Volvo C30 2010 News

Volvo Car Corporation has announced the latest step in its 'DRIVe towards Zero' emissions strategy with the launch of an automatic gearbox option in four Volvo DRIVe models - the S60 DRIVe, V60 DRIVe, V70 DRIVe and the S80 DRIVe.For the first time, these DRIVe models can now be ordered with Volvo's Powershift dual-clutch automatic gearbox. And buyers of these cars won't compromise on environmental care or economy as the automatic gearboxed cars deliver exactly the same fuel economy and emissions as the class-leading manual boxed variants."For the first time ever, we have managed to bring the fuel consumption in variants with an automatic gearbox down to the same level as in the manual versions. An impressive achievement by our powertrain experts," says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at the Volvo Car Corporation.

While the full powertrain line-up for the new model - which will go on sale next year in Europe - isn't confirmed yet, Polestar is already working on tweaking an engine for it. The Swedish performance specialists - who are Volvo's motorsport partner in the World Touring Car Championship - are using the T5 2.5-litre four-cylinder from the C30 and C70. While the engine will also sit in the line-up as a standard unit with 169kW of power and 320Nm of torque, in Polestar's hands those outputs will be upped to 184kW and 370Nm, similar to the tuned version of the C30 T5. However other characteristics will be changed for the new car, which is built on an extended version of the C30 platform. "Even if it's the same engine, we want to adapt the 'personality' to the car," Polestar marketing manager Hans Baath says. "We will probably not change the numbers, but there is a huge difference we can make in characteristics . how it drives, whether the torque comes in earlier and how steep it is. There are so many variables - it's about throttle response, it's about how you get the transmission to work in. It's about how it will feel for the driver." The car was sitting under wraps in a corner of Polestar's Gothenburg headquarters when we visited last week, but the silhouette confirms that under the camouflage of recent spy shots is a fast-angled five-door hatch that has been built on an extended version of the C30 platform. The new model will be unveiled the Geneva motor show in March - along with  a new treatment of the Volvo naming convention, with V40 likely to turn out to be just an internal working title. It will go on sale in Europe next year, eventually edging out the S40 and V50 in the mid-sized segment. Volvo Australia has confirmed that the car will be here within 15 months, and will be strategically priced to win buyers from German and top-level Japanese brands, possibly starting around $40,000 for the base model. While managing director Matt Braid says it's too early to determine Australian spec or price, he suggests that "ideally we'll have a couple of petrols and potentially a couple of diesels". If the local line-up follows the pattern of the C30, we'll get the T5 - and the Polestar version too, if we're lucky.

Initial deliveries to leasing customers, mainly companies, authorities and governmental bodies, will take place immediately from August, 2011. The Volvo C30 Electric will be manufactured and delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe, including in Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. Tests on a fleet of about 50 cars have been conducted since September 2010, mainly internally at the Volvo Car Corporation. A Volvo C30 Electric was also part of the "One Tonne Life" project in which a family was given the task of living as climatesmart as possible for a period of six months. About 250 cars will be built by end 2012, possibly more if market interest takes off. The Volvo C30 Electric is built on the regular assembly line in the Ghent factory and then transported to G#adioteborg for installation of the motor, batteries and other modelspecific electronics. The batteries are installed where the fuel tank normally sits and also in a special compartment in the car's central tunnel. As a result, the luggage compartment is unchanged. The car is recharged from a regular household power socket. A full recharge takes about seven hours. The operating range is up to 150 kilometres per full charge. Top speed is 130 km/h and the C30 Electric covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 10.9 seconds. The Volvo C30 Electric project is part of the Volvo Car Corporation's highly ambitious electrification strategy for the forthcoming years. The electric car has attracted considerable international attention. Volvo Car Australia has expressed interest in the car. "The C30 Electric car offers the very same comfort, interior space and safety as the standard version of the C30 but can operate on 150km on pure electricity for zero emissions, " says Volvo Car Australia Public Affairs Manager, Jaedene Hudson. "Currently we offer our small car customers the C30 DRIVe which uses just 3.9L/100km and emits just 104g/km CO2. The C30 Electric is the next step in green motoring from Volvo. We've seen the initial information from Volvo Cars Corporation and have expressed interest in the car. The next stage will be to put together a business case to see if the car will be viable in our market."

