Famed BMW tuner Alpina has given the 5 Series-based B5 Bi-Turbo a host of updates for the 2016 model year.

The B5 receives an evolution of BMW’s 4.4-liter V8 engine that develops 600 horsepower and 591 lb-ft. of torque thanks to the use of two Alpina-designed turbochargers, new lightweight pistons, a high-capacity fuel system, a bigger oil radiator, and three intercoolers. Bolted too an eight-speed automatic transmission, the eight-cylinder sends the B5 from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and on to an Autobahn-friendly top speed of nearly 204 mph.

Buyers can order the B5 as a sedan or as a station wagon. Both models ship with an adjustable suspension, active roll stabilization, and a standard mechanical limited-slip differential. They’re instantly recognizable as members of the Alpina family because they boast heritage-laced Alpina Classic wheels, decals on both sides, and an aerodynamic body kit.

Inside, both versions of the B5 offer a posh cabin with Merino leather upholstery sourced from BMW, piano lacquer trim, and an Alpina-specific instrument cluster. Every option offered by BMW on the 5 Series is available on the B5, and buyers with particularly deep pockets can work with Alpina’s in-house customization department to design a unique car.

The 2016 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo is on sale now across Europe. In Germany, the sedan carries a base price of €108,600 (roughly $115,400) while the wagon starts at €111,900 (about $119,000). At the time of writing Alpina is not planning on selling the B5 Bi-Turbo in the United States.

Volvo and Microsoft are teaming up to develop technologies for automotive applications. The first fruits of the partnership will be the HoloLens augmented-reality glasses, which will be used in Volvo showrooms to enhance the car buying experience.

To start, the HoloLens can project life-sized renderings of Volvo cars, equipped in various trims, options, and colors. It can also strip away the sheetmetal to give wearers a glimpse of what’s underneath, from the drivetrain to the chassis.

HoloLens can also be used to demonstrate safety features such as forward collision braking assist, which can’t be easily demonstrated during an actual test drive. It projects a 3D traffic simulation and can “give a human being the vantage point of a sensor,” says Aric Dromi, whose fantastic title is Chief Futurologist at Volvo.

Microsoft and Volvo are considering adding software that could let potential customers sit in a Volvo in the showroom while going on a virtual test drive via the HoloLens.

For Volvo’s part, the company says that partnership emphasizes its commitment to its core values of technology and safety. HoloLens should be in showrooms next year. Watch a video demonstration below.

Tesla is recalling all Model S vehicles because of a single report about a seat belt that inexplicably came apart while in use.

Tesla sent out an email to all 90,000 Model S owners this week, asking them to bring their cars into a Tesla service center for a precautionary safety inspection. It is the largest recall in the company’s history.

The seat belt in question came undone when an improperly installed anchor plate came disconnected. The issue discovered when the driver turned around to talk to passengers in the back; the strain of the seat belt caused the anchor plate to detach.

Though no one was injured, Tesla is acting upon what the company is calling “an abundance of caution” by encouraging every Model S owner to have their cars inspected. Tesla says it will take a technician three to six minutes to complete the inspection. The company has already examined 3,000 cars, none of which exhibited the issue.

As a stopgap measure, customers can also perform their own inspections by yanking on the lap belt with a force 80 pounds or more, which Tesla says should reveal whether the belt is affected by the same issue. However, this is not a substitute for a Tesla-sanctioned safety inspection.

“This is above and beyond what is traditional in the industry,” said a Tesla representative, “but everyone from Elon [Musk] on down [says] that the fact this appeared on even a single vehicle is unacceptable.”

Bentley has confirmed it will expand its lineup with a smaller SUV and a new sport-focused coupe.

Speaking to British magazine Autocar, company boss Wolfgang Dürheimer explained the coupe will essentially be a toned-down version of the well-received EXP 10 Speed 6 concept (pictured) that was shown earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. While most models will roll off the assembly line with an Audi-derived V8 in the engine bay, the range-topping version will use an all-electric drivetrain made up of two electric motors and three-stepped automatic gearboxes.

