Spy shots taken in Sweden have given us the best look yet at the upcoming Volvo V90.

Designed to replace the aging V70 that’s sold in Europe, the V90 is nearly identical to the recently-introduced S90 from the tip of the front bumper to the B-pillar. Beyond that, it gets a longer roof line, a surprisingly rakish D-pillar, and tall, hockey stick-shaped tail lamps inspired by the ones found on the Concept Estate.

Like the S90, the V90 will benefit from an upscale cabin with acres of leather upholstery and a state-of-the-art tablet-like touch screen located on the center console. Built with premium materials, the cabin will offer ample space for five passengers and their gear.

Under the skin, the V90 will be all but identical to the S90 and, consequently, the XC90 crossover. Built on Volvo’s new Scalable Platform Architecture, Volvo’s next wagon will launch with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that uses both a turbocharger and a supercharger to generate 316 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 295 lb-ft. of torque from 2,200 to 4,500 rpm. An eight-speed automatic transmission will send power to all four wheels.

Later in its production run, the V90 will get a fuel-sipping gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain made up of the aforementioned 2.0-liter four-banger, a 60-horsepower electric motor located over the rear axle a smaller motor wedged between the engine and the eight-speed automatic. Called Twin Engine in Volvo-speak, the drivetrain will generate about 400 horsepower and 472 lb-ft. of torque while allowing the V90 to drive on electricity alone for up to 20 miles.

Volvo hasn’t announced when the V90 will make its official debut, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see it bow in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Company executives have previously suggested that both the V90 and the more rugged-looking V90 Cross Country could be sold in the United States.

Photos by Swedish magazine Teknikens Värld.

Mazda is like a brilliant independent film. While not the biggest in terms of blockbuster sales, it is the critical darling amongst those whose professions it is to study and write about cars. Over the holidays, some big changes were afoot at the small, indie automaker, including the departure of its North American CEO.

Jim O’Sullivan, age 62, has retired his post as president and CEO of Mazda North America effective December 31, 2015. Succeeding him will be Masahiro Moro, who comes from his post as head of the global sales and marketing division.

O’Sullivan joined Mazda in 2003 as a transplant from Ford, when the former was still under partial ownership from the latter. However, when Mazda and Ford split up in 2008, O’Sullivan stayed on and helped the small but innovative automaker forge a path of independence.

As other automakers abandoned the nice of enthusiast vehicles, Mazda doubled down on them, creating the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 and a slew of brilliantly fun-to-drive sedans and crossovers. However, Mazda continued to develop new fuel-efficiency technologies such as its SkyActiv range of powerplants and manufacturing techniques, and pioneer new directions in design with its Kodo-themed cars. You could say O’Sullivan was the perfect fit. A die-hard racer, he was not shy about climbing behind the wheels of Mazda’s fleet of vintage race cars for a sprint or two.

Despite Mazda’s excellent product portfolio, the company has not seen sales successes befitting of its lineup. That’s where Moro comes in. The new North American head honcho hails from company HQ in Hiroshima, Japan, where he headed global marketing, sales and “customer innovation” efforts. In an interview with Automotive News, he has stated that the red-hot crossover market will be the key to Mazda’s growth and hopes to see 50 percent of sales devoted to crossovers in the next two to three years.

A crossover-heavy range does not necessarily mean an abandonment of enthusiast machines, however. Mazda has proven it can engineer superb, car-like handling dynamics in vehicles such as the CX-5 and recently launched CX-3. The upcoming CX-9 will continue the trend, according to Mazda engineers we have spoken with. Furthermore, Mazda has affirmed its commitment to sports cars with the RX-Vision concept. Critics have already given Mazda all the accolades an automaker could want. Now it just needs the sales to match.

It has been said that Honda is primarily an engine manufacturer that just happens to make excellent cars on the side. In that case, the latest of their core products has just surfaced online.

