Until quite recently in order to appear on Volvo’s sales radar you would have needed to be either a police force or someone with a lot of furniture or children to move around or perhaps both. There have only been a couple of occasions in Volvo’s long motoring history where they have produced a design that bucked the reputation for solid and dependable if not terribly exciting cars. The P1800 was a design classic but considering they stopped making it in 1973 and was in essence a sports car something new from the Swedish stable has been a long time coming.
Other previous attempts to make a small, two-door hatchback have resulted in the much maligned 340 series with its Renault engine or the somewhat troublesome 480 which smelt of smouldering electrics as soon as you turned the ignition key. As a result of these somewhat disastrous forays into the smaller car market, Volvo rather rapidly went back to producing larger rear wheel drive cars which it has historically been rather good at.
Volvo who were founded in 1927 surprised the automotive world in 1999 and decided to sell the family silver to good ‘ol Ford and as a result the two blue badges (oval and kinda square) became one. This was quite a canny move by the Swedes as Ford has more or less let Volvo get on with things and in turn Volvo has sent a healthy profit back to Detroit (a reported $700 million in 2004). Despite falling sales in the USA, it has at times been the only profitable car-maker in the House of Henry.
Turning our attention now to the C30, Volvo has benefited from Ford’s ride and handling prowess mainly thanks to the highly praised Focus chassis and its line-up of petrol and Peugeot/Ford diesel engines, Volvo now has the tools to do the small-car business.
The C30 has set itself apart from competition such as the Audi A3 and BMW’s 1-series with softer lines and lends itself to less angular coupes of old. The C30 is being strongly marketed at a “young and dynamic” market to people with “intense urban lifestyles” whoever they are, although Volvo is still expecting to sell some cars to the rest of us regular folks. Production will be at Volvo’s Ghent plant in Belgium with some 65,000 C30’s expected to roll off the lines each year.
As you would expect with all Volvo’s the C30 has an excellent build quality to easily match its German rivals. The panel gaps are spot on and the lustrous paintwork then leads you into a well designed high quality cabin. The soft coatings of the interior give rise to a cleverly designed “floating” centre console which provides hidden storage space behind. An optional satellite navigation system emerges from the dash if you should lose your way.
There is not a huge amount of luggage space as you might expect in a two-door coupe but then hey if it’s a family car you are after you’re barking up the wrong tree here.
The C30 comes with a good choice of engine sizes from 1.6 litre petrol through to a 2.5 litre turbocharged T5 model. A number of oil-burners are available too including 1.6/2.0 and the top spec 2.4 D5 Unit. Performance levels are good especially the T5 which will keep you holding on to your seat at a top speed of 149mph which is pretty good considering the car weighs in at 1.4 tons (Volvo’s never have been light weight). The ride quality is good as is the handling thanks to running gear donated from the Ford Focus. In keeping with all Volvo’s, safety is still a big factor and the C30 is packed with features, the cleverest of which is Volvo’s blind-spot information system with discreet lamps in the windscreen pillars which warn you when you’re about to run into something or someone!
The C30 should appeal to many, even people who don’t have “intense urban lifestyles” Sadly I don’t think that includes me any more.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Volvo C30
Volvo Electric Powered Concept Sports Car
While major U.S. automakers are focusing on hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, Volvo took a different route, unveiling a sports car powered entirely with lithium-ion batteries. Volvo's 3CC concept car, won "Best Design" and five Gold Standards at the recent Michelin Challenge Bibendum environmental competition in Shanghai, China.
"Not only does the 3CC combine classic Volvo styling cues with exotic gull-wing doors and a tapered, 2+1 seating configuration, but it does so with a highly advanced lithium-ion battery electric drive train. That's a step apart from the crowd, which these days is largely focused on hybrid and fuel cell concepts," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal.
"Just as the earlier ECC forwarded new thought in hybrid propulsion with its high-speed turbine-generator design," adds Cogan, "today's lithium-ion 3CC innovates with its thousands of smallish laptop computer-style batteries, which power this zero emission vehicle to impressive levels of efficiency and performance."
