Volvo Expands V40 Family with Sportier R-Design and Tougher Cross Country Models

The all-new Volvo V40 R-Design and V40 Cross Country received their world premiere today at the 2012 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. Both models are more about style than essence with the R-Design placing the emphasis on sporty looks and the Cross Country on its off-road appearance.

Beginning with the R-Design version, the Swedish carmaker's premium hatchback obtains a slightly more aggressive exterior thanks to a re-profiled front bumper, a silk-metal finish for the front grille, the new rear diffuser and the exterior mirrors, chrome exhaust pipes and 17-inch or optionally, 18-inch alloy wheels.

Read more »

Volvo Tells Us V40 Cross Country Not Coming to the States Either [New Photos and Videos]

The good news about the V40 Cross Country is that we have a fresh set of high-resolution images and a pair of videos to show you following the introduction of the car the other day.

The bad news is that if you live in the United States and thought the Cross Country's tougher looks may have persuaded Volvo to bring it to this side of the Atlantic, we hate to disappoint you, but that's not going to happen.

We asked Laura DiStefano, Corporate Communications Manager for Volvo Cars of North America, and her reply was the same we got for the regular V40 hatchback: "No plans for the U.S."

Read more »

New Volvo V40 Cross Country Photos Released in Advance of the Paris Motor Show

The first official images and details of the new Volvo V40 Cross Country have dripped on the web revealing the Swedish carmaker's smallest crossover model.

Originally thought to be named XC40, the new Volvo is a taller standing and more rugged looking version of the brand's V40 compact hatchback, designed more or less around the same philosophy as the larger XC70.

The halfway (if not even less...) crossover model from Volvo gets some chunky black cladding around the redesigned front and rear bumpers that also feature silver colored protective plates, and side sills, along with silver roof rails, newly styled alloy wheels and a 40mm taller ride height than the regular V40.

Read more »

Volvo Introduces Sportier Looking V40 R-Design Variants [w/Video]

Launched ahead of its world premiere at this month's Paris Motor Show is the new Volvo V40 R-Design, which is essentially a trim package with some minor styling enhancements for both the exterior and interior of the premium hatchback, much like the "R-Line" kits for the VW Beetle that we told you about in our previous post. Read more »

Volvo Announces New C30 Polestar Performance Edition Limited to 250 Units for U.S.

The long-simmering flirtation between Volvo and its racing and tuning partner Polestar has finally been consummated with a production model, albeit not the one most fans were expecting (see here).

What Volvo and Polestar came up with is a limited-production version of the C30 compact hatchback of which only 250 examples will be made exclusively for the U.S. market.

It will go on sale this November priced at $32,445, which includes an $895 destination charge, or $3,700 more than the 225hp C30 T5 R-Design upon which it is based.

Read more »

Heico Sportiv Launches New Volvo V40 Tuning Program

After giving us a foretaste of its tuning program for the all-new 2013 Volvo V40 in the summer with pictures and initial details, Heico Sportiv has now officially launched a variety of performance and styling accessories for the Swedish brand's premium compact hatchback.

The German company's offerings encompass power enhancements, exhaust systems, sport suspensions, wheels and interior and exterior design elements.

Read more »

Volvo Recalling 42,211 XC90s Due To Fire Risk

Sweden's Volvo Car Corp. is recalling 42.211 XC90 SUVs in the United States due to a potential problem with the battery. Specifically, misplaced jack crank handles under the battery bracket after battery service/maintenance could lead to a short circuit resulting to a fire. Volvo said it would ensure the handle is properly stowed and add a warning label once the affected cars are brought in for maintenance. Volvo told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the recall covers XC90s manufactured from June 7, 2004, to May 13, 2005, at their plant in Torslanda, Sweden.

