While Volvo was apparently set to discontinue North American sales of all station wagons – arguably the vehicle they built their reputation on – in favor of crossovers. But that looks like it will change starting in 2012, with the launch of their V60 plug-in hybrid. Unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show, the V60 Plug-In...
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Volvo fans can rejoice now that the famous station wagon variant, the V60, is back (in North America), but it couldn’t be further from the rugged, mechanically simple station wagons of the past. The V60 Plug-In uses a 215 horsepower 2.4L diesel 5-cylinder engine to drive the front wheels, with a 70 horsepower electric motor...
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K-Pax Racing has fielded a team of Volvos in the SCCA’s World Challenge season with considerable success over the past few years and have announced they continue to do so in 2011. With the series set to get underway at St. Petersburg, Fla., in late March, the new cars won’t debut until April at Miller...
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Volvo‘s new S60 is an absolutely wonderful car, and our review (coming soon) will reflect that. We’re not the only ones either, as praise for the car has been unanimous. While there’s often a disconnect between what auto journalists like and what consumers actually buy. We’re glad to see that the S60 has gone from...
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Volvo will strive to be the first to market with a diesel plug-in hybrid, debuting a near production ready V60 wagon at the Geneva Auto Show in March. The V6 Plug-in Hybrid will get a claimed 1.9 l/100 km says Volvo, which translates to an incredible 124-mpg. Combining a 5-cylinder turbodiesel with 215-hp and 325...
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Volvo will reduce the number of models sold in the United States as part of their effort to bump up sales. While Volvo currently sells nine models in the United States, three of them are expected to be cut. The first victim is expected to be the V50 wagon, a car well regarded by the...
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Volvo enthusiasts and station wagons go together like peanut butter and jam. This desire for Volvo-wagons is especially strong in America, where the brand loyalists keep complaining about the lack of wagons, especially since it was announced awhile back that the sleek new V60 would not make it Stateside. Not to worry, the new CEO...
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Although Volvo is traditionally associated with all things Swedish, but Volvo’s new chairman is hoping to put down serious roots in China as well. “We are looking at a strategy of making China a second home market. Today we mainly only have one home market, in Sweden,” Volvo Cars China Chairman Freeman Shen said, in...
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Based on the success of the new-ish XC60 crossover, Volvo will look to move further downmarket with a rival for vehicles like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. According to at least one report, the move is part of a larger plan to not only increase the volume of models Volvo produces, but also to...
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To say Suzuki is struggling a bit in North America is an under statement. After posting record sales of 101,884 units in 2007, their sales took a drastic turn for the worse in 2009 when they shifted just 38,689 vehicles. 2010 is not looking good either as sales are again down by a lethal 42%....
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The annual Ward’s Auto list of 10 best engines gets a pretty decent amount of publicity, in light of how little people pay attention to the publication in the other 364 days of year. This year’s list includes not one but two electric powertrains, with the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf making the list, while...
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Despite the American introduction of diesel engines from most major European brands, Volvo remains non-committal to the prospect of diesel powertrains in America. Volvo offers a broad range of diesels in Europe and other markets, but Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volvo, offered little, stating “We are taking a deep look at whether we will introduce...
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NHTSA has announced that just over 6,000 2011 Volvos will be recalled due to an issue that could see a fuel cutoff engaged due to the engine computer’s parameter being too sensitive. Drivers could have the fuel cutoff engaged at an inappropriate time, causing the engine to stall. The defect is present in the 2011 S60,...
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Volvo‘s CEO Stefan Jacoby is calling for a new focus for Volvo, and wants to see the Swedish automaker abandon its position as a premium brand meant to compete with Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. “Let’s ditch this talk about premium,” said Jacoby while speaking to Autocar magazine. “It sounds like a pricing strategy and it’s...
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With the holidays quickly approaching, now’s the time to starting planning for all those road trips you’ll be making to see friends and family. And nobody knows the benefits of planning for a road tip like Irv Gordon. Gordon, a 70-year old retired science teacher from Long Island, is known for his 1966 Volvo P1800...
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Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby announced a pilot project that will see 1,000 plug-in hybrid models based on the C30 hatchback. The vehicles will be offered in unspecified European and Chinese locations, as well as California. The plug-in hybrids are part of an approach to meet growing demands for environmentally friendly vehicles, as well as boost...
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Consumer Reports has released its latest reliability study and while little has changed in respect to the industry-leading Asian brands, domestic automakers are catching up. Toyota and Honda each recorded the highest scores in five vehicle segments in the 2010 Annual Auto Survey, while General Motors posted considerable improvements while Ford is ranked best among...
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Volvo is recalling nearly 10,000 cars in the United States due to the possibility of air bags failing to deploy properly. The recall involves 9,746 2010-11 S80 and XC70s and 2011 XC60s and 2010 V70s. Volvo said that the airbag issue involved “an intermittent fault in the driver’s airbag clock spring wiring connector for the...
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It’s amazing to see what a design team can do when they don’t have their arms tied by accountants. For the 2010 LA Auto Show‘s annual Design Challenge, automakers were invited to create a vehicle that is good for the environment, attractive and exciting to drive, but it also much be safe, seat four and...
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As a European automaker, its more than just a little strange that Volvo has never offered a small 5-door hatchback, considering cars like the VW Golf, Audi A3 and 5-door BMW 1 Series sell in such huge numbers overseas. True, Volvo has had the V50 for many years now, but it’s always been a bit...
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According to some leaked internal documents, the new Volvo V60 will come equipped with a 250-hp turbocharged 5-cylinder engine in base trim when it arrives at dealers here in North America in the Spring. When Volvo originally announced the new, second-gen S60 it only released info on the top-shelf AWD, 300-hp version. No pricing for...
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Volvo is set to enter the World Touring Car Championship in 2011, and while the brand isn’t normally associated with motorsports, the Volvo 850 wagon had a previous campaign in the British Touring Car Championship, where it was famous for being a station wagon, and having a penchant for going up on three wheels. Now,...
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Volvo is adding even more style and a touch more performance to its new S60 and V60 models thanks to an optional R-Design package. Officially unveiled at the Paris Auto Show, the R-Spec package is available with any engine choice (in Europe anyway). R-Design models are easily distinguishable by their new front-end, as well as...
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Recent reports have suggested that everyone from Mazda to General Motors is preparing to launch a diesel engine in North America and now Volvo appears to be joining that list. In a bid to meet the 2016 35-mpg CAFE regulations, automakers are doing whatever they can to improve fuel economy and diesels are an excellent...
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