Why Volvo

The purpose of the new Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) function is to dampen the oscillation tendencies that can arise when towing a trailer or caravan. In certain conditions, the rig runs the risk of swaying from side to side or “snaking” and it can be difficult for the driver to control this movement. TSA steps in and together with the further developed DSTC function helps stabilize the car and trailer by braking one or more wheels as necessary while at the same time reducing the engine’s torque. TSA operates on all road surfaces and is standard when purchasing a tow-bar. TSA is active at speeds above 30 mph.

Sometimes it can be very difficult to get out of a situation where a trailer has started wobbling, and in the worst case the trailer may even stray onto the wrong side of the road and roll over.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for this to lead to severe traffic accidents. These accidents usually occur during vacation periods when the roads are filled with towing caravans, trailers and boat trailers.

“It is not easy to single-handedly regain control over a trailer that has started wobbling. The basic rule is to always brake. With TSA, the wheels are braked individually, thus counteracting the trailer’s weaving tendencies. This is much more effective than the driver braking all the wheels at the same time. The other advantage of TSA is that it can activate much earlier to bring a situation under control, perhaps even before the driver notices what is about to happen,” concludes Per Ola Fuxin.

Volvo’s E85 Flexifuel engine just got some HP.  The new five-cylinder 2.5-liter Flexifuel engine, dubbed the 2.5FT gains 30hp over its predecessor the 2.5F.  With the 30hp gain, the engine also cuts fuel costs by 5-6% ,depending on transmission.

“This technical advance shows that we can give buyers of our larger cars an attractive combination of enhanced driving pleasure and better environmental properties. Few, if any, of our competitors can match our ever-wider and more efficient green-car model range,” says Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President, Product Development at Volvo Cars. He adds: “The new 2.5FT variants will be a particularly attractive choice for company car customers. Since the hike in torque gives far better pulling power, driveability in both the Volvo S80 and Volvo V70 gets a real boost. At the same time, fuel economy is noticeably better. Fuel consumption will drop most significantly among cars that cover long distances on the highway and motorway.”

The 2.5FT will be available in June on the S80 and V70 models.

Starting in 1994 Volvo began green racing, way before green was in style.

Now in  2008 Volvo has developed a completely new racing car, one that was based on the forthcoming Volvo C30 DRIVe. This model has an optimized aerodynamic package that results in lower drag and therefore lower fuel consumption on the street. On the track, these same aerodynamic features provide better stability and higher top speed. Green street technology would form the basis for a winning car on the track.

After a tough start Volvo’s green C30 race car delivered five pole positions and victories in the last two races of the season.

Volvo teams up with SimBin to create a  racing video game “Volvo – The Game”.   Expected release date for the game is May 2009 and it will be FREE!  The game centers around the S60 Concept we’ve been seeing lately.

The Two Swedish companies  are very excited about this venture, Henrik Roos, SimBin Studios CEO, said  “When Volvo Cars asked us if we were able to develop a Volvo racing game for PC, suitable for a wide audience and including the new S60 Concept car, we picked up on the challenge straight away. Especially since it was Volvo Cars located in Sweden that was asking. Two Swedish brands that join forces sounded like a perfect match to us”.

SimBin has a large portfolio of games which include award winning games like “GTR – The FIA GT Racing Game”, “GT Legends”, “GTR 2 – The FIA GT Racing Game”, “RACE – The WTCC Game”, “RACE 07 – The WTCC Game”, “GTR Evolution” and “STCC The Game”.

Can’t wait to top the Leader board!

Volvo receives the prestigious “Genius 2009” awarded by the insurance company Allianz Versicherungs AG.

“This award is a great honor because it singles out our great commitment to the development of innovative safety systems,” said Thomas Viehweg, Managing Director of Volvo Car Germany.

Volvo City Safety offers more safety especially in congested city traffic and is enabled at speeds up to 30 km/h. The system operates with an optical laser which continuously monitors traffic. For example, City Safety recognizes a sudden braking by the vehicle in front of the car. If the driver does not react, the system automatically triggers an emergency stop. The system can prevent a collision completely if the relative speed difference between the two vehicles is less than 15 kph. In the range of 15 to 30 kph, the emphasis is on effectively reducing the collision speed, minimizing the consequences of the accident.

The XC60 is making its presence felt, with such cutting edge safety features I believe we will be seeing a lot more awards in the near future.

The New Zealand Automobile Association awarded the XC60 D5 the Large Crossover award of Motoring Excellence.  While in Spain the XC60 and XC90 received Spanish safety institute Centro Zaragoza’s “best safety choice” award.

That’s “Why Volvo”!

City Safety is standard

The Volvo S80L (Long) was launched in China on March 12th 2009.  The S80L is 140mm (5.5in) longer and packed with upgrades for the Chinese market.