Via: azcentral

Volvo C70: New 136Hp 2.0-Litre Turbo Diesel Unit

Volvo’s extending the engine range in the C70 coupe-cabrio with the addition of a 2,0-liter turbodiesel unit fitted with a Diesel Particulate Filter as standard (the filter significantly reduces unburned soot particles in the exhaust gases). The four-pot diesel engine has a power output of 136 Hp and 320 Nm of torque accelerating the C70 from 0-100 km/h (62mph) in 11.0 sec and handing a top speed of 205 km/h (127mph). According to Volvo the C70 2.0D boasts an avg. fuel consumption of 6.1 l/100 km – 38.6mpg (EU combined). -Continued after the jump

"The four-cylinder turbodiesel will be a very popular choice, especially in Europe where it will account for 20 percent of total C70 sales. The engine offers a very attractive combination of fuel economy and driving pleasure," says Fredrik Arp, President and CEO of Volvo Cars. The Swedes expects sales of the C70 2.0D to reach about 2,000 units a year - which means that one out of ten C70s sold worldwide will have the four-pot turbodiesel. The first cars will reach European showrooms during autumn 2007.

Via: Motorpasion , Source: Volvo

Volvo XC90 By ERST: Swedish SUV Gets Japanese Treatment

Ever heard about ERST before? Don’t be shy to admit it, we hadn’t. Turns out that, just like Heico Sportiv, Evolve and IPD, ERST is tuning house that specializes on Volvo. What makes ERST special though is the fact that it’s based in Japan. ERST’s latest offering concentrates on soccer mom’s best pal, the facelifted XC90.

The Japanese tuning house’s package consists of a bodykit that includes under panel attachments on both bumpers, front fog light fins, chromed exhaust pipe and most importantly, wider fender flares. Along with a set of sexy, bi-color alloy rims and a lowered suspension, the Volvo XC90 looks aggressive without going overboard or bling-bling. -More images after the jump

Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: ERST

Volvo R-Design Official: Available For C30, S40 & V50

That was quick; a couple of weeks after we first heard about Volvo’s intentions to present a sport package and the Swedish carmaker made it official. The option package will be named “R-DESIGN” (and not R-Line as we initially thought) and it will be available on the C30, S40 and V50 model range as of autumn 2007. The R-DESIGN package offers a range of sports-inspired interior

Exterior design includes an R-DESIGN badge in the front grille, color coordinated body kit, rear or roof spoiler, silver matt finish front grille and wing mirrors, and 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels (18-inch optionally). Interior design includes a two-tone black and cream upholstery with contrast stitching and embossed R-DESIGN logo, leather trimmed steering wheel with R-DESIGN logo, an aluminum center stack, blue instrument dials, sports pedals and tufted dark floor mats with cream leather seams. -Full press release along with a high-res image gallery after the jump

Spice up your Volvo with R-design - the choice for a refined taste

Volvo Cars is now introducing R-design - an exclusive factory-fitted options package for customers who want a car with refined attributes.R-design will initially be available on the Volvo C30, Volvo S40 and Volvo V50 as of autumn 2007.

"The possibility of tailoring one's car to suit personal tastes is becoming increasingly important to car buyers today. R-design has been developed for buyers who want a refined and sporty look for their cars," says Gerry Keaney, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars.

Customers can choose between 10 exterior colours, and the R-design badge in the grille is accompanied by a range of specially designed exterior and interior details. Exterior features include a satin matt-finish grille, colour co-ordinated bumpers and lower side mouldings, rear or roof spoiler, satin matt-finish door mirror caps and five-spoke aluminium wheels (17 inches, 18 inches available as option). There is also a decotrim on the tailgate of the C30 and V50.

Volvo Promotion Treasure Hunters Discover A Real-Life $500m Spanish Shipwreck!

A treasure chest filled with $50,000 in gold doubloons and a key to a new Volvo? – Who needs it when there’s $500 million worth of priceless coins lying right next to it? In theory, Volvo’s treasure hunt adventure, which was designed to promote the latest chapter of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, was a good idea. The contest, which originally promised the winner a sea voyage to retrieve a pre-sunk chest full of cash goodies, was put on the backburner when Odyssey, the world leader in deep-ocean shipwreck exploration, found something better.

