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Alpina XD3 Bi-Turbo offers facelifted looks, diesel-powered 4.9-sec 0-62 sprint [w/video]

I've always thought it would be fascinating to look at the psychographic data of Alpina's customer base. While the company's high-zoot rendition of BMW 7 and 5 Series sedans makes plenty of sense, I don't quite understand the appeal of the still-expensive tunes, further down the range. Enter the European-only Alpina XD3 Bi-Turbo, which made its debut here in Geneva today. The XD3 has been around for a bit, but this year it's refreshed to coincide with the BMW X3's own nip-tuck. The result is essentially a new front and back fascia on the same, ginormous Alpina wheels that make the brand's products instantly recognizable. For anyone that covets huge diesel performance in a small SUV-shaped package, that's a good thing. The XD3 pushes a whopping 516 pound-feet of torque and 345 horsepower out of its 3.0-liter, biturbo sixer, all good for a 0-62-mile-per-hour sprint of just 4.9 seconds. Which is quick by any measure. Still, the privilege of driving the fast, high-center-of-gravity Bimmer doesn't come cheaply – Alpina would like just over 69,000 euro ($77,000 by today's rates) for each example. That kind of coin will buy a European equal performance in the form of a Porsche Macan diesel, or any number of non-SUV performance rides, too. It takes a special mind, I suppose... Related Video:

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is the world's first front-drive Bimmer [w/videos]

While BMW has been showing concepts for its Active Tourer for over a year, they never seemed entirely real. Why would BMW, a company that has built its image on sporty, rear-wheel drive sedans, move into the five-door, front-wheel-drive market? The answer is still not entirely clear, but the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is very real. It launches in Europe later this year and is rumored to come to the US in 2015.
To brand purists, a front-wheel drive BMW may seem anathema to everything the company has built, and the production Active Tourer has clearly been built to provide drivers with a luxurious but utilitarian package first and foremost. It is 170.9 inches long and rides on a 105.1-inch wheelbase, but despite its compact dimensions, its high roof allows for 16.53-cubic-feet of cargo space with the rear seats up or 53.33 cubic feet with them folded flat. Its general appearance is nearly identical to the previous concepts, except with a blunter nose and cleaner lines. The front end wears BMW's traditional dual circular headlights and naturally, while the profile incorporates the company's traditional Hofmeister kink into the greenhouse's rear pillar. The interior has been designed to be especially useful with a sliding rear seat, adjustable rear backrests, fold-flat backrests and optional features like an automatic tailgate and panoramic sunroof.
Unlike both previous concepts, none of the Active Tourer models at launch use hybrid power. For Europe, the hatchback is going on sale with three engine options. The basic version is the 218i Active Tourer with a 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder with 134 horsepower that we just previewed in the 2014 Mini Cooper - good enough for average fuel economy of 48 miles per gallon in the EU cycle when equipped with a six-speed manual. The next step up is the 225i Active Tourer with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 228 hp and offers 39-mpg average fuel economy. Finally, there is the there is the 218d Active Tourer with its 148-hp, 2.0-liter turbodiesel and 57 mpg average fuel economy on the EU cycle. A six-speed manual is standard on all of them, but there is a six-speed automatic option for the 218i and eight-speed automatics available for the 225i and 218d. All-wheel drive will be available on future models.

Are you the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe?

Thanks to Austrian website Autofilou (via Jalopnik), we now have our first look at what appears to be the upcoming BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe - the four-door version of the new 4 Series coupe, which itself is based on the 3 Series sedan. Makes total sense, right?
Nevertheless, in our First Drive of the 4 Series coupe, we found it to be a much more engaging experience than the 3 Series on which its based. And if this new 4GC follows in those footsteps, it could prove to be a better 3 Series sedan than, well, the 3 Series sedan.
Expect the 4 Series Gran Coupe to come in 428i and 435i flavors, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four in the base car and a 3.0-liter turbo-six in the higher-end model. Of course, BMW will likely bring a range-topping M4 Gran Coupe to market not long thereafter.