Based on extensive research Volvo has tailored the S80L to the Chinese Market.  What did Volvo determine the Chinese market wanted? A limousine-like traveling experience.  So most of the  S80L upgrades are related to the back seat area.

• Back seat refrigerator
• Cup holders in the backrests
• Rear seat entertainment system
• Deeply padded leather seats.
• Rear heated seats
• Rear cigarette lighter

The refreshed 2010 S80 will  hit dealers in late spring.  The flagship S80 will be longer and have a wider stance giving the S80 a bolder attitude and an elegant allure .   The 2010 Volvo received some of the DNA changes defined in the XC60, like the larger Volvo icon mark and other interior refinements.

The Volvo S80 will be available in two chassis .  The standard chassis will provide a limousine like feel, while the sports chassis will sit lower and offer a firmer ride.

Going Diesel

The 2010 S80 will have turbo diesels:

• An entirely new twin-turbo five-cylinder 2.4-litre turbodiesel. The new D5 engine offers 205 horsepower.
• Also available is an Euro 4-compliant 2.4-litre diesel engine with 175 horsepower.

Volvo’s  Sports Sedan the S60 is getting a makeover in 2010.  Volvo has a lot of competition in this class with BMW, Audi, and even the American car makers making headway (e.g. The Pontiac G8).   The new S60 must be sleeker, quicker, and have some high tech bells and whistles.    I’m excited to see what Volvo will come up with.

Items featured in the 2010 Volvo S60 Concept (What will make it into the production model….only time will tell):

• Viking longboat headlamps.
• Cleaner lines inside and out.
• Car and pedestrian detection system.
• Adaptive cruise control
• Reduced CO2  emissions:

• high-efficiency GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) technology.
• Stratified combustion. The combustion chamber is designed such that a mist consisting of the optimal blend of air and fuel is formed around the spark plug, surrounded in turn by pure air. This allows the engine to operate with a surplus of air, thus cutting fuel consumption.
• Start/stop, a functionality that switches off the engine when the car is at a standstill.
• Powershift. Two manual gearboxes work in parallel, each regulated by its own clutch.
• EPAS (Electric Power Assisted Steering). In principle an “electric servo” where the conventional hydraulic pump has been replaced by an electric motor.
• “DRIVe-Mode”. Gives the driver the possibility of reducing fuel consumption via an “economy mode” that limits the function of a number of selected electrical or mechanical systems.
• Grille shutter. A wind-deflecting panel that can be closed to reduce air drag when there is less need for cooling air.
• Flat underbody panels.
• The use of lightweight materials in the car body.

For pics of the 2010 S60 concept go to the Volvo Newsroom.

There is a lot of hype about the 2010 Volvo XC60,  Volvo is pushing the crossover like no other vehicle in the past.  The XC60 is making it’s way around the US in the VOL Tour (with two dots over the “O” ).   The XC60 is making good use of social media. They have every XC60 event  being recorded on flickr.  They also have a Facebook and twitter account related to the New XC60.   Kudos to Volvo for pulling out all the stops.

THE XC60 T6 AWD BY THE NUMBERS

MSRP    $37,200

Destination Charge    $825

OPTION PACKAGES

Climate Package    $1,000

Heated front seats

Heated rear seats

Heated windshield washer nozzles

Rainsensor windshield wipers

Headlamp washers

Interior Air Quality System (IAQS)

Humidity Sensor

Technology Package    $2,700

Dynaudio® Premium Sound System,  Dolby Pro-Logic II® Surround Sound, 650-watt amplifier, 12 Dynaudio® speakers, rear seat headphone jacks, audio controls

Volvo Navigation System with Real Time Traffic, DVD map data and remote control

Rear Park Assist Camera

Collision Avoidance Package    $1,695

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB)

Distance Alert (DA)

Driver Alert Control (DAC)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Convenience Package    $1,000

Grocery bag holder

12V power outlet in cargo area

Front and rear park assist

Power tailgate

Homelink remote garage door opener

OPTIONS

Black Sapphire Metallic    $525

Electric Silver Metallic    $675

Maple Red Pearl    $525

Barrents Blue    $525

Silver Metallic    $525

Lime Grass Green Pearl    $525

Savile Grey Pearl    $525

Terra Bronze Pearl    $525

Dual onboard two-stage child booster seats with adaptive seatbelts and power child rear door locks    $495

Dual Xenon with Gas Discharge Headlights with Active Bending Light    $800

Blind Spot Information System (BLIS)    $695

Personal Car Communicator (PCC) with Keyless drive    $550

Nordic Light Oak inlays    $295

Panorama moonroof n/c

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