It may look like a regular XC60, but the Volvo XC60 Plug-In Hybrid Concept is more of a statement of intent than a production-ready car. The automaker is getting ready to sell a plug-in diesel-hybrid V60 in Europe (to go with the electric C30), but a plug-in hybrid for the U.S. is still 2-4 years out, Volvo's Geno Effler told Inside Line, and it wouldn't necessarily be XC60-based.
Keep in mind that the United States is absolutely not the company's biggest market -- it sold 67,240 vehicles here in 2011 compared to 449,225 worldwide. So exporting a niche hybrid model here is not a top priority.
What makes the XC60 concept interesting to us is that it purportedly uses a turbocharged and direct-injected, 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder -- part of a new family of D.I. gasoline and diesel engines that can be built on the same production line. The engine would reportedly make about 280 horsepower, and with another 70 hp from a rear-axle electric motor, combined output would be 350 hp. That heady horsepower figure, we're told, justifies the unexpected T8 badge on the back of this concept crossover; the S60 T6 R-Design makes just 325.
Juice for the rear electric motor comes from a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack. For comparison, a Chevy Volt has a 16kWh battery pack, so we'd guess Volvo's claimed 35-mile electric driving range for the XC60 concept would be right at the upper limit.
Volvo released photos of the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept it will be showing next week in Detroit. It will feature a 280-horsepower four-cylinder engine coupled to a 70-hp electric motor. Do the math and that adds up to 350 hp. It will operate in three driver-selected modes: Pure, Hybrid and Power. Volvo claims that Pure will have an estimated average range of 35 miles using electricity alone, while the "high-efficiency" Hybrid mode is good for "operational fuel economy of 50 mpg." That would certainly make it the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market. Volvo didn't describe Power, but we can assume it takes any sort of eco reigns off the powerplant. The concept's interior also has a very cool polar color scheme with blue leather and light grey trim. Pretty sure I'd want any XC60 like that.
A diesel-electric V60 Plug-in Hybrid is already slated to go on sale in Europe later this year, joining the Mercedes-Benz E300 Bluetec Hybrid as the only luxury-branded vehicles to offer a diesel hybrid.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 accidents a year, leading to 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths. And since more people have smartphones and other portable electronics riding shotgun with them these days, distracted driving while texting and tweeting only adds to this statistic.
While automakers are on a technology tear to bring smartphone integration to the dash to ostensibly make it less distracting to use the devices while behind the wheel, many luxury brands have also been perfecting nanny-car safety features to help protect occupants from themselves if they aren't paying attention while composing a text message, firing off a Twitter update or updating their Facebook status.
Now the Swedish company Tobii Technology says it's come up with a system that watches drivers' eyes to tell whether they're getting tired or are glued to a Twitter app. And the company claims that the technology can be integrated into vehicles inexpensively, so not just those who can afford a luxury vehicle will be protected from causing drowsy and distracted driving accidents.
It may not have anything to do with steering feedback or ride quality, but a good-looking cabin can have a powerful impact on the way you experience your car.
After all, where would you rather spend the night: in a five-star hotel, or that dumpy Motel 6 on the skeezy side of town? Yeah, I thought so.
The driver seat may not be the sexiest aspect of a vehicle but it's an important part of your everyday relationship with your ride. A comfortable seat can keep you smiling through gridlocked commutes and long road trips, while one that's a poor fit for your physique can leave you feeling achy and sour.
The steering wheel is one of the first things you see when you enter a car's cabin, and it's a part of the car that you constantly interface with during the driving experience. The best ones look great and feel even better, working in synergy with the car's themes and motifs to present a consistent message.
In its never-ending war on the unique (and cylinder count), fuel economy regulations are claiming another victim. Just weeks after Mazda killed off the inefficient but loveable rotary, Volvo R&D head Peter Martens has told Automotive News Europe that by decade's end, "all Volvo models will have engines with no more than four cylinders."
"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," Martens told ANE.
The new powertrains are set for 2013 and will include a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline motor with DI, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and two diesels. Volvo says the new powertrains will be nearly 200 pounds lighter than the current offerings.
Volvo is attempting to double annual sales to 800,000 by 2020 and lower emissions as well as higher fuel economy are mandatory for that sort of leap. A flywheel-based KERS system is also entering the test phase.
You're at a red light, picking your nose, minding your own business. The car next to you is that poster child for the "car as appliance" movement, the Toyota Camry.
With the light about to change, you look over at the unassuming family sedan with a dismissive sneer, your foot poised over the throttle. "This is going to be oh so easy," you snicker.
The light turns green, and you're in for a surprise. For the car next to you isn't just a Camry...
When it comes to luxury SUVs, you don't have to sacrifice thrills to get decent fuel economy. Turns out some of the most fuel-efficient choices in this segment are also among those that are the most fun to drive.
We can't say there's any shock to this bit of news, but the Volvo S40 sedan and the Volvo V50 wagon have been discontinued for the 2012 model year. The V50 was even less of a shock as we'd reported back in January that the premium small wagon was sentenced to death but still awaiting the date.