... when the Australian International Motor Show opens in Melbourne on July 1. At least four plug-in battery cars will be at the show, with Mitsubishi headlining its baby $49,000 iMiEV again, Nissan going public in Australia with its Leaf, and Renault racing to airfreight its new Fluence Z.E. from France for its first public appearance since a down under sales confirmation. But it's Volvo which is adding the impact - literally - with its C30 Electric. The car for the show is the survivor of the first public crash test involving a production-ready battery-powered car. It was hit with a 40-per cent offset-frontal impact at 64km/h, one of the toughest crashes anywhere in the world, to highlight the work done by Volvo to protect its safety-first reputation as the world moves towards electric cars. Volvo says there was no deformation of the battery pack, no severing of crucial cables and computers, and no leakage of battery fluids during or after the impact. "Our tests show it is vital to separate the batteries from the electric car's crumple zones to make it as safe as a conventional car," says the president of Volvo Cars, Stefan Jacoby. The results of the crash test were no surprise at Volvo, which has already moved on from the single-frontal test with development of its C30 Electric. "The test produced exactly the results we expected. The C30 Electric offers the very same high safety level as a C30 with a combustion engine. The front deformed and distributed the crash energy as we expected. Both the batteries and the cables that are part of the electric system remained entirely intact after the collision," says Jan Ivarsson, senior safety manager at Volvo in Sweden. While the crash-survivor C30 Electric stars for Volvo at the show, the company also has its V60 plug-in hybrid for display and is also previewing a new go-faster car to put some variety into its display. The newcomer is the S60 T6 R Design, which is coming to Australian showrooms in limited numbers from August. Volvo Australia is still finalising details, including the price, but promises a car that's been tweaked by its Polestar motorsport partner to produce 242 kiloWatts and 470 Newton-metres of torque, enough to slash the sedan's sprint to 100km/h to around 5.8 seconds. It also has unique wheels, some new trim pieces, and a high-performance Heico exhaust.

The Prius is synonymous with eco-conscious motoring, but its maker Toyota comes in second on the list of Europe's cleanest carmaker. The cleanest brand in 2010 was, again, Fiat with 123.1g/km. down from 127.8g/km. All of Europe's top 20 brands improved their emissions last year. Outside the top 20 brands, Ferrari was again the most improved brand with relatively high average CO2 emissions of 326.8g/km, 46.3 g/km lower than in 2009. EU regulations have set a target for all new cars in Europe of 130g/km by 2015. Volvo reduced its emissions more than any other European manufacturer in the past year, however the Swedish brand is still a lowly 19th in the European emissions rankings. Its fuel-economic DRIVe models have pushed average CO2 emissions down to 157.5g/km in 2010 from 171.2g/km in 2009. In Australia, DRIVe technology is available only in the C30 model, says Volvo Car Australia spokeswoman Jaedene Hudson. "Currently, there are no plans to expand the range beyond that," she says. "We launched the C30 here as an experiment and we are watching how it is performing to see if there is opportunity to bring in other DRIVe models down the track.'' DRIVe is Volvo's name for a combination of technologies such as low rolling resistance tyres, regenerative battery charging, engine management systems, low friction oils, aerodynamics and stop-start technology. EU regulations have set a target for all new cars in Europe of 130g/km by 2015.