Just days after a report about a performance-oriented Civic Si, the powerplant purported to power the hotted-up compact has appeared on CivicX.com, a forum dedicated to the tenth-generation of Honda’s longest-running nameplate.

The photo appears to confirm that the 230-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0L inline-four is not just rumor. It seems more likely than ever that there will be a performance model to slot in between commuter specials and the eyeball-melting Civic Type-R, which will come to the US for the first time in its next iteration.

From the looks of it, the mill is a detuned version of the Type R’s turbo four. That engine rated at 310 horsepower and powers the Type R prototype that currently holds the front-wheel-drive production car record at Nurburgring Circuit.

The engine appears to employ an aluminum intake with cooling fins, electric power steering, an integrated blow-off valve and an integrated oil cooler, possibly for the transmission. Sure to warm the hearts of enthusiasts, the motor is said to be on offer with a 6-speed manual only.

Honda has not made an official statement regarding the existence of an Si. If it does, we are likely at least a year away from the production version.

Mercedes-Benz has started developing a modular platform that will underpin at least four electric models in the coming years.

Called EVA internally, the platform will borrow a handful of components from the MRA architecture that underpins the C-Class and the all-new 2017 E-Class, among others. Entry-level models built on the EVA platform will use a single electric motor that will send approximately 400 horsepower to the rear wheels, while more expensive variants will benefit from a four-wheel drive, dual-motor setup rated at up to 600 ponies. All versions regardless of output will be equipped with an 880-pound battery pack built into the floor pan.

All EVA-based models will boast an adaptive suspension, wheel-selective brake energy recuperation, and torque vectoring. It’s not too far-fetched to speculate they’ll also be offered with the semi-autonomous technology that’s available on many members of the Mercedes lineup today.

Set to arrive in 2018, the first model built on the EVA platform will be a mid-sized sedan positioned between the C-Class and the E-Class in terms of size. It will be followed by a similarly-sized crossover that will slot in between the GLC and the GLC, a bigger sedan, and a bigger crossover. Car magazine reports that a S-Class-sized model and a SUV bigger than the recently-introduced GLS are also in the works, but they’re not expected to arrive until the next decade.

Note: Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive pictured.

BMW, a company whose slogan is “the ultimate driving machine,” might celebrate its 100th anniversary by unveiling a fully autonomous concept.

The yet-unnamed concept will primarily be built to showcase the Munich-based car maker’s self-driving technology. The software will essentially be ready for production, but it will be installed in a concept that’s expected to boast a highly futuristic look. Whether it will be a coupe, a sedan, a SUV, or something else entirely is anyone’s guess at this point.

Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing, told British magazine Autocar the rumored concept doesn’t indicate a fully-autonomous BMW is right around the corner. He points out the technology still has many legal and moral obstacles to clear before it enters production, and he expects that its arrival is at least 15 years away.

“In a situation where a truck is going to hit your car, what does the autonomous car decide to do: save you by swerving out of the way, swerve into the path of another vehicle and possibly kill someone, or hit a pedestrian, or does it simply decide that, yes, the truck is going to hit you? We’re not ready for that,” said Robertson.

BMW will celebrate its 100th anniversary on March 7th, so more details about what kind of party the company is preparing will trickle out in the coming months.

What’s next?
BMW is open to the idea of building an all-electric high-performance coupe, but executives explain the model won’t arrive in time for the centennial celebrations because battery technology hasn’t reached the point where offering buyers range and performance in a lightweight package is possible. Finally, the company has ruled out building a V8- or V10-powered sports car.

Nissan has released a silly YouTube video showing an alternative method to take the ornaments off a Christmas tree.

“It’s always a drag to take down the tree,” the company says. “This year, we used a GT-R to do it in 2.7 seconds.”

The video appears to be filmed at the 3,050-acre Nissan Technical Center North America facility in Stanfield, Arizona. Formula Drift driver Christ Forsberg is behind the wheel.

