this trademark filing, it appears that we’re still no closer to finding out answers to that question.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Why it matters

This news would be a lot more interesting if there were at least hints of what Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to do with the Kamal name. At this point, the link between the Kamal name and Alfa Romeo is all we have, so the assumption that FCA filed this trademark for the Italian automaker appears to have some weight to it. What's more, the fact the previous Kamal was a crossover concept points to the trademarked name being used for an Alfa Romeo crossover.

But other than that, there’s really very little to go with and neither FCA nor Alfa Romeo are known for being concrete with their plans for the Alfa’s SUV lineup. It certainly hasn’t helped that Alfa’s product plans have been revised and amended more times than I care to count. Even the company’s existing models like the Giulia have experienced some form of delay in the past, so there’s really no telling what Alfa’s concrete plans are for the Kamal name or if there are even plans to begin with. You just never know with the Italian automaker, which only adds to the frustration of trying to piece together a puzzle with so many pieces missing.

If there is a silver lining, it's that FCA filed this trademark for a reason and that’s a clear indication that the parent company of the Italian automaker is at least thinking about what’s coming for Alfa Romeo. I don’t think I’m the only one who’s holding out hope that those reasons will come to the forefront sooner than later. Otherwise, we might as well just tuck this new trademark into our back pockets and wait for any announcements that may or may not happen in the future.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Read our full review on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio here.