Filed under: Sedan, Crossover, Volvo
Now that
Volvo is no longer a part of
Ford Motor Company, change is inevitable. The Swedish automaker can no longer rely on Ford to supply low-cost global platforms or new powertrains in the future, so that future may include fewer platforms and better model distinction. AutoWeek reports that Volvo will soon go from three platforms to two by adding some new models and taking away some others. On the chopping block are the S40 sedan and V50 wagon. Both have sold reasonably well, but they are reportedly too close in size to the new
S60 to be retained. The V70 station wagon will cease to exist after the 2011 model year.
Doug Speck, CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, tells AW that a new vehicle is being considered that will be smaller than the
S40. It would do battle against heavy hitters like the BMW 1 Series. The small sedan's all-new platform could also spawn a compact crossover to take on the likes of the BMW X1. Speck cites the feverish growth of the small luxury crossover segment as the main motivating factor to adding a smaller stablemate to the
XC60 and XC90. In the short term, the larger
S80 and
XC90 will also be redone, better positioning Volvo to win sales in China, where large luxury rides are in high demand.
Speck also set expectations for S60 sales in the U.S. Volvo hopes to sell 15,000 to 25,000 copies of the attractive new sedan annually. Volvo sold only 5,895 copies of the outgoing S60 in 2009, though the last-gen model, which first sold way back in 2001, was very long in the tooth.
[Source:
AutoWeek]
Report: Volvo mulling sub-S40 sedan, BMW X1 rival originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Europe, Volvo
2011 Volvo V70 R-Design by Heico Sportiv - click above for a high-res image gallery
A
Volvo wagon from a tuner can't help but sound exciting to us. Externally, the
Volvo V70 T6 R-Design by
Heico Sportiv delivers what you'd expect for an exclusive Euro express, carrying an eye-watering €70,193 price tag (that's more than $86,000 USD). Metallic sapphire black is the only color available for the limited-edition run of 100 cars. Ride height is lowered by 30 millimeters over attractive five-spoke 19-inch wheels, a sport exhaust system is fitted and there's an ever-important viking-helmet emblem affixed to the car's rump. Heico also re-tunes the turbocharged six cylinder engine, which jumps from its standard 304 horsepower to 330.
Volvo's R-Design dress-up parts are applied liberally, as well. Matte metal accents in and out and sport leather upholstery further set this special wagon apart. The aesthetics are without fault, but then there's the performance details. Despite increased horsepower and claims of "apparently limitless power reserves," the resulting numbers aren't terribly impressive for a car with such sporting overtones and lofty price. 0-62 mph arrives in 5.9 seconds, which is quick, but for about the same money, an
Audi S6 Avant packs a 429 pony wallop that reaches 62 mph in just 5.2 seconds, and we're guessing that it'll outhandle the Swede as well.
BMW's 535i SE Touring is a veritable bargain, ringing up a €48,000 price tag (just under $59k) and delivering a nearly-identical run 6.0 second run to 100 km/h from its 306 hp engine. On this side of the Atlantic, you could pick up an Ecoboost-powered
Ford Flex for $37,000 and get more space and similar pace (Ford's three-row scorcher ran to 60mph in 6.0 seconds for a
Car and Driver shoe).
Despite the number-crunching, there's little doubt that this Heico-tuned V70 is among the sportiest Volvo wagons extant, but exclusivity and styling will have to sell this car. It's out-sprinted by a V6
Nissan Altima, and even the
Toyota RAV-4 V6 will give it a hard time - not exactly what you'd expect from a "tuner" car.
[Source:
Heico Sportiv]
Heico Volvo V70 T6 R-Design hauls more than kids, but carries massive pricetag originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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According to this leaked
Volvo dealer product update, the
V70 wagon's getting the axe after 11 years of production. The V8-option in the
S80's also going bye-bye and the V50 wagon's not long for this world.
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