Powered by a hand-assembled 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 with 545 horsepower and 463 lb-ft of torque, the GT-R can reach 60 mph in a claimed 2.9 seconds.

The Versa Note also would have been effective at tossing ornaments from the tree, albeit with less panache.

General Motors’ diesel-powered GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado are finally headed to showrooms across the country.

The deliveries had been delayed by an unspecified “final validation” issue, as first reported by The Truth About Cars. The company has not disclosed specific details of the snag, though the problem apparently has been resolved.

“The highly anticipated 2016 GMC Canyon diesel has begun shipping to dealers,” GMC spokeswoman Kelly Wysocki said in a statement. “We look forward to getting these trucks in the hands of our customers and appreciate their patience.”

Volkswagen’s emissions scandal may have played a role, in part, by inspiring the Environmental Protection Agency to double-check pending diesel certifications. The scandal surfaced in September, ahead of the pickups’ original scheduled arrival in fall 2015.

The vehicles both received EPA certification last month, suggesting a separate issue caused the latest delays.

Powered by a 2.8-liter Duramax four-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, the trucks are capable of towing up to 7,700 pounds or achieving a highway fuel efficiency of up to 31 mpg. Both command a premium of approximately $3,700 compared to similarly equipped gasoline variants.

Audi has issued a recall for the 2012-2013 A6 and A7 to address a problem with the airbag system.

The company has discovered a glitch with the passenger occupant detection system that manages airbag deployment to prevent injuries to children or infants. In vehicles with heated and cooled seats, the system can malfunction and prevent the passenger-side airbags from deploying in a crash.

“An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of occupant injury in a crash,” the recall documents warn.

Service technicians will install a PODS repair kit in approximately 21,000 affected vehicles sold in the US market. It is unclear if the issue has been associated with any injuries.

The repair program is scheduled to begin in February.

Tesla Motors is reportedly preparing to give its Model S a fresh new look sometime next year.

The facelift is expected to bring the sedan’s design language closer to the new Model X crossover, according to an Electrek report spotted by Green Car Reports. The rumor is based on alleged comments from a Tesla service advisor.

The claims have yet to be corroborated, however the move would not come as a surprise. Model S production will be entering its fourth year in 2016, seven years after the first prototype was unveiled. The company has revised the available powertrains and introduced Autopilot driving-assistance technology, without yet making any revisions to aesthetic appearance.

If true, the sedan could receive a revised front end with a smaller faux grille, new headlights and redesigned foglight surrounds.

The service representative cited in the original rumor allegedly suggested the facelift will not arrive until the Model 3 makes its debut in March.

General Motors will have to go to face the first of several planned bellwether cases over its alleged involvement in an defective ignition switch coverup, a United States judge has ruled. GM was pushing to have the case dismissed.

A jury is now scheduled to hear a suit filed by Robert Scheuer on January 11. Scheuer alleges that a defective ignition switch in his 2003 Saturn Ion caused his vehicle’s airbags to fail to deploy after his car left the road and struck a pair of trees.

Scheuer’s is the first of six planned so-called bellwether cases for GM’s alleged involvement in the ignition switch coverup. Depending on the outcome of those trials, GM could decided to continue litigation or settle any remaining lawsuits.

Bob Hilliard, Scheuer’s lawyers, touts the judge’s decision to go forward with the trial as a victory as it “paves the way for the jury to have an unfettered and full view of GM’s behavior in covering up this defect.”

For its part, GM said it is ready to fight the allegations in court. “We are fully prepared to go to trial, and introduce evidence showing that the ignition switch issue did not cause the injuries in this accident, or cause the airbags not to deploy,” GM spokesman James Cain told Reuters.

GM announced a recall that eventually encompassed 2.6 million small cars — including the Saturn Ion and Sky; Pontiac Solstice and G5; and Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR — for faulty ignition switches in February 2014. However, evidence suggests GM new of the fault a decade earlier. The defect has been linked to 124 deaths and 274 injuries.