"There is no justification for keeping a car with that low a volume," said Dan Johnston, spokesman for Volvo Cars of North America. "Americans haven't learned to love small cars."
Volvo sold 434 V50s and 2,146 S40s through May of 2011 while they sold 2,405 S60s in May alone.
Audi achieved its highest U.S. sales ever in 2010 (101,629 units) and it expects to break this record in 2011. Its success is well-deserved. This is a brand that's been turning out top-quality products for years; good-looking vehicles whose interiors are often class-leading, offered at prices that make them excellent value propositions.
Still, Audi has a long way to go before it catches up with Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the sales leaders in the luxury segment. Each of these brands sold over 220,000 units in 2010, a figure that more than doubles Audi's sales. These numbers suggest that appealing as its vehicles are, Audi continues to be overlooked by shoppers on the hunt for luxury transportation.
This situation got me thinking about other worthy models that are frequently overlooked.
Volvo has gone to great lengths to make sure that its all-new S60 doesn't get saddled with the Swedish automaker's longstanding staid image. From sleek exterior sheet metal to a sumptuous interior -- and especially the "naughty Volvo" ad campaign -- it's clearly a dramatic departure for the car company that literally built its brand on playing it safe.
Even the high-end audio system available for the 2011 S60 is new. Starting with this car, Volvo is ditching its Danish high-end stereo supplier, Dynaudio, and replacing it with the generically named Premium Sound System. We tested the new setup in a 2011 S60 T6 AWD to find out whether it stands up to the relatively high standards set by Dynaudio in previous Volvo vehicles -- and if it's worth the $2,700 price tag for the Multimedia option package in which it's included on this model (along with a nav system and backup camera).
Like Tesla, Volvo was keen to convey a sense of progress on its battery-electric car, in this case the C30 Electric. We've seen this car before, but never like this. In December the company conducted an offset frontal 40-mph crash test of the car and decided to show off the result as its main event here at the Detroit auto show.
Forty cars, 25 SUVs and one minivan got the nod for IIHS Top Safety Picks in the 2011 edition of the intitutes annual awards
Winners must "do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests," the IIHS said. "Winners also must have available electronic stability control."
Topping the list with 9 Top Safety Picks a piece are Hyunda/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi. Following up with 8 awards each are General Motors, Ford/Lincoln, and Toyota/Lexus/Scion. Subaru is notable for having a Top Pick in each category in which it competes.
Automakers were given a special moment of appreciation for quickly rising to the demands set forth by the new IIHS test. At the beginning of 2010, only 27 vehicles got the award, but that number grew to 58 as carmakers tweaked designes and added new models. For 2011, 10 more joined the list and two previous winners were discontinued.
Full list and more pictures of cars crashing after the jump.
"Dude, we could totally do that. Just last week me and Takahashi tried that in our Kishashi, though instead of Hampton Downs Circuit it was Wilshire Blvd and eventually a Denny's." - Riswick.
But really, Jonny Reid must a) trust his navigator. b) be darned good at this. c) know the track. d) have a pretty good sense for the Volvo S60. Your co-driver saying "release release release" is one thing, but doing so in a smooth, effective way is difficult in a car you can't trust.
Also, watch for Jonny to instinctively 'look' through the corners. Also, they hit 120 mph at one point.
Summary from the Latin New Car Assesment Programmes after they crashed a Geely CK 1 1.3, "Protection for the driver poor for most body regions. Significant collapse of the body shell during test."
The NCAP frontal test involves an offset, deformable object being struck at 64 km/h (39.8 mph) and was conducted on the most popular cars in Latin American and the Caribbean. Those are the, Toyota Corolla XEI; Chevy Meriva GL Plus; FIAT Palio ELX 1.4 (with and without airbags); VW Gol Trend 1.6 (with and without airbags); Peugeot 207 Compact 5p 1.4 (with and without airbags) and the Geely CK 1 1.3. All of these cars scored more than zero stars (out of four). Geely would've been better off just staying home.
Five-door hatchbacks are a big deal if you sell cars in Europe, native home of the Volkswagen Golf, the Audi A3, the BMW 1 Series 5-door and other cool cars. Volvo doesn't have a 5-door hatch -- just the sharp-looking, but slow-selling C30 3-door and the V50 wagon.
We already knew the Swedish automaker was working on a compact, 5-door hatch, as we were shown a top secret illustration of a heavily restyled, 5-door C30 at a product briefing for the S60 back in February -- before the sale to Geely was final.
This week, new Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby confirmed that getting this hatchback to market for the 2012 model year is the automaker's top priority. But we have a feeling Jacoby has asked recently-returned Volvo designer Peter Horbury to take another crack at styling this very important car.
There's a report on Swedespeed that the Volvo S60 will get a version of the company's T5 powerplant -- a turbocharged, 2.5-liter five-cylinder -- as its base engine. Sources close to the automaker tell Inside Line the report is true and that the engine will make 250 horsepower.
Look for the Volvo S60 T5 model to arrive in early 2011 with a price tag "around $32,000." That's a significant savings over the 300-hp S60 T6 model's $38,550 starting price.
