2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
Proclaimed as the very first diesel plug-in hybrid in the world, the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid will make its first public appearance next year at the Geneva Motor Show, before going on sale in Europe for a starting price of 57,000 Euros. In the United Kingdom, the prices for this model will start between 45,000 and 50,000 pounds, before the government subsidies for EVs kick in. The car is going to be sold in Pure Limited specifications, including here the top-spec Summum trim level which in the UK is known as the SE Lux.
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The car promises to offer one touch functionality as you will just have to press one of the Pure, Hybrid or Power modes and the driving mode will change. When in Pure mode, the vehicle is powered only by the electric motor and can be driven for distances of up to 31 miles (50 km) when the battery pack is charged from an external source.
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
When the car is in Hybrid mode, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is running in standard settings and uses both the diesel engine and the electric motor. When driven in this mode, the fuel consumption is a remarkable 1.9 liters / 100 km (124 mpg or 149 mpg UK) while CO2 emissions are as low as 49 g/km.
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
As for Power mode, the diesel engine and the electric motor are optimized in order to generate a total output of 212 hp (215 PS / 158 kW) + 69 hp (70 PS / 51 kW) and a torque of 324 lb.-ft (440 Nm) + 149 lb.-ft (200 Nm) respectively, enough for a 0-62 mph sprint in a respectable 6.2 seconds.
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is motivated by a 2.4-liter, 5-cylinder turbocharged engine that drives the front wheels while the electric motor powers the rear wheels. The latter is powered by 11.2 kWh lithium-ion compact battery pack which is water cooled and it has been installed by the Swedish engineers from Volvo under the car’s floor of the loading compartment. It has a 6-speed automatic gearbox and when the driver presses the AWD button, both power plants engage in electronically-controlled four-wheel drive.
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
We should mention that taken into consideration the fact that the wheels in the back are powered only by the electric motor, this all-wheel-drive system should be used only occasionally when it is necessary so we shouldn’t compare it with a regular AWD system. This type of system can be activated up to a speed of 74 mph (120 km/h).
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
According to Volvo, this would have to be the most technically advanced car that they have ever made, and we should believe them since the V60 Plug-in Hybrid features a digital DIM – Driver Information Manager that has a one-piece LED display which replaces the traditional analogue gauges. The driver of the car has the possibility to select a bunch of information screens through the vehicle’s menu setup, while a smartphone application is available for allowing the owner to communicate with his car. The app can be used for controlling the air conditioning system, pre- and after-cooling, and also as a reminder to connect the charger cable if it hasn’t been done by a predetermined time.
2012 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The car will go on sale in the beginning of next year and the first 1,000 units that Volvo will make will wear an Electric Silver finish. When the 2014 model year will arrive, production will be increased to approximately 4,000 – 6,000 units. 30% of sales are destined to the local market as well as other Nordic countries. A share of 5-15% each will be for countries like United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Switzerland.
We will have more information about the car at next year’s Geneva Motor Show. Stay tuned.
Source: Volvo
Post tags: Tags: Volvo, volvo v60, Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid
Volvo C70 Inscription Edition
Volvo is not one of those automakers that keep launching one special edition after another so it’s very interesting to hear when they do launch a limited-run model. This week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Swedish carmaker has introduced the C70 Inscription which they say it’s the world’s first four-seat convertible that comes as standard with a three-piece folding top. It rides on gorgeous 18-inch wheels, while the inside features exquisite Sovereign Hide upholstery and a dashboard wrapped around in fine leather.
Volvo C70 Inscription Edition
Embroidered on the front headrests of this model is the “Inscription” logo, and this logo can also be found on the center stack, gear lever, handbrake lever, carpets as well as in the aluminum inlays in the steering wheel. Other features of the car include the elegant chrome-rimmed LED daytime running lights and the high-gloss paint for the grille.
Volvo C70 Inscription Edition
The Volvo C70 Inscription will be offered in three color choices: Black Stone, Ice White and Black Sapphire. It will be available with the company’s 2.0-liter, 5-cylinder 175 hp D4 engine or with the 1480 hp D3 diesel.
Volvo C70 Inscription Edition
The first deliveries are expected to commence in February 2012 and the base price for the D3 SE Inscription will be of 33,855 pounds. Volvo has mentioned that they will roll out only 2,000 units of this special edition.
