Updated Alpina B5 and D5 S make debut

UPDATED 11/06/2020 4:00pm: Alpina Automobiles Australia has advised the facelifted B5 will not be available Down Under.

"Due to homologation changes required for the Australian market 5 Series range, the decision was taken to streamline ALPINA's product offer. This means the BMW ALPINA B5 range will no longer be offered here," it said in a statement late today.

"This affords ALPINA Automobiles Australia to focus on its exclusive new model portfolio heading into the second half of 2020, with the updated XD3, B3 Sedan, B3 Touring and first ever XB7 on the horizon."

Alpina has unveiled updated B5 and D5 S sedan and wagon models based on the facelifted BMW 5 Series.

Set for a European on-sale date this October, the Alpina B5 sedan and wagon once again come with a heavily reworked version of the BMW M5's twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8.

Thanks to a revised cooling system, new intercoolers and a freer-flowing stainless steel exhaust, plus a re-flashed ECU, Alpina has dialled up power to 457kW – 10kW more than the outgoing B5 that was introduced to the Australian market in 2018.

Torque output for the mighty twin-turbo V8 remains pegged at 800Nm but the B5 is still quicker.

Thanks to its quick-shifting eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive, the updated B5 can now rocket to 100km/h in a scorching 3.4 seconds – 0.1sec quicker than before, while its top speed remains capped at 330km/h.

The diesel Alpina D5 S available in Europe, meanwhile, benefits from BMW's already reworked 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder that gains 48-volt mild-hybrid electrification for 2020.

As in the B5, the famous German tuner has concentrated on introducing an uprated cooling system, new exhaust and remapped ECU to liberate more power.

The result is 355kW and 730Nm, which -- combined once again with an eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive -- hauls the D5 to 100km/h in a rapid 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 275km/h.

As well as the power boost, both cars have benefited from further chassis tweaks including recalibrated adaptive dampers, stiffer springs and larger four-piston brakes.

Like its predecessor, the 2020 Alpina B5 also comes standard with rear-wheel steering, while the wagon gets self-levelling air suspension.

Outside, there's a new bumper that boasts 40 per cent larger air intakes, while at the rear there's a tweaked bumper that gets twin-exit exhaust pipes.

Both cars come with Alpina's trademark 20-inch 20-spoke forged alloy wheels.

Inside, like all Alpinas, owners can customise their cabins to their heart's content with an almost infinite choice of leathers, trims and finishes.

European pricing for the B5 will kick off at €117,700 ($A190,000). There's no word yet about when Australia will receive the updated Alpina sedan and wagon, but it's thought our cars will arrive in early 2021.