Automotive Einstein

Autoblog Volvo

Autoblog Volvo

Volvo marks 30th anniversary of the 760 Monday, 6 February 2012, 12:02 am

Filed under: Classics, Sedan, Volvo

When you think of old-school Volvos – you know, those boxy designs that pre-date the more curvaceous models of today – what do you picture? The 240? The 850? Or do you think of the ultimate in squared-off Swedish design, the 760?

The model credited with saving Volvo was introduced in February, 1982, making it 30 years old this month. Reflecting on the occasion, Volvo looks back at the 760′s development, when it needed a car that would be reliable, efficient, durable, easily serviceable, quiet, somewhat attractive, and be a decent performer (in that order). The result was a rear-drive sedan four inches longer in wheelbase than the 240, yet a good 220 lbs lighter.

And that boxy design? That decision was as financial in nature as it was stylistic. After considering a number of design proposals, the final look was selected to be as cost-effective to produce as possible. In the end, those budgetary restrictions left us with a car that was, while not particularly exciting to behold, certainly an enduring icon of its time. Follow the jump to read the full retrospective, and flip through the images in the attached gallery.

Continue reading Volvo marks 30th anniversary of the 760

Volvo marks 30th anniversary of the 760 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Noah Joseph

Volvo S60 becomes second car to ace all NHTSA safety tests [w/video] Thursday, 26 January 2012, 8:32 pm

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Videos, Chevrolet, Volvo, Luxury

The 2012 Volvo S60 isn’t likely to be mentioned in the same breath as the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, but these two cars share a unique distinction. No, Volvo has not made a mid-year change to rear-wheel drive and V8 power, but it is joining the Camaro as a crash test ace. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cranked up its crash-test rigor in 2011, and the Camaro has been the only car to completely ace all of the revised tests’ categories. Until now.

The 2012 Volvo S60 demonstrates the brand’s long held reputation for safety by becoming the second car to return perfect ratings in every category of NHTSA crash testing. That means this premium Swedish sedan stands up to a 35 mph frontal collision, 38.5 mph side-impact, and 20 mph simulation of a side crash into a pole better than other vehicles NHTSA has run through its gauntlet. There are a lot of vehicles out there with five-star ratings for this test or that, but only the Camaro and S60 have registered five stars in every evaluation, so far. Check out the videos of the tests, posted after the jump.

Continue reading Volvo S60 becomes second car to ace all NHTSA safety tests [w/video]

Volvo S60 becomes second car to ace all NHTSA safety tests [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Dan Roth

Volvo expanding S60 lineup with T5 all-wheel drive model Wednesday, 25 January 2012, 2:29 pm

Filed under: Sedan, Volvo, Luxury

Volvo is plugging a gap in its S60 model line by adding a T5 AWD model, according to a report from Car and Driver. As it stands, if you want all-wheel drive with your S60 you need $39,325 for the T6 just to get in the game, and only then you can you start throwing options at it. The all-wheel-drive competition is easier on the wallet: an Audi A4 Quattro begins at $34,175 and the BMW 328i xDrive starts at $37,475.

Pricing hasn’t been released, but the expectation is that the S60 T5 AWD will sticker somewhere between the $32,175 front-wheel-drive model and the T6. It is expected to go on sale this summer.

Volvo expanding S60 lineup with T5 all-wheel drive model originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Jonathon Ramsey

SARTRE autonomous road-train enters final phase with trio of Volvos [w/video] Wednesday, 25 January 2012, 12:27 am

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Volvo

This time last year, the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) program hit a milestone. Using a specially equipped Volvo S60 with a big-rig taking the lead, the EU-funded researchers managed to create the world’s first fully-functional road train, allowing the driver in the sedan to sit back and enjoy the ride without touching the controls.

Today, Volvo – the program’s only automotive partner – has announced that the SARTRE program is in its final phase of testing, and that includes adding a few more vehicles to the rolling procession of autonomous cars.

Utilizing a combination of cameras and radar-based sensors, the vehicles in the platoon can travel up to 55 miles per hour while maintaining a 20-foot gap between each other. An electronics-packed truck takes the lead and handles driving for all the vehicles in the group, meaning there’s still at least one driver in control.