Source: Volvo via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: Volvo, volvo c70, volvo c70 inscription
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The Swedish automaker Volvo announced yesterday that the plug-in hybrid variant of the V60 estate will go on sale in select markets next year. The car was developed in collaboration with Vattenfall which is an energy supplier from Sweden.
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The plug-in hybrid utilizes a 5-cylinder 2.4-liter turbodiesel engine that develops 215 hp with a 70 hp electric motor that gets its energy from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The front wheels are motivated by the diesel engine while the rear ones are powered by the electric motor.
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The driver of the car has the possibility to select between one of the three driving modes available: Pure, Hybrid and Power. The first one is for driving the car in electric mode for distances of up to 31 miles (50 km), while the other two modes use both motors: Hybrid for a lower consumption and Power for maximum performance. Charging the batteries from a regular household outlet takes five hours.
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The 2012 Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid offers a range of up to 746 miles (1,200 km) and the car maker says that it returns 123.8 mpg (1.9 liters / 100 km). Volvo also mentioned that the cost of running on electric mode in Sweden is approximately 25 kronor ($3.7) / 62 miles (100 km).
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
The company did not mention the price list for the plug-in hybrid or more details about when and where it will be available. Taking into consideration that it comes with a battery pack, the green variant of the V60 will be considerably more expensive than the regular model.
Source: Volvo via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: Green, Volvo, volvo v60, Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid
Volvo V30
The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo is working on a bigger and more practical brother for the C30 in the form of a five-door hatchback V30 model which will go head-to head with cars like the Ford Focus and the VW Golf, along with more expensive models like the Audi A3 Sportback, Mercedes A-Class and the BMW 1-Series.
The guys from Auto Express took a few spy shots with a prototype undergoing some tests in Sweden and although as you can see it has a lot of camouflage on it, you can clearly make out the Volvo badge on the front grille while the entire front end seems to have borrowed a few design cues from the S60. Out in the back we notice a practical tall roofline so we should expect to see a decent amount of headroom for the passengers sitting in the back. The car is expected to get LED rear taillights as the ones seen in this prototype.
Volvo V30
The car is most likely based on a modified version of the S60 front-wheel drive platform which means that the upcoming V30 will be a little bit bigger than the C30, featuring a longer wheelbase for additional rear space. Most likely, the car will borrow the engines from the aforementioned C30 and the S60 so expect to see a bunch of diesels as well as a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. Probably Volvo will offer a low-emission start/stop DRIVe model that will have CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km.
Volvo V30
The brand new Volvo V30 is scheduled to make its official debut in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale that summer with a starting price of somewhere around 18,000 pounds. Being a Volvo, it will probably come loaded with a lot of safety equipment, including blind spot warning and low-speed crash mitigation systems.
Although the model is known within the company as the V30, we don’t know for sure if the official model will be this one. Volvo will continue to sell the 3-door C30 that received a facelift about 18 months ago. The Swedish car manufacturer will launch in 2012 the V60 Plug-in Hybrid.
Source: Auto Express
Post tags: Tags: Spy Shots, Volvo, volvo v30
2012 Volvo C70
It seems that Volvo is having some major problems at its plant in Uddevalla, Sweden because there aren’t enough orders for the C70 folding hardtop convertible and for this reason they’ve decided that they are going to close it in 2013.
This factory is co-owned by Volvo with the famous Italian car design firm Pininfarina and in 2010 they rolled out only 10,000 cars and now they’re working at 65% of the plant’s total capacity. If you didn’t know, a car company usually needs at least 80% of utilization in order for a plant to be considered profitable.
By 2020, the Swedish automaker Volvo plans on doubling its annual sales to 80,000 units and to do so they are going to invest $11 billion in the next five years. One of the reasons for this major investment is to meet the increasing demand in markets like China where they plan on opening two new factories.
In 2010, Volvo was sold by Ford to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. from China for approximately $1.5 billion. The 600 workers that are now at the Uddevalla plant won’t lose their jobs as Volvo said that they will be transferred to other plants owned by the company, including the main one in Gothenburg. Back in March, Volvo and Pininfarina agreed to end their joint venture and the Swedish company will buy out Pininfarina in 2013 and after that they’ll close the factory.