Bentley’s first-ever regular-production EV will offer all-wheel drive and anywhere between 400 and 500 horsepower, enough to reach a top speed of 200 mph while boasting a level of performance that Dürheimer qualifies as “stunning.” New battery technology will give the 4,400-pound coupe a 300-mile range.

The still nameless coupe won’t launch until a second SUV has arrived. Designed to lure new, younger buyers into showrooms, the SUV will be bigger than a Porsche Macan but smaller than a Cayenne. Bentley insiders predict it will be relatively cost-efficient to build because it will share many of its mechanical components — including its chassis and its eight- and twelve-cylinder engines — with the bigger Bentayga.

“It’ll be a matter of plug and play,” explained Dürheimer. The executive stresses that neither model has been approved by parent company’s Volkswagen’s top brass, but he’s confident both will be given the green light for production because they’re high-volume, high-profit cars.

Bentley’s baby SUV is tentatively scheduled to land in 2018, meaning the coupe could conceivably arrive in 2020. It’s not too far-fetched to imagine both models will be previewed by close-to-production concepts a year or so before their official debut.

Alfa Romeo has published more details about the U.S.-spec 2017 Giulia.

The entry-level Giulia will be powered by a brand new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine fitted with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection. Designed in-house by Alfa, the turbo four will send 276 horsepower to the rear wheels. Transmission options remain unconfirmed, but the Milan-based car maker promises buyers who need more traction will be able to order the sedan with all-wheel drive and a torque vectoring system at an extra cost.

The next model up will be the Giulia Quadrifoglio (pictured). Aimed at the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C63, the Quadrifoglio will use a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter V6 engine tuned to deliver 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft. of torque from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm. Bolted to a six-speed manual transmission, the twin-turbocharged mill will send the Giulia Quadrifoglio from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds — faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S — and on to a top speed of 191 mph.

The base Giulia is expected to eschew most of the Quadrifoglio’s aerodynamic add-ons, and it will ride on smaller wheels. However, Alfa still hasn’t published pictures of it.

Although a recent report claims the Giulia’s launch has been delayed by a few months, Alfa Romeo assures us the Quadrifoglio model will land in showrooms next summer with a base price of approximately $70,000. Pricing and availability for the four-cylinder model haven’t been announced yet.

Photos by Ronan Glon.

It’s hard to believe sometimes that the Prius made its worldwide debut 15 years ago. It seems like only yesterday that Toyota brought its niche green car across the oceans and took the petroleum-dependent world by storm.

Since, it has been redesigned twice (2003 and 2009), gone from cult hero to mainstream bread-and-butter, and expanded from a single model to a range of branded models, not to mention inspiring Toyota itself along with several other manufacturers to hybridize everything from compact commuter cars to full-size trucks.

Electrifying performance
Despite its leadership in the hybrid arena, Toyota has largely stood by and let others explore the performance end of the market. It’s really in the higher end where this formula has been particularly successful, so it makes sense that the Prius lineup, carrying the less-than-ostentatious Toyota emblem, has not been a playground where the company has explored the potential of hybrid hypercars.

However, a driver’s car doesn’t necessarily have to be worthy of a poster to be worthy of an enthusiast’s driveway. Honda’s CR-Z, for example, demonstrates that there is room in the cheap-but-cheerful end of the spectrum for a hybrid that isn’t hateful to toss around. Its practicality, on the other hand, pales in comparison to that of the bulk of Toyota’s lineup.

Mild medium
While the typical Prius buyer may not care about the lineup’s dynamic shortfalls, there are those who would likely be more inclined to buy one if it were a slightly more worthwhile drive. With the 2016 redesign, Toyota decided it was time to address this shortfall.

The overhaul began with the chassis and suspension. The new Prius rides on the company’s TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, which is Toyota’s take on a modular platform. Eventually, it will underpin several Toyota and Lexus models, but for now, the Prius is the only beneficiary.