The “new” prize included a chest, which is thought to be from an old Spanish shipwreck, filled with $500 million in gold and silver coins. The area was immediately blocked off by the Spanish government hoping they could get a cut of the findings.Meanwhile, Volvo had to dig deep in their pockets and give the winner of the contest, 23-year-old Alena Zvereva of Russia the replacement $50,000 and the keys to a new Volvo. They are also wondering how they’ll retrieve the stranded chest of gold coins. The contest attracted more than 32,000 online contestants from 22 markets around the world. -Full press release and pics after the jump

Posted by Dani

Via: Motorpasion, Source Volvo

PRESS RELEASE: REAL-LIFE PIRATE ADVENTURE DELAYS VOLVO TREASURE RETRIEVAL

Controversy Sparked by $500 Million Real-Life Treasure Find
Adds New Mystery and Intrigue to Final Leg of Volvo's Online Hunt

In a twist worthy of any great pirate story, Volvo Car Corporation today upped anchor - at least temporarily - on the last crucial leg of its global online treasure hunt: the retrieval of a prize treasure chest filled with $50,000 in gold and a key to a new Volvo from the sea floor. The retrieval of the chest will hang in the balance until controversy dies down over the discovery of real life treasure by Volvo's Hunt partner, Odyssey Marine Exploration.

Earlier this year, Volvo selected Odyssey, the world leader in deep-ocean shipwreck exploration, to sink a treasure chest with one goal: to create an authentic, exciting treasure hunt to promote Disney's ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.' Veiled in secrecy, Odyssey scouted locations in the Western Mediterranean, finally zeroing in on a perfect spot off the coast of Gibraltar. They had planned to take the winner of The Hunt, 23-year-old Alena Zvereva from Ekaterinburg, Russia, out to retrieve the treasure from its secret location when the operation hit an unprecedented snag: Odyssey found real treasure. And a media storm ensued.

"We thought sinking a real treasure chest, filled with $50,000 in gold doubloons and a key to a new Volvo, and creating a global treasure hunt for 22 markets was challenging," said Linda Gangeri, national advertising manager, Volvo Cars of North America. "But that was, quite literally, a drop in the ocean compared to the storm our attempted retrieval process has stirred up."

While thousands of would-be treasure hunters from around the globe battled it out to find Volvo's prize booty, Odyssey struck gold and silver of their own in the Atlantic Ocean with the discovery of an estimated $500 million in coins from a deep ocean site the company has now code-named the ‘Black Swan.'

As soon as the discovery was made public, having been spotted depositing Volvo's treasure in an entirely different area, questions started circulating as to the real provenance of the ‘Black Swan.' Was it a Spanish shipwreck? Had Odyssey been working on shipwrecks in Spanish waters? Unable to reveal the exact location of the ‘Black Swan,' in the Atlantic Ocean because of obvious security reasons, and under a non-disclosure agreement with Volvo to protect the location of its treasure chest, Odyssey found itself in the eye of a media storm that has yet to abate. Reports have been widely circulated that a court in the Spanish coastal town of La Linea has issued an order for the Spanish Guardia Civil to detain any Odyssey vessel should it leave the port of Gibraltar, putting Volvo's retrieval plans on hold.

"When we discovered the ‘Black Swan,' international interest in the find was amazing," said Greg Stemm, real-life shipwreck explorer and co-founder of Odyssey. "Even though we have been very clear that it's in the Atlantic Ocean, outside any country's territorial waters, when Spanish authorities saw that we'd been out near Gibraltar in March, some unfortunately jumped to the wrong conclusion. Until very recently, we were contractually bound not to reveal our arrangement with Volvo, so without a real explanation of why we had deep-sea exploration equipment out there, it's easy to see how imaginations could run wild."