Source: Volvo via Automotive News
Post tags: Tags: Volvo, volvo c70
Have you ever heard of Boije Ovebrink? What about the Mean Green?
The custom made for drag racing Volvo Truck Mean Green challenged a Ferrari 360 Modena to a quarter mile.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVtzt_bbhM[/youtube]
Post tags: Tags: drag race, ferarri, truck, Video, Volvo
The 2011 edition of Frankfurt Motor Show is full of surprises, especially related to technology. Volvo Concept You doesn’t make an exception and come with an interesting tablet-like interface. So, it features a hands-up display, a large touchscreen display (with a 10 inches diagonal), one between the rear passenger seats and two more intergarted into the steering controls.
“Smartphones and smart pads have brought mobile infotainment into a new era. Here, we use a number of touchscreens to replace buttons and controls in order to make the driver totally connected, totally in control,” explains Peter Horbury, vice president Design at Volvo Car Corporation.
But, let’s talk about the main screen, the one which is claimed to be in standby until someone looks at it. Yes, a little time ago this was science fiction. Now, it became possible. How is this technically realized? By using an IR sensor which to detect the eye movement. Apparently, everything is sensor-based, as another sensor then detects the hand movement and uses its sensibility to identify whether the passenger or the driver has touched the display to provide the appropriated content. The entire content can be moved to the hands-up display or shred with the screen in the rear of the car.
Besides all these screens and displays, the Concept You is equipped with an high-performance Alpine sound system. Although this is only a concept, its technological suggestions are quite interesting, despite the little problems that remain unanswered(such as: could the feature of this concept still be properly used when the weather is sunny, streaming in through the back window?).
What do you think about this concept?
[Source: Pocket-lint]
Post tags: Tags: 2011 frankfurt motor show, concept-car, Volvo
2012 Volvo XC90
If you were waiting for an all-new generation of the Volvo XC90, you’re going to have to wait for at least one more year as this one is only a mild update to a car launched almost 10 years ago that needs a new generation badly as it looks really outdated.
2012 Volvo XC90
Anyway, with the 2012MY the company has decided to install a three-spoke steering wheel and as standard the SUV will come with an aluminum trim as well as a watch dial-like instrument panel design that has white lightning. In addition, the rear tailgate of the XC90 is now divided into an upper and lower section and there is also a new design for the load cover along with a new color-schemed leather grab handle. The more premium R-Design variant features a bespoke chassis with revised upholstery, new door panels, new inlays and 19-inch alloys.
2012 Volvo XC90
On the outside, the front of the car benefits from daytime running lights, a new design for the silver metallic bumper bar plus silver roof rails as standard on all variants of the car. Other than that, Volvo also added a new lower door moulding and all of the models are now entirely color-coordinated.
2012 Volvo XC90
Looking at the back of the car, we notice the dual light guides, a silver turn indicator bulb and LED brake lights. Lastly, the 2012 Volvo XC90 now rides on a new set of 18-inch, six-spoke wheels that have a silver matte finish.
Source: Volvo
Post tags: Tags: Volvo
In a world obsessed with fast cars and adrenaline rushes, safety is often left at the side of the road. But, as we all know, safety on the road is absolutely paramount and, inevitably, car companies have endeavored to manufacture some of the most protective cars ever in recent years, through intensified crash-tests and advancements in technology. After all, safer cars mean cheaper car insurance. We take a look at five of them here:
Hyundai Sonata
The IIHS, as Hyundai proudly proclaim on their website, awarded the Sonata the ‘Top Pick’ award for safety recently. It performed impressively in terms of crumple zones at both the front and rear of the vehicle and has Electronic Stability Control, which applies intelligent braking to individual wheels on corners. This carries over into emergency braking too, since the car detects when the driver brakes hard and applies sufficient pressure to ensure that the stopping distance is kept to a minimum.
Honda Civic
The fact that this compact car has sold so many units is a real testament to its overall safety level and reliability. A significant amount of its appeal likely comes from the fact that it is in the lower band of car insurance groups, but it has great safety features like the anti-lock brakes and full standard airbags – driver, front-side, passenger and side head curtain. Admittedly, the sedan performed better in crash-tests than the coupe did, but the Civic achieved a good overall safety rating for features such as the minimization of potential pedestrian injury by building a more malleable hood and set of windscreen wipers.