... despite a raft of ultra-efficient innovations that deliver an official best-in-class fuel consumption figure of just 3.8 litres per 100km.  The Australian International Motor Show in Sydney is a perfect opportunity to see this incredibly efficient car, which emits just 99 grams of CO2 for every kilometre driven.  The C30 DRIVe is the first Volvo to reach Australia featuring the latest generation of Volvo’s fuel-efficient diesel technology – a 1.6-litre four-cylinder with miserly thirst acting in concert with strong performance in the form of a flat torque curve delivering 240Nm at its peak.  The result is sporty performance plus an enviable cruising range of more than 1300km on a single 52-litre tank of diesel fuel. Performance with economy is possible thanks to a range of efficiency advances like intelligent stop/start technology that switches off the engine automatically whenever the car is at a standstill in traffic – increasingly a feature of driving in our congested cities. Volvo says this innovation alone can cut consumption by as much as 4-5 per cent depending on the prevailing driving conditions. The system uses an auxiliary battery that enables fast, smooth and unobtrusive automatic restarts, leaving other vehicle systems – like lights, wipers and audio systems – fully operational. The C30 DRIVe also incorporates regenerative charging to keep the battery topped up. Basically, the system utilizes the car’s otherwise superfluous kinetic energy to recharge the battery – which means additional fuel doesn’t have to be burnt to perform this essential function, realising a fuel saving of 2-3 per cent. Incremental savings like these can make a big difference. Designers that can recoup just two per cent from 10 different aspects of a car’s performance can bask in a 20 per cent total fuel saving. When you add electro-hydraulic power steering, an efficient cooling system, and even low-friction oil for the transmission, you can see how the C30 DRIVe achieves outstanding economy without blowing the budget or compromising on driving enjoyment.

But its head of overseas markets, Lex Kerssemakers, is not concerned about the current transitions."Partnerships are the key to Volvo's survival," he says. "But we must maintain our Swedish culture — it's what the customer wants and its the way we do business".Outwardly, it's a difficult balance. Volvo has been sold by Ford for $2 billion to one of China's biggest automotive groups, Geely. The deal is signed late this year, so Kerssemakers says Volvo was now "in between owners"."The arrangement with Geely will be similar to our 10-year ownership by Ford," he says. "There were then fears that Volvo would be rebadged as Fords. We managed to maintain our identity. I think it was long the case that people didn't know who owned us. Similarly, I think, that will happen with Geely. It is very definite that there will be two car companies — Geely and Volvo — that will be structured totally separate under one holding company."Geely has appointed a former Volvo CEO, a Swede, to head the company and to  Kerssemakers, that's a clear signal that it intends to keep Volvo totally Swedish. He says it was clear that within five years, Geely and Volvo will share technology."After all, $2 billion buys a lot of experience," he says. "Geely is a very dynamic company that is quickly moving ahead. They develop so fast and are extremely eager to learn. Sweden is a country with nine million people and where we have a 20 per cent market share. But in Sweden, we are unlikely to grow much bigger. With Geely, we have been given the chance to greatly expand our borders."Volvo already has a presence in China as a prestige brand. It makes the S40 and a long wheelbase version of the S80 in China. Kerssemakers says that within about three years it was possible that Volvo could make all models there for the Chinese market. "But, looking at the potential in China, it would be very unlikely that we could export from those factories," he says.Partnerships also extend to Volvo's future wave of vehicle technology. It recently entered into partnership with Sweden's biggest electricity supplier, the Swedish Energy Agency, to develop an electric car concept. SEA has contributed $22.25 million in funding to develop a centre.The first concept is an all-electric model, the C30 Electric Vehicle, that has a range of 150km and is powered by an 82kW motor with lithium-ion batteries that charge in under eight hours. The car can accelerate to 100km/h in 10.5 seconds."This year we will make 50 of the cars for trial," Kerssemakers says. "The partnership with SEA is beneficial to both of us. We all know that oil is running out. We need to find effective alternative solutions. We know what the alternatives are, we just have to explore them. If we don't do it now. we'll never be ready in five years time."Kerrsemakers says that the only fault with electric cars is the batteries. He sees one possibility as a car that is driven by electric motors yet has an onboard generator to charge the batteries. It is only one of the future vehicles being trialled by Volvo now."In 2012 we plan to have an electric vehicle with an onboard