New Volvo Concept Heading to Frankfurt

[Volvo Universe Concept from the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show Pictured Above] Volvo announced today that it plans to reveal a new concept car at next week's Frankfurt Motor show. This new study, pictures of which have not yet been released, will highlight the Swedish company’s new downsized engine range, which will feature only four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines.

“It’s time to stop counting cylinders”, said Volvo’s Senior Vice President for Research and Development, Peter Martens. “The concept we will reveal at Frankfurt proves that downsized engines can go hand in hand with our customers’ expectations on luxury and driving pleasure.”

The new modular Volvo Environmental Architecture (VEA) four-cylinder engine range features direct injection for its gasoline and common rail for its diesel variants. According to Martens, the new engines are ideal for hybrid applications and will reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without sacrificing performance.

“We will develop four-cylinder engines with higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder generation," said Martens.

Volvo claims that the VEA range, which is designed for transverse applications, will reduce the number of unique engine parts by an impressive 60%. It will also be up to 90 kg (198 pounds) lighter than the current range and improve fuel consumption by up to 35%.

Later this autumn Volvo will also test the Kinetic Energy Recovering System, which captures braking energy that would otherwise be dissipated as heat and power a flywheel that spins at up to 60,000 rpm. This system that is already used in Formula 1 will “offer the driver an additional 80HP while reducing fuel consumption by up to 20%," according to Martens.

Last, but not least, Volvo announced that it is developing a new model range that will be based on a new, modular structure called Scalable Platform Architecture (current Volvo models are based on previous owner’s Ford platforms) that will also be 100-150 kg (220-330 pounds) lighter than current models.

The SPA architecture will allow the company to base most of its new models on the same modular platform, thus achieving significant cuts in development, tooling and manufacturing costs. And, as Martens claims, “along with the new engine range, will enable us to be on par or even beat our toughest competitors in driving dynamics and fuel economy.”

The new engines and platform will also benefit future models looks as the company’s head of design, Peter Horbury, said that the Frankfurt concept will be “a great example of what we can achieve with the new architecture and engines.”

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Buying a New Car?

Did you know that there are holiday packages that bundle airfares, accommodation andcosmetic surgery? It’s a sort of incentive program for women (and some men) to have their surgery done overseas and is especially popular in Britain and Australia. Well, as some of you may already know, there are similar programs for people who want to buy a new car.

These so-called, “European Delivery Programs” are offered by companies as diverse as Audi,BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo. Effectively you’re bundling a discount European vacation with your new car purchase.

You fly to Europe, spend a few nights in a hotel with your mistress family and pick up your car from the dealer or factory there. You save a bit of money on MSRP (no doubt offset by all the souvenirs and what-have-you), enjoy a European holiday and simply drop your car off at the dock when you’re done.

There’s no negotiating or destination fees and turnaround averages four months, with two months to build your car in Europe and another two to ship it back stateside. Many automakers thrown in perks like complimentary meals, free airfares and complimentary stays, insurance and all the rest.

The price can be as little as US$1,500 (€1,050), plus the US$30,000 (€21,000) or so you’ll pay for your entry level BMW or Audi.

But as the luxobarge manufactures are keen to remind us, it’s not about the car...it’s about theexperience.

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Volvo to Extend Driving Range of its EVs

Electric Vehicles, or EVs, are the future. Or so the automakers say. And they would be correct, if it wasn’t for a significant disadvantage over petrol or diesel powered models: their abysmal range which makes them suitable only for limited city use.

Volvo is taking measures to solve this problem and make its EVs attractive to the public by adding an extra 1,000 km (621 miles) to their range. The solution, which has also been adopted by other models such as the Chevrolet Volt and the Audi A1 E-Tron concept, is the addition of a “range extender” internal combustion engine.

The project, which has the support of both the EU and the Swedish Energy Agency, has three possible combos and tests will begin in the first quarter of 2012. The first two are based on the C30 Electric, in which the battery pack has been reduced in order to make room for the fuel tank. All three concepts can run on either petrol or ethanol (E85) and emit just 50g of CO2/km, or even less.

In the first concept, Volvo added a 3-cylinder petrol engine with 60HP under the boot floor and a 40-liter (10.5 gallons) fuel tank. The engine is used primarily to power the 40 kW generator that drives the 111HP electric motor, while the driver has the option to let the generator charge the battery, increasing the range on electricity alone. The 110 km (68 miles) range of the C30 Electric on battery power alone is increased by an additional 1,000 km (621 miles).