Volvo XC60
Volvo is famous for the safety of its cars and the XC60 continues to live up to that reputation. It packs a side-impact protection system, dynamic stability and traction control, and a whiplash protection feature. Moreover, it has a laser-powered City Safety System installed to anticipate accidents at less than 30 km/h, that forewarn drivers of them and prepare the car for braking.
Ford Fiesta
This mini-car passed the IIHS frontal offset crash-test with flying colors, which is no surprise considering that the majority of its body is made from high-strength or ultra-high strength steel. As a result, the survival space for the driver – after a 40mph crash into a wall – was kept in a more than acceptable state. It is also one of the highest-rated vehicles in terms of roof-safety, according to the IIHS. It is popular among youngsters and first-time drivers not only because it’s an affordable mini-car, but also because it keeps the cost of student car insurance at reasonable levels.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
There is always a place for a Jeep on car safety lists. The Grand Cherokee is a sturdy, durable and altogether reliable machine with a ‘Top Safety Pick’ award to its name in 2011. Ranking consistently at the top with the IIHS and the NHTSA, having gained five out of five stars in most categories, it is the ultimate vehicle for on- and off-road safety. A total of 45 safety features, including rain brake support and an enhanced accident response system, keep occupants comfortably protected at all times.
Post tags: Tags: car insurance, safety, student car insurance, top 5 sae cars
Apparently, investing in all the new technologies which to increase driving safety are not a waste of time and resources for car manufacturers. They really work, they are useful and they succeed in protecting drivers and passengers while being in the car.
This is also the case of Volvo City Safety System: National Highway Traffic Safety Institute and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have stated that Volvo’s technology not only that helps, but also prevents accidents that happen at low speed. As about the numbers, City Safety users fill almost 30% less at-fault claims.
For the moment, this safety system is installed only on the Volvo XC60. The system monitors the traffic in front of the vehicle and at a speed of between two and 19 miles per hour the car can apply the brakes. In case the distance between your car and the one in front is nine mph or less, the system will activate the brakes quick enough to avoid the crash. Although sometimes the crash cannot be avoided, at least the damage will be consistently reduced compared to accidents involving cars not featuring this City Safety System.
This is a presentation video:
So, so much noise is not for nothing.
Do you have a safety system installed on your car? Does it help you while being behind the wheel?
[Source: Autoblog]
Post tags: Tags: city safety system, safety system, Volvo
Volvo S60 Performance Project
The Swedish automaker Volvo has created a partnership with Polestar and Heico in order to create this one-off S60 Performance Project. The car is based on the T6 R-Design and comes with a sport exhaust system and sits on 19-inch Heico rims wrapped around Pirelli rubber.
Volvo S60 Performance Project
The engineers from Polestar installed an updated ECU that allows the 3.0-liter turbocharged engine to develop 325 hp (330 PS / 242 kW) and a peak torque of 354 lb.-ft (480 Nm), which is 25 hp (25 PS / 18 kW) and 29 lb.-ft (40 Nm) more than the standard version.
Volvo S60 Performance Project
The soon-to-be-released 2012 Volvo S60 R-Design is going to feature a revised 6-cylinder power unit which will produce 325 hp and 354 lb.-ft, exactly the same as this Performance Project so think of the latter as a preview or something…
Volvo S60 Performance Project
Source: Volvo via WCF
Post tags: Tags: volvo s60, volvo s60 performance project
Volvo S40 R-Design
The Swedish automaker Volvo has announced this week that the S40 and V50 will no longer be sold in the United States starting with the 2012MY due to slow sales. This announcement comes after last year’s decision to axe the V70 wagon from the U.S. lineup. Both the S40 and the V50 are aging models and sales in the U.S. plummeted in the last years.
According to the company, the S40 sedan sales dropped by 29% in 2010 while the V50 wagon sales dropped by more than 50% during the same period. Wagons are not very popular in North America as opposed to the European continent where hatchbacks and wagons are chosen by many drivers.
Volvo said that they will focus their attention on the cars which are attractive to the U.S. market, like the S60, S80 sedans and the XC60, XC70 and XC90 models. After axing the V50, the only wagon left in Volvo’s U.S. lineup is going to be the XC70.