generator that will consume less than 1.5 litres/100km of diesel," he says. "But we are working on other technology. We had compressed natural gas (CNG) models in Sweden but we had no assistance from the government to continue development. We have ethanol-fuelled cars, petrol, diesel and are developing hybrids. I don't see there will be one solution in the way forward. As a small car company we have to jump on as many routes as possible. So it is very good for us to be a part of companies such as Ford and Geely."Closer to home is the 2-litre four-cylinder GTDi engine that Volvo is rolling out in selected markets."There is a good market for this engine that has fuel efficiency and high torque - even up against our five-cylinder turbo," he says. "This GTDi engine has 149kW and 300Nm of torque which makes it as powerful as our 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine. It also gets 7.9 litres/100km, has emissions of 184g/km CO2 and yet when fitted to our S80, will accelerate to 100km/h in only 7.9 seconds. The engine will first be launched in countries that offer tax incentives for sub-2-litre engines - China, South-East Asia, Japan and the Netherlands."In Australia, there will be continuation of the 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine."Now we have launched DriveE variants that include start/stop - probably the most efficient way to reduce fuel consumption," he says. "It is an absolute lead. The DriveE C30 manual gets 3.8 l/100km and 99g/km CO2 emission from a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel. And it's an engine that can go into anything we make. There's a lot of life left in petrol, so there are developments of three-cylinder engine and the move to electrification. When we expand, it will be downwards (engine and body size)."Kerssemakers believes hybrids are a "rather expensive solution" and that diesel engines were becoming "difficult" to meet future Euro-5 and Euro-6 emission standards. "Cost will ultimately define the best solution."Volvo is now making an XC60 with 2WD that has very low emissions which is becoming available in most markets. Volvo Car Australia boss Alan Desselss says the XC60 "could be brought into Australia tomorrow". It's being evaluated now. Volvo sales in Australia are expected to go to 7000 next calendar year, up from 4652 in 2009 and 5000 in 2010."Vehicles such as the new S60 (due soon) and XC60 2WD will help lift that. The only threat is supply," says  Desselss. "I think we have the right mix, once the S60 is launched, to produce strong sales. The S60 will give us credibility in the sedan market - an area where we haven't for a long time really been seen as being strong. We have been considered as an SUV company. But we think the S60 will return sedan buyers to our showrooms and there's a good chance that that traffic will flow into the other sedans, the S40 and S80."

Volvo has confirmed that an XC30 soft-roader is set to be the fourth crossover in the line-up.  Although details are scarce, the new car will be based on the C30 and sit under the XC60 and XC70.The company's president overseas corporate strategy, Lex Kerssemakers, confirmed the newcomer at the recent Geneva Motor Show.  "There will be some further expansion of the XC range in the near future," he says.Reports out of Europe suggest the all-wheel drive XC30 is coming in 2012 with a range of petrol and turbo-diesel engines and similar chunky styling to the XC60.  A station wagon version of the new S60, expected to be called the V60 is also due around the same time.Kerssemakers says V and XC cars "are the core of our business" and the next logical step was a smaller XC.  "Naturally you would go down at this moment because we're rather well filled with XC60, XC70 and XC90," he says.However, he believes that unlike other European carmakers who are chasing smaller city cars, Volvo will not go below the C30.  But he concedes that the Swede's impending sale to Chinese carmaker, Geely, could open up new opportunities."You never know, the world is changing rapidly," Kerssemakers says.  "You can imagine an electric city car just slightly below the C, could be a good future."  However, to do so would require a partner, he says.Apart from adding a smaller off-roader to compete against the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, Volvo is working on a five-door version of the C30.  "It's definitely part of the evaluation," Kerssemakers says.  "We elected five years ago to go deliberately with the three doors because it makes a great design statement.  "It's easier.  But at the end, a big part of the market is five-door market and not in the three-door market."Volvo is also pushing ahead with electric vehicles, he says. "It's an absolutely integrated philosophy with Volvo," Kerssemakers says.Volvo Australia will launch its ultra-frugal 1.6-litre turbo-diesel DRIVe C30 hatch this month.  Meanwhile, German high performance tuning house, Heico, has already built an all-wheel drive turbo C30 hatch. The XC30 borrowed the same Haldex all-wheel drive system as the V50 all-wheel drive wagon. The one-off was built in 2006 to showcase the company's performance expertise.