Advanced research into sustainable mobility and Volvo engineers have placed particular focus on the conditions regulating safety in small cars and their ability to handle incoming forces in a frontal collision.
The unique aerodynamic styling of Volvo's 3CC concept car allows room for a third seat in back. The unique ducktail design creates room for a third seat in the back, while the batteries are sandwiched into the floor panels.
The 3CC concept car features an 80-kilowatt motor that delivers up to 107 horsepower, it has a potential driving range of 300 km (approx 180 miles) the 3CC has a top speed of over 135 km per hour.
The carbon-fiber body is mounted on a steel space frame and composite floor panels, giving the lightweight vehicle the ability to leap to 60 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds. Volvo says the 3CC can travel 180 miles on one charge under ideal driving conditions
The Volvo 3 CC's safety features include Volvo Safety Ride Down Concept, a unique solution with a seat system that moves forward, a bit like a sled, at the same time as the front is deformed. This movement is slowed with the help of adaptive shock absorbers that tailor the damping effect to suit the collision force and the occupants’ number and weight. The interior can be moved between 0 and 200 mm forward, which has the same overall effect as extending the crumple zone by a corresponding length. It has seats that slide forward at the moment of deformation, the intention being to compensate for the small car’s traditional lack of space in the crumple zone.
Virtual tests showed that the most important part of a ride-down system is the energy absorber and that it needs to be adaptive in order to be a viable concept, by responding to differences in occupant load and crash severity”.
An environmentally efficient car that also has to be comfortable, enjoyable to drive, attractive to look at and safe to ride is an entirely new approach. The result is the Volvo 3CC, a sporty and appealing, extremely aerodynamic and compact car equipped with an energy-efficient electric motor.
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
2009 Volvo XC90
2009 Volvo XC90 rank 11 of 15 Luxury Midsize SUVs. This ranking is based on an analysis of published reviews and test of 47 Volvo XC90, and analysis of reliability and data security. The Volvo XC90 is an SUV with his family in a comfortable interior, a power and excellent security. Critics agree that the 2009 Volvo XC90 offers good value for its class, but beware that the relatively low price, with options for sources quickly. "They deserve praise Volvo XC90 cars are like bad roads, solid feel, and many security features," says Consumer Guide. "Even if there is the Volvo, the class mobility or the end of the program, prices are competitive, provided they keep a lid on the choice." Despite its strengths, the Volvo XC90 is in a class very competitive and buyers have many other good options, including the Acura MDX and Lexus RX 350. For the year 2009, the Volvo XC90 is an optional package R-design, performance, internal and external extensions. The Volvo XC90 in different MIC - the base 3.2, 3.2 new R-Design, V8 and V8 R-Design.
2009 Volvo XC70
2010 Volvo XC60
2010 Volvo XC60 Rank 4 of 8 luxury compact SUV. This ranking is based on an analysis of published reviews and test 17 Volvo XC60, and analysis of reliability and data security. Volvo, as the first entry in the segment of luxury compact SUV, Volvo XC60 combines the elegant look of performance. A baby brother of the Volvo XC90, which will compete against the BMW X3 and sharing a platform with the Land Rover LR2. One of the great strengths of the Volvo XC60 is the high number of advanced security equipment. In its biggest base, is equipped with four-wheel drive and the new Volvo City Safety system that reduces the low-speed impact of the automatic braking if there is a threat of accident and the SUV traveling speed of 18 mph. "[A] t approximately $ 40,000 for an Volvo XC60, Volvo has introduced, it seems attractive and well designed products on their hands," says Motor Trend. "The fugitive status of 'economy and our current trend away from SUVs - only time will tell if this is enough." Due to the weakness of sales in 2008, Volvo's future is uncertain. French Renault automobile talked with Ford about a purchase of Volvo cars, and some Chinese automobile manufacturers have also, according to their interest. Be assured that even if Ford sells Volvo, which will probably notice a difference. Some dealers are, but they are all the safeguards in place. The Volvo XC60 is available in two trim. 3 / 2, with a six-cylinder engine and front wheel drive, while the T6 AWD is equipped with a turbo engine and four-wheel drive vehicles.