Source: Volvo via WCF
Post tags: Tags: volvo s40, volvo v50
Volvo C30 Electric
The Swedish automaker revealed earlier this week its plans to make 250 units of the C30 Electric model, which will arrive to European customers starting with this fall. And by customers we mean government agencies, businesses and other “authorities”, only a few will reach normal users.
The car will be manufactured at the company’s assembly line located in Ghent, Belgium and from there it will be transported to Goteborg, Sweden where they’ll install the electric motor, battery pack and the rest of the EV-specific components.
The company stated that the C30 Electric should provide a driving range of up to 93.2 miles (150 km). Not really relevant for an EV, but the 0-31 mph (0-50 km/h) sprint will be done in 4 seconds, while top speed is rated at 80.8 mph (130 km/h). These figures are not that bad, but we can’t say the same thing about the car’s price tag as Volvo plans to charge $2,100 / month for one of these cars and even worse, you cannot buy the car, only lease it, which means that for a regular 3-year rental, you’ll have to pay a whopping $76,764 which is pretty insane if you ask me.
My guess is that they won’t expand production plans anytime soon if they keep this exorbitant price tag.
Source: Volvo via Green Car Reports
Post tags: Tags: Green, volvo c30 electric
From now on, your friends aren’t the only with whom you can stay in touch. Your Volvo car has recently announced to become a kind of a fellow that you can check on from time to time. How is this possible? By using Volvo’s mobile application: after downloading to the smartphone, the owner of the car can start communicate with its vehicle, control some of its functions and features and even download some trip information.
This is what this application does: – it locates your car and uses a digital compass to point the driver in the right direction, and, if wanted, can activate the car horn or indicators. – it remotely locks and unlocks the car, and it displays the status of the doors and windows. – it gives full access to car dashboard, which means that the driver can check the fuel level, remaining range to empty tank, the average fuel consumption, the average speed, odometer and trip meter reading. – it quick checks the car: bulbs, brake fluid level, coolant level, engine oil level, engine oil pressure. – it registers each trip from the last 40 days, which can be then downloaded as an Excel file. – it provides basic information about the car, such as model, registration number and VIN number.
– it alerts the driver via smartphone whenever the car alarm is triggered.
Actually, this application is an extension of Volvo On Call which offers assistance in case of accidents and emergencies. Unfortunately, the free download will be available only for the owners of 2012 model year Volvos.
What do you think about Volvo’s mobile app?
Post tags: Tags: mobile application, Volvo
Car manufacturers from all over the world are launching brand new models every year which means that they have to discontinue the old ones in order to make room for the fresh cars. In this article we are going to talk about some of the cars that we won’t be seeing from now on, at least in the following period, unless they plan to make a comeback.
05. Volvo V70
This year we will have to say goodbye to the Volvo V70, the real station wagon: a large, comfortable and safe load-lugger. If you still want something similar, you can get the smaller V50 or the dressed-up, jacked-up XC70, but it won’t be the same thing.
04. Saturn (the brand)
Our 4th place in the top goes to the Saturn brand which has been killed by General Motors. In the 90s the things there went pretty smooth with employees that enjoyed making cars, buyers that loved the affordable price tags, along with some well-thought advertising campaigns. It went downhill when GM decided to forget about the plastic construction and sell the new Saturns as rebadged GM models.
03. Ford Explorer Sport Trac
This part SUV / part truck was designed for those families that wanted a spacious 4-door interior cabin and lots of room for cargo. It wasn’t made for hauling manure, but it does have a strong personality. For this year, Ford has decided to reinvent the Explorer model as a crossover. Is it a good thing or did they make a bad decision? We’ll leave it up to you to decide this one.
02. Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG
Offering plenty of comfort and a very potent V8 5.5-liter, we are sad to see the SLK AMG go, but we do know that MB and AMG are working on another model based on the new generation of the SLK. This is one of those cars that offer an authentic driving pleasure, combining a powerful engine with great looks.
01. Dodge Viper
For a little while, we’ll have to say goodbye to the Dodge Viper, until at least 2013 when the new generation will be launched. With a V10 8.4-liter engine that produces 600 hp and 560 lb.-ft of torque, the Viper is perhaps one of the most exciting cars ever made in North America. The model that will come after this will probably get a V8 engine and let’s face it, it won’t be that Viper we are all used to.
Post tags: Tags: discontinued cars, top 5