The plug-in C30 coupe has so much low-drag technology, particularly in its tyres, that it seems to roll forever once it gets up to speed during an introductory drive at the Volvo test track near Gothenburg. The electric C30 — Volvo calls it the BEV, for Battery Electric Vehicle — looks much like every other C30, apart from sitting a little closer to the road, but it is a breakthrough car for a brand which is chasing every green path into the future. A production version of the C30 BEV could be ready for sale as soon as 2011, although no-one at Volvo is making any firm commitments. "The volume production decision is not yet made. (But) We are ready to take the leadership there and we have a firm plan," says Paul Gustavsson, director of electrification strategy at Volvo Cars. "We believe electrification for cars is very beneficial. For a start, it is much more efficient. There is no pollution or noise in the traffic environment. "Also, the operating cost for the consumer is lower. Operating costs are one-third of diesel." He admits there is a cost penalty in batteries, but says they are better for automotive recycling. While the C30 BEV is only on the 'highly likely' list, Volvo is definitely committed to a plug-in hybrid for 2011. And its highly-efficient DRIVe C30 is coming to Australia in the first quarter of next year. I drove a plug-in hybrid prototype in Sweden built into the body of a V70 wagon — with a diesel engine in the nose and electric motors for the rear axle — and it was as free-wheeling and refined as the BEV. Heavier and more complicated, for sure, but more everyday than the futuristic Toyota Prius. "It's all about reducing fuel consumption," says Fustavsson. "In 2000 the best Volvo was at 6.5L/100km, and six years later we have improved by 10 per cent. With the DRIVe cars we are down to 4.6. In just 36 months from now we have a car for sale with half that consumption, 1.9L (2012). "Our target is a car with zero fuel consumption." Volvo believes the key is moving quickly away from regular unleaded petrol to alternate fuels, in parallel with its electric programs. "Electrification gives much more energy for transport. It's a key opportunity," says Dr Marten Levenstam, who heads long-range strategy and innovation at Volvo. He is clearly happy as I enjoy driving everything from the DRIVe cars to the BEV in Sweden, and even happier about Volvo's plan. "At Volvo we don't make fuels ... but we look at how to adapt our cars," Levenstam says. "In less than 10 years we change from petrol to diesel and ethanol. What are the most suitable alternative fuel? There is no clear answer." But he knows one way for everyone to go greener on the road. "There is a lot of interest from people looking for lower fuel economy and better CO2 emissions. But keep in mind that it's not just technology ... it's driving behaviour, "If you want your license in Sweden you have to take courses in eco driving. It's all about co-operation."  