TNGA allowed Prius engineers to deliver quite a few firsts for the 2016 model. For starters, the battery pack now resides beneath the rear seats, freeing up cargo room and flexibility in the rear. Dynamically, this also contributes to a lower center of gravity. It’s also longer, lower and roomier inside, and the roof peak has been moved forward to improve headroom.

With the new packaging also comes a new rear suspension–a double-wishbone unit–which is another first. Previous models featured a twist-beam rear end.

Modified motivation
The 2016 model’s powertrain is also heavily revised. While the power output remains modest (121 horsepower and 106lb-ft of torque from the combined gasoline/electric system), the individual components have been modified for improved packaging and efficiency.

Most notably, all models except the Prius Two now feature a Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) battery, which is lighter (by roughly 30lbs) and more environmentally friendly than the Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery previously employed. Prius Two is still equipped with the NiMH unit.

Toyota claims the two-battery approach allowed them to take advantage of their advanced research with the older chemistry to deliver a similar experience to the new Li-ion unit at a lower cost, making it a budget-friendly component in the cheaper models.

The results? As we mentioned before, this wasn’t done for power. This is a hybrid, after all, and efficiency is the name of the game. The 2016 Prius has been rated at 54 mpg in the city, 50 on the highway and 52 combined. The Two Eco bumps that to 58/53/56. For comparison, the 2015 model was good for 51/48/50, so there are across-the-board improvements.

The revised planetary CVT in the new Prius is also more compact, which opened up enough room in the engine bay that the 12V battery was moved there, further freeing up precious interior room.

Voodoo economics
The Two Eco model is the lightest and most bare bones in the lineup, lacking weight-adding features like a spare tire. The other notable contribution to its improved economy is its wheel/tire setup, which is the most economy-oriented offering in the lineup. While it shares a wheel diameter with the regular Prius Two, its tires boast even lower rolling resistance.

Hustle and flow
So, the new Prius is not a powerhouse, nor is it any lighter or compact than the car it replaces. Can the new chassis and suspension really make up for these shortfalls in the fun-to-drive department?

Yes. Absolutely.

In fact, Toyota was so confident that we’d be impressed by the new Prius’ dynamic performance that they had us drive out to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, where they had set up an autocross course. Even more impressive was the fact that they brought along a 2015 Prius for us to use as a point of reference, allowing us to drive both back-to-back to our heart’s content so that we could feel out the differences.

Usually, when a car has been redesigned and improvements have been made to handling, they’re so minuscule that it takes a particularly keen awareness of suspension response to detect any real-world differences. Not so here. Toyota’s confidence was in no way misplaced.

Just sitting in the 2015 and 2016 back-to-back is enough to highlight a few big changes. First, you sit lower in the new car, which helps dampen the sensations imparted by body roll. The seats themselves also hold better, granting a boost in driver confidence.

Fire it up (Oops, it was already on. Press the button again.) and hit the course, and another big difference is immediately apparent. The steering on the new car is much quicker than it was on the 2015. We could maintain a 9-and-3 hand positions even in the 90-degree turns in the autocross course–not true of the 2015, where shuffle-steering was mandatory. And yes, these changes were apparent from the lowly Prius Two all the way up to the Prius Four Touring model.

Unless you’re pushing it on the street, these differences won’t be as stark, but in a way that is what makes them important. The average buyer may not notice or even care that the new Prius is dynamically superior to the old, but for the rest of us? Well, it’s those subtle things that matter.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Make no mistake, the 2016 Prius is not a performance car. It could not even reasonably be considered a “fun” car in the strictest sense. Rather, it’s a Prius that the average enthusiast won’t hate driving. That’s a huge victory for Toyota, and a refreshing progression for a model that was once anathema to anyone with any affection for the driving experience.

2016 Toyota Prius, from $24,200

As-tested

2016 Toyota Prius Two Eco, $24,700
2016 Toyota Prius Four, $28,650

Exterior photos by Byron Hurd. Interior photos courtesy of Toyota.

Volkswagen’s emissions scandal has again widened, greatly expanded the tally of potentially offending 3.0-liter engines in the US market.

