The Autocar top five - the biggest stories in motoring this week

Fiat's 124 Spider is based on the Mazda MX-5
Land Rover chose the LA show to launch its new Evoque Convertible
The Bentley Bentayga receives a glowing verdict in our first drive
Toyota's fourth-generation Prius offers exceptional fuel economy
The bad times continue for VW as the firm prepares to buy back cars

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3 mins read

20 November 2015

It's been another massive week in motoring, with the Los Angeles motor show giving us our first look at a wide range of new vehicles.

Here's our pick of the five biggest stories you might have missed this week.

1- Fiat's 124 Spider steals the spotlight in LA

There was only one headline act at this year's LA motor show, and it came courtesy of Fiat. The 124 Spider may be based on Mazda's MX-5, but Fiat is using this two-seat, two-door baby sports car to bring back its Spider name after an absence of 50 years. You can read much more about the 124 Spider here, where you'll also find our exclusive pictures of the car fresh from its LA debut.

2 - The open-top Range Rover Evoque Convertible

Following close behind the 124 Spider at the LA show was Land Rover's convertible Evoque. Having teased us for months with spy pictures and PR stunts - remember those wire-framed models that appeared all over London this summer? - JLR finally gave the public its first view of the convertible SUV. As Mark Tisshaw pointed out in our live LA show blog, there hardly seems to be a better city in which to launch this open-top SUV than the urban jungle of LA. You can read more LA motor show news here.

3 - We drive Bentley's new Bentley Bentayga - the £160k ultra-luxury SUV

Few cars have been as highly anticipated as Bentley's Bentayga. Not only is it the marque's first ever SUV model, but it's also the latest in a new breed of ultra-luxurious 4x4s, following hot on the heels of the Range Rover SVAutobiography and soon to be joined by Rolls-Royce's Project Cullinan. At £160,000, the Bentayga is a car most of us will never own, but those who do are in for a special treat. Read the full review here.

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4 - 2016 Toyota Prius driven - has Toyota redefined the hybrid?

The fourth-generation Toyota Prius has a lot to live up to. The first generation of the car was a true game-changer, introducing the concept of hybrid power to a whole generation of drivers. Subsequent incarnations of the Prius, however, have fallen short as they've come up against increasing competition from premium brands.

For this new Prius, Toyota is focusing on incredible economy - that's why its 1.8-litre engine now emits a claimed 70g/km and can return up to 94.1mpg. Matt Burt is in Tokyo to deliver that all-important first verdict.

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5 - Volkswagen emissions scandal: the latest

The bad news continues for Volkswagen as the implications of its dieselgate emissions scandal become fully known. This week, it was revealed that the German manufacturer is preparing to buy back some of the vehicles affected by CO2 irregularities in Europe.

If VW's internal re-testing confirms that CO2 emissions have been understated by more than 10%, then customers will have the opportunity to sell their cars back to VW at the current market rate. Read our full story on the dieselgate scandal here.