Car companies are about to be put to the test in the Global Green Challenge and Carsguide is going along for the ride. There are two key buzz words in today's world of clean, green motoring: more and less.Car buyers, pricked by an environmental consciousness, are driving demand for better efficiency to reduce the impact on their wallet and less emissions to reduce the impact on the environment.And there's an added caveat to this quest for green sustainability: it has to be affordable without robbing the family car of performance or driveability.Welcome to the challenge facing car designers as they chase motoring's holy grail — producing a workable, green friendly car for the future. A bookmark of just where the industry is at will be on display at the end of the month when the Eco Challenge for production cars, run in conjunction with this year's Global Green Challenge, sets out from Darwin on October 24 and heads south to Adelaide.It will be real-world 3000 kilometre reality check, albeit most of the driving will be on highways, to show buyers what more-for-less cars are available now, or the near future.This week car companies have been jostling as they line up for the starting grid — some have still to fully show their hand but organisers say 21 cars are expected to contest the Eco Challenge while a further 38 dedicated solar-powered cars will also follow the same route the following day in their own race.This year's production car field is an eclectic mix.Hyundai Hyundai is using the Global Challenge to launch its 2010 Santa Fe wagon, promising more power and reduced fuel consumption which will attract caravan owners looking for an alternative to heavier 4WDs.Hyundai's Team R has entered two Santa Fes, one of which will be driven by CarsGuide. The wagon gets Hyundai's new R turbo diesel and a new six-speed manual transmission along with a recalibrated suspension and steering package for our tougher road conditions. A six-speed automatic will be optional. The Santa Fe goes on sale at the end of the year.Skoda Skoda will use the event to showcase its new flagship, the Superb saloon. Skoda says the 2-litre direct injection turbo diesel is capable of 5.4l/100km on the highway, meaning you can marry luxury with economy.Suzuki will use the event to showcase the ability of the tiny Alto, which the carmaker claims can travel 100 kilometres on just 3.5 litres of precious fuel on the highway. Tests in India have already shown it can do better at 3l/100km.The car is being kept on the road by a team of apprentice automotive engineers from the Melbourne's Kangan Batman TAFE college.Holden Holden and Ford will be fighting each other in the Challenge. Holden had been tipped to show of a Commodore, which like Saab, can run on 85 per cent ethanol, or a diesel, but the General will instead showcase its recently launched 3-litre Omega Sportwagon, fitted with the new SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) engine and six-speed automatic transmission.Holden won't reveal what fuel economy goal it is aiming for but it maintains the SIDI is now the most fuel efficient Aussie-built six-cylinder in the market. Holden says the engine, rated at 9.3l/10km is 13 per cent more fuel efficient than the previous motor at 10.7l/10km.Ford Ford will come out fighting with an XR6 Turbo and a Fiesta Econetic which will be launched in November and has the potential to run at 3.7l/100km. Again, Ford won’t talk about economy goals.BMW BMW is another keeping its cards close to its chest until closer to race. It will have a fleet of three diesel Mini Ds, one of which is will be driven by former Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan. The 1.6-litre Mini diesel is capable of 3.9l/100km combined and 3.5l/100km on the highway.Tesla While all eyes will be on the known brands, one entry which will likely steal the limelight will be the all electric Tesla roadster — the world's first production all-electric car which is being entered by broadband company Internode.The company's managing director Simon Hackett imported the first car to Australia recently.Kia Kia has entered two LPG electric hybrid Fortes, which have a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a small electric motor and lithium-polymer batteries — a first for a mass-production small automatic car. Kia says it can return 5.6l/100km.Based on the Cerato, the Kia Forte has the potential to make it to the Australian market next year for less than $30,000. Based on the Cerato The Forte was launched in South Korea in August and displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month.NON-PRODUCTION AND EXPERIMENTAL CARS Independent team Deep Green Research has come to the party with an electric Honda.Students from South Australia's Annesley College have built a petrol/electric hybrid Holden Viva. The all-girl Annesley team has taken part in previous solar challenges but this is the first time they have entered the production car class. The students will be driving the car on the 3000km journey.Research and development company Intex is entering a four-cylinder petrol Ford Spectron Van with a retrofit hybrid system that converts the drivetrain to a plug-in hybrid electric.Absent This year Toyota is a notable non-starter after impressing in 2007 with its Prius.And there has been a late scratching with Volvo confirming it was withdrawn its two C30 DRIVe hatchbacks because they are stuck on a ship from Europe, a victim of stormy weather in the Atlantic. Volvo had high expectations for the 1.6-litre diesel which sips a claimed 3.8l/100km. The eco hatch will now be launched in Australia early next year.