Edmunds | Help Contact Editor Sign In | Follow Inside Line
Volvo's "Mean Green" stopped by Wendover Airfield in Utah to take a crack at the land speed record for this type of vehicle in the "flying kilometer" and the "standing start" kilometer. Mean Green is powered by a 16-liter inline 6-cylinder "juiced up" to 1,900 horsepower and a hybrid powerpack producing another 200 hp.
What's that good for on the track? Kind of a lot, actually, given the size of this monster. See the results in the video after the jump.
What do women look for in a new car? It can be a perplexing thing to try and determine. Of course, generally speaking, they want the same things that men want -- a vehicle that's a match for their budget and lifestyle. But in practice, there are certain models that seem to appeal primarily to members of the fairer sex.
It was rumored last week and now it's confirmed: Volvo has taken ill with a case of Linsanity.
Volvo of China has inked the deal with the New York Nick's point guard and the American arm of Volvo will be officially announcing the partnership later today at an event in New York. Volvo said the deal would "help establish the brand with younger and performance-minded customers."
China is an impressive and hugely important new market for Volvo. The company sold 47,000 cars there last year, an increase of 54% from 2010. China is central to Volvo's plans to double sales to 800,000 by 2020.
Only time will tell if we will see such innovative tie-ins as Lin dunking over a car or if he's allowed to design a car for SEMA.
Volvo has had a hard time keeping the wraps on the all-new Volvo V40 they'll be bringing to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. At first, Volvo was teasing the new wagon but then a major leak came and ruined the planned slow trickle. Now, just about a week from the show, we've got the V40 in its hi-res glory.
The new V40 (for Europe) will be available with a number of gas and diesel engines including a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel and a 254-horsepower 2.5-liter T5 I5. Volvo will offer both manual and automatic transmissions. Start/stop technology and regenerative braking are standard across the model line.
Because this is Volvo, the V40 has a laundry list of safety features including Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, lane keeping aid with haptic auto steering (what doesn't sound safe about that?), park assist, City Safety and the world's first production pedestrian airbag.
We'll have more on the new V40 from Geneva next week. Until then, hi-res photos after the jump.
Once again the internet has ruined the slow, planned release of an all-new car. The victim this time is the Volvo V40. Due at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, we've seen trickles of this one in the form of one backlit shot and one shot with the V40 covered in nothing but a thin, semi-transparent sheet, but this is our first full frontal of the new V40 and we're impressed. A number of styling elements up front are taken from the S60 while the overall shape is that of a squat, dropped XC90...and I mean that in the best way possible.
You'll remember that the Volvo V40 departed our market at the end of 2004 and that the V50 was removed from America in 2011. This new hatch is said to be 177 inches long, or just shorter than the old V50. Could this V40 come to America and replace two wagons with one hatchback? And will we see a three-door version of this as the C30 on our shores? It's got the looks, for sure, but is Volvo willing to risk a big ad campaign to remind Americans that Volvo wagons still exist?
The last time we had a Volvo V40 was 2004. The V50 filled the wagon-shaped hole in Volvo's lineup here until 2011 when it was cancelled. The V50 offered a more stylish wrapper, better performance and a more exciting interior. Whereas the V40 was too expensive for what you got, the V50 hit the premium market at the sweet spot.
At least that was the goal. In 2010, Volvo sold 1,720 V50s, a 20 percent decline from 2009 sales. Compare this with the XC60 which moved 6,626 units. Considering that, I wouldn't put too much hope in seeing this newly teased V40 on US Shores anytime soon.
This teaser image, released on Facebook, is the second time we've seen the new wagon. We knew the front would be S60 inspired, this shadowy image confirms that. Volvo will be debuting the V40 at the Geneva Motor Show in March. If you can't make Geneva press days, they'll be showing it on Facebook as well.
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.
This week kicked off on Saturday as the embargo lifted on the all new 2012 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe. We Also wrapped up our, 2010 Volvo XC60, drove (without crashing) the 2012 Ferrari FF and tested a supercharged Vortech 2011 Ford Mustang GT.
And next week? More Mustangs and a new long term road test vehicle.
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.
Advertisement
Latest Poll
How do you deal with the high price of gas?
Recent Posts
Eric Clapton's SP12 EC Officially Revealed
May 25, 2012 9:13 AM
Gemballa Creates Diamond Automotive Coating...Because They Can
May 25, 2012 5:50 AM
May 24, 2012 11:50 AM
Video: First Hennessey Venom GT Spyder Hits the Dyno
May 17, 2012 2:48 PM
Dyno-Tested: Vishnu Performance Systems BMW 335i Coupe
May 16, 2012 6:10 PM
Advertisement
Tip the Editors
Got a breaking news tip for the Inside Line editors?
Send it to tips@edmunds.com
Manufacturers
Auto Shows
More Categories
Browse Archives