Whatever happens, Zvereva will receive $50,000 and a new Volvo XC70. Volvo, however, is not giving up on its retrieval plans yet and is committed to exploring every avenue possible to reclaim the chest from its watery depths.

"We wanted an adventure, and we certainly got one," said Gangeri. "Real-life shipwreck exploration is uncharted waters for us, and Odyssey did warn us that you never know what will happen out on the high seas. They have been an excellent partner throughout all this, and they helped make this contest one of the most authentic, exciting promotions of the year. Now, pirate story or not, we're putting everything we have toward raising a thrilling - and happy - ending."

About the Hunt

The wildly popular Hunt, a month-long multi-media campaign developed as part of Volvo's promotion of the theatrical release of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, attracted more than 32,000 online contestants from 22 markets around the world. Participants solved a series of puzzles that led to a semi-final puzzle, Puzzle 21: World's End, posted May 31. The first contestant from each country to submit the correct answer then went on to compete in one final online puzzle to decide the winner. All participating markets were represented in the final with the exception of Italy, who didn't have a participant submit a correct semi-final answer within the time limit.

AB Volvo To Invest €180 million In Engine & Gearbox Production

Volvo -as in AB Volvo Trucks and not cars, has decided to invest more than SEK 1.7 billion (£ 122m - $241m - €180m) in Volvo Powertrain to increase its manufacturing capacity for heavy diesel engines by 20 per cent and heavy gearboxes by 50 per cent. The reason why the Swedes are proceeding to these investments is the increased demand for the Volvo Group’s products in emerging markets such as Eastern Europe and Asia. -Continued after the jump

A large part of the investment, slightly more than SEK 1.1 billion, will be in the foundry and production plant in Skövde, where production capacity for heavy diesel engines will be increased by 20 per cent. The investment there will comprise machinery, premises and environment-enhancing measures. In Köping, where gearboxes are produced, the investment will amount to SEK 400 million. In addition, minor investments will be made in a number of Volvo Powertrain’s plants in other parts of the world, to ensure that industrial systems are adjusted to the higher production capacity.

Volvo R-Line Sport Package For C30, S40 & V50 Models?

While Volvo decided a couple of months ago to can the “R” performance band due to sluggish sales in both Europe and the US, it is being reported that the Swedish carmaker is thinking of reviving the “R” brand through a sport package dubbed “R-Line”. Think of it as something similar to Audi’s S-Line and BMW’s M-Sport packages with visual and chassis enchantments. The unconfirmed reports are accompanied by a set of pictures featuring an S40 with a subtle looking bodykit, different interior trim and “R-Line” badging in-and-out. -More pictures after the jump

Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: Volvonews.tk

Volvo 244 With A 284Hp Toyota Supra Twin-Turbo Engine!

It’s "bricks on fire" down-under were an Australian bloke swapped the sloth 4-cylinder stock engine in his Volvo 244 GLE with a Toyota 1JZ-GTE / R154 powertrain! The 1JZ-GTE is a 6 cylinder, 2.5-litre, twin cam 24 valve, twin turbo engine pushing out around 284Hp / 208kW and 363Nm while the R154 is a 5 speed manual gearbox. This specific engine was used in the third-generation Toyota Supras and Soarers –the latter was sold in the U.S as the Lexus SC 300/400.

We have no idea how the rear-wheel drive Volvo handles on the road, but honestly, we don’t give a kangaroo’s poop. We’d give anything just to see the reaction of a driver’s face when you overtake him with a supped-up brick that sounds like a Supra. Check out the video of the Volvo 244 or, as its creator has baptized it, the 264TT-R, being dyno-tested after the jump (click “Read More…” or the title) and you’ll see what we mean. -Continued below

Via: csapo

Technorati: Volvo+244, Toyota+Supra, Carscoop, blogs, automotive, vehicles