In the second concept, the C30 Electric is fitted with a more powerful 3-cylinder turbocharged engine with 190HP (at least that’s what Volvo claims on the release) at the rear and differs from the first in that the two engines are working in parallel, with the electric driving the front wheels and the internal combustion one the rear via a 6-speed auto gearbox.

The car can also run on electricity alone. The electric motor is the same 111HP unit, and the combined output reaches 300HP, while the range is extended from 75 km (47 miles) on the battery pack to more than 1,000 km (621 miles).

The third concept is based on the V60 estate, and both engines are placed under the bonnet. It uses the same 111HP electric motor and 190HP turbocharged engine as the second C30 concept, with a larger (45 lt) fuel tank. The 3-cylinder either drives the front wheels or charges the battery pack when needed. On electricity alone its range is 50 km (31 miles), while with the range extender, like the other two, it exceeds 1,000 km (621 miles).

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Volvo S60 Performance Concept

Volvo’s Australian arm has pulled the wraps off a conceptual performance version of its S60 sedan. Based on the S60 T6 R Design, the S60 Performance Concept is an Australian initiative and utilizes two partnerships within the Volvo family - Polestar and Heico - for some very discreet upgrades.

Polestar, which handled the performance tweaks, fine-tuned the electronic software of the T6 engine increasing output by 24HP to 330-horses and torque by 40Nm to 480Nm (354 lb-ft).

Like the R Design models, the S60 Performance show car features a lowered sports suspension that includes monotube damping at the rear, 15 per cent stiffer springs and the bushings that are 20 percent stiffer compared with the dynamic chassis in the regular S60 models.

Exterior modifications are limited to the 19-inch Heico wheels shod in Pirelli tires and the quad exhaust tail pipes.

No changes were made in the cabin, which retains the production S60’s R-Design features including the sports seats with firmer side bolstering, leather clad three-spoke steering wheel, dials with blue surrounds and aluminium ridged pedals.

“The S60 T6 already boasts excellent performance credentials and the S60 Performance Project takes that even further,” said Volvo Car Australia Managing Director Matt Braid. “With the extra power, torque and unique wheels and exhaust system the S60 Performance Project really is a very special edition S60.''

Volvo has declined to confirm whether it plans to build the S60 Perfomance Concept, but sources within the company said that if there is a positive customer reaction and demand, then it might enter a limited production.

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Owners Leasing Cars May Be Able to Make a Profit

With the recent surge in used car prices in the U.S., many people leasing vehicles have discovered the surprising fact that the market value of their automobiles is greater than the dealer’s quoted residual (buyout) price.
All a would-be lessee needs to do is buy the car from the dealer and sell it on privately. The dealer gets the residual amount and the former lessee pockets a tidy sum.
Take the example of a 2008 Volvo XC90. With more than twelve months left on the lease, the dealer’s buyout price was a quoted US$18,500. Compare this to the amount the lessee was likely to get by selling the car privately: a far more substantial US$27,000. That’s a profit of US$8,500!
Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) describes the situation thusly:
“What’s likely to happen now is [dealers have] underestimated the value of the car. So the residual price is low, and [lessees] have more incentive to purchase it. Or, buy it and then sell it.”
It’s all thanks to the undersupplied, overinflated used car market in the U.S. at the present time. Add to that the fact many lease contracts are agreed on months or even years in advance, there’s nothing the lessees can do about it.
And owners are taking notice. 21.8% of lessees now buy their cars, up from a historical average of 16.4%. Additionally, 40% of those who do buy their cars resell their cars within six months, up from 27.3%. We are living in interesting times, indeed.

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Volvo Will Axe S40/V50 duo from US Line-up Due to Poor Sales

Volvo will stop selling its mid-size sedan, the S40, and its station wagon “twin”, the V50, in the USA during the 2012 MY. The reason? You guessed it; poor sales. According to Volvo spokesman Dan Johnston, US deliveries of the two models were disappointingly low with the S40 down 29% in 2010, while the V50 fared even worse, with its sales dropping by more than 50%.
"It seemed American buyers weren't looking for that kind of product and for us as a car company, it's not profitable to sell something that has a declining market share”, Johnston told Autonews.
Since the V70 was also discontinued last year, that leaves Volvo with a US line-up consisting of the C30 hatchback, C70 coupe-cabriolet, S60 sedan, the S80 sedan, the XC60 SUV, the XC70 (the only station wagon) and the XC90 SUV.