The agency initially focused on the company’s smaller 2.0-liter four-cylinder mill that sparked the fiasco. A follow-up investigation into the larger V6 initially found emissions discrepancies in the 2014-2016 model years, however investigators are now looking back to 2009 models for both engine sizes.

“During a meeting yesterday, VW and Audi officials … told EPA and CARB that the issues raised in the In-Use Compliance letter extend to all 3.0 liter diesel engines from model years 2009 through 2016,” the California Air Resources Board said in a statement. “Based on this information, EPA and CARB will continue to investigate and take all appropriate action under their respective authorities.”

The estimated number of potentially offending V6 vehicles on US roads has consequently jumped from 10,000 to 85,000, marking a nearly ten-fold increase. Models affected could include certain Audi A7, A8 and A8L sedans, along with the Q5, Q7, VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne crossovers.

The company earlier this month denied allegations of a ‘defeat’ system in the larger Audi-engineered powerplant, claiming “no software has been installed in the 3-liter V6 diesel power units to alter emissions characteristics in a forbidden manner.” The statement acknowledged that an unspecified software function “had not been adequately described” in the EPA certification process.

The latest report suggests the non-compliance will require corrective action, rather than paperwork clarification. The company has admitted that hardware refits are under consideration to fix some models, though the four-cylinder engines are expected to require the costliest modifications. A urea-injection system, which significantly slashes nitrogen oxide emissions, came standard with the higher-end V6-powered nameplates but was omitted from most of the less-expensive four-cylinder models, reportedly due to cost considerations.

General Motors has teamed with the US Army to develop and test a prototype Chevrolet Colorado powered by hydrogen.

The experimental pickup will be put through a year of daily use and potential abuse at the Tank Automotive Research Development & Engineering (TARDEC) facility in Warren, Michigan.

“Hydrogen fuel cell technology is important to GM’s advanced propulsion portfolio, and this enables us to put our technology to the test in a vehicle that will face punishing military duty cycles,” says GM’s fuel-cell engineering director, Charlie Freese.

The company suggests the technology is quiet and useful in off-road environments, thanks to electric motors’ low-end torque advantages, while the fuel-cell stack can serve as an emergency power generator and a source of water in arid environments.

Despite references to the “extremes of daily military use,” the hydrogen-fueled Colorado is unlikely to be weaponized and shipped overseas to fight ISIS. Instead, the military trials are likely aimed at advancing fuel-cell technology in general and further exploring its potential for light tactical and civilian commercial vehicles.

GM last year announced that its fleet of more than 100 hydrogen-powered Equinox prototypes had surpassed three million miles, gaining plenty of data and feedback from approximately 5,000 different drivers. The company reportedly held the most fuel-cell patents at the time, surpassing even hydrogen-focused Toyota, however it appears to have focused its near-term production ambitions on traditional battery-powered EVs.

General Motors has announced a slight price bump for the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze.

The compact sedan starts at $17,495 (including $875 freight) for the redesigned 2016 edition with a six-speed manual transmission, representing an increase of $450 compared to the previous-generation’s entry-level ‘L’ package.

The vast majority of US buyers will likely opt for a six-speed automatic rather than the row-your-own gearbox. Such preference are only accommodated by the LS trim, which fetches just under $20,000. The top-of-the-line ‘Premier’ edition starts at $23,995.

A new direct-injected 1.4-liter turbocharged engine is more powerful than its predecessor, delivering 153 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque — up 15 ponies and 29 lb-ft of twist.

Despite a larger chassis with two additional inches of rear knee room, the Cruze has shed 250 pounds and now accelerates to 60 mph in approximately eight seconds when equipped with the upgraded turbo powerplant.

The company has not yet announced fuel efficiency figures, though the new engine is expected to deliver at least 40 mpg on the highway. The previous-generation sedan achieved city/highway ratings of up to 28/42 mpg with gasoline or 27/46 mpg with a 2.0-liter diesel mill. The latter engine has been swapped out in favor of a smaller 1.6-liter oil burner for 2016, arriving just in time to take advantage of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI’s fall from grace.

The redesigned Cruze is slated to go on sale by spring 2016.