By the end of this year, the SARTRE team hopes to have up to six vehicles rolling in line, with the potential to reduce fuel consumption, congestion and – naturally – driver error in the future. So when’s it coming to market? That’s up to automakers, governments and the rest of us to decide, so we’re still quite a ways out. Make the jump for more details and to see the system in action.

Continue reading SARTRE autonomous road-train enters final phase with trio of Volvos [w/video]

SARTRE autonomous road-train enters final phase with trio of Volvos [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Damon Lavrinc

Volvo looking for small car partner Tuesday, 24 January 2012, 11:00 pm

Filed under: Volvo

There are drawbacks to being the property of a larger conglomerate, to be sure, but there are also benefits. Taking advantage of group buying power, shared developments costs and synergies with products from other divisions, for instance. And these are things that, since splitting off from Ford a couple of years ago, Volvo does not have at its disposal any longer.

That’s why the Swedish automaker is looking for a partner with which to share development costs – specifically those attached to developing a new small car range. Volvo is presently preparing to unveil the V40 (teased in the picture above), a new five-door hatchback/sportwagon positioned against the increasingly lucrative market currently dominated by the likes of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.

Whatever it is that Volvo needs to get its new projects off the ground and out on the road, apparently parent company Geely, the Chinese automaker that bought Volvo from Ford in 2010, doesn’t have it.

Volvo looking for small car partner originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Noah Joseph

XC60 Plug-In Hybrid shows where Volvo is headed Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 9:27 pm

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Technology, Crossover, Volvo, Electric, Luxury

Volvo has made it a point to emphasize – surprise – the safety of its plug-in vehicles at recent auto shows. Now, at the Detroit Auto Show, the Swedish automaker has showed off the XC60 Plug-In Gasoline Hybrid Concept, a way to gauge American reaction to the idea of a plug-in CUV from Volvo. Why? Because this concept is headed to the U.S. and Chinese markets – in a different guise and with a lot of changes – within “a couple of years.” That means something like 2014-2015. Volvo’s first PHEV here could be an XC60 model, or perhaps an S60, said Volvo CEO and President Stefan Jacoby. For now, Jacoby tells Autoblog that the XC60 PHEV shows the direction Volvo is headed.

Here are the numbers: a 35-mile all-electric range, a recharging time of just 3.5 hours from a 220V outlet (7.5 hours from a more common 110V). Volvo estimates U.S. fuel economy of 105 miles per gallon equivalent and 50 mpg when the battery runs dry. 0-60 is reached in 5.8 seconds on the way to a 130-mph top speed. Oh, and there are eight gears in the auto transmission.

Gasoline is burned in a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is turbocharged and direct-injected and has stop-start technology. This 280-horsepower powerplant moves the front wheels, and a 70-hp electric motor propels the back wheels (this is known as a through-the-road hybrid). The XC60 PHEV has a 12-kWh lithium-ion battery, but just 66 percent of that (8 kWh) is used. The driver can select three modes – Pure, Hybrid and Power – depending on which type of fuel economy and performance is desired. Details of this technology can be found after the jump, and images of the XC60 test bed are available in our galleries.

Continue reading XC60 Plug-In Hybrid shows where Volvo is headed

XC60 Plug-In Hybrid shows where Volvo is headed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Sebastian Blanco

Watch a Volvo Amazon wagon race a Ferrari 599… and win Friday, 6 January 2012, 7:59 pm

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Wagon, Videos, Volvo, Ferrari, Specialty

We’re more than happy to admit we have an intense fondness for the classic Volvo Amazon, especially in wagon form. Among its many virtues are its timeless styling, rugged Swedish structure and, with its range of four-cylinder engines, reliability and economy.

Fast, however, it was not.

At least, not in stock form. But at least one enterprising man named Mattias Vöcks, who works for none other than Koenigsegg, decided to build an Amazon that was debuted back in 2006 at the SEMA Show in Vegas with a bit more power. As in 600 horsepower, courtesy of a turbocharged 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine. Yep, that ought to do it, eh?

In fact, it’s enough power to embarrass a Ferrari 599 in a straight line. Don’t believe us? Check out the video after the break for some terrifyingly fast turbo brick action.

Continue reading Watch a Volvo Amazon wagon race a Ferrari 599… and win

Watch a Volvo Amazon wagon race a Ferrari 599… and win originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Volvo | Jeremy Korzeniewski