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Volvo XC60

The Volvo XC60 is a compact crossover SUV produced by Volvo Cars at the Volvo Cars factory in Ghent, Belgium and is based on Volvo Y20 platform. In 2009, the Volvo XC60 was Volvo's best selling car. The XC60 concept was a preview of the production XC60. It included a glass roof and a newly styled grille, with a much larger Volvo logo along with the 'V' which is shaped on the Volvo, this was the first of Volvo's new 'DNA' which they are slowly implementing throughout the model range. The XC60 concept also included a new shifting mechanism, electronic bootlid, and 20 inch wheels. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The production vehicle was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. Sales began in Europe in the third quarter of 2008. North American models went on sale in early 2009 as a 2010 model, with a base MSRP of $37,200USD. The XC60 shares technology with the Land Rover Freelander of 2007, using a modified version of the Volvo Y20 platform. The Land Rover Discovery 4/LR3 will set the stage for these corporate siblings to enter the market, as much of the engineering and tuning of this CUV was done by Volvo in Sweden, only offroad capabilities were done at Land Rover in England. The project director for the XC60 is Lars Blenwall. In April 2010, an R-Design variant of the XC60 will be available, featuring a color-matching body kit, stiffer chassis and damping, and other unique exterior/interior trim.

Spicy Volvo? New 2010 Volvo XC60 Tested

UK MY2010 vehicles include 2.4D, D5, and T6 engines. During mid 2010 the 2.4D unit was discontinued and replaced with two new D3 engines. 2.0L for FWD and 2.4L for AWD. US models include 3.2 FWD and T6 AWD. Canada models include 3.2 FWD, 3.2 AWD, and T6 AWD. Australian models include 3.2 AWD, D5 AWD and T6 AWD. The DRIVe (Auto) models feature stop/start technology. All diesel engines feature particulate filters. AWD models include Haldex Traction (Version 4) AWD with Instant Traction. All US models have only 6-speed Geartronic transmissions. Canadian models have only 6-speed automatic transmission for 3.2 FWD and 3.2 AWD. The T6 AWD includes a 6-speed Geartronic transmission. The XC60 includes traditional Volvo safety features including a whiplash protection system, side impact protection system, roll stability control, dynamic stability and traction control, inflatable curtain airbags, hill descent control (AWD only), collision warning with brake support, active bi-xenon lights (optional on some models), and patented front, side, and rear structures. The XC60 also introduced a new technology feature that Volvo has named City Safety. The system is described as a driver support system with the goal of preventing or mitigating vehicle-on-vehicle collisions below 30 km/h (19 mph); it does so through the use of a closing velocity sensor that helps determine whether a collision is likely. Depending on the speed, if a collision is likely, the Volvo's computer system will either prepare the car to brake or automatically brake the vehicle to avoid or mitigate a rear-end collision. Volvo also implemented the system to assist in towing caravans and trailers. EuroNCAP evaluated the XC60 in 2008, awarding it 5 of 5 stars for adult occupant protection. The XC60 scored 16 of 16 points in the front test and 16 of 16 in the side test. The car received 2 of 2 points available in the pole test and an additional 3 points available for seat belt reminders. The XC60 received a total of 37 of 37 points and therefore five stars (33-37) in EuroNCAP's evaluation. The XC60 was one of only three cars (Nissan Qashqai, 2008-onward Renault Megane) to receive 37 of 37 available points under EuroNCAP's point based evaluation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Volvo XC60 their Top Safety Pick award. The XC60 was granted the IIHS's highest rating of "good" in front, side, rear and roof strength tests and has Electronic Stability Control as standard equipment to receive the award.

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Volvo XC60 Machine View

Volvo XC60 With High Technology

Volvo XC60 Steering Wheels

Volvo XC60 Seat View

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New 2011 Volvo C30 On Red Color

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2011 Volvo C30 On The Road

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2011 Volvo C30 Steering Wheels and With High Technology

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2011 Volvo C30 Hatchback