Volvo C30 2012 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."

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.

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."  

Volvo is about to hit the eco button with its first stop-start fuel savers as it also reveals plans for full-scale production of a plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine. Its longer term goal is to become a world leader in environmentally-friendly cars with a drive to zero emissions culminating in plug-in electric power. The C30 DRIVe model will lead Volvo's push on a zero-emission strategy and the first cars will be in showrooms in September. They have a stop- start system similar to the one already seen in the Smart ForTwo and the upcoming Land Rover Freelander II. There will eventually be a full range of DRIVe models as Volvo has produced seven for Europe, from the C30 to XC70, with CO2 emissions as low as 104grams/km. The drive DRIVe model is a C30 with a 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine that promises, with help from stop-start, fuel economy of 3.9L/100km and best-in-class CO2 emissions of 104g/km. The car also has low- rolling-resistance tyres with lowered suspension and a gearshift indicator. "At this stage, we can't confirm specification or pricing but should be in a better position to announce details around August," says Laurissa Mirabelli of Volvo Cars Australia. By 2011 the DRIVe program will see a direct-injection petrol turbo engine with fuel economy and emissions cut by up to 30 per cent as well as a next-generation micro-hybrid with stop-start. But the big breakthrough comes in 2012 with a plug-in hybrid, previewed this week in Sweden inside the body of a V70 station wagon. The plug-in Volvo is being developed in partnership with a Swedish energy company, Vattenfall. It uses a lithium-ion battery pack. "We're investing more than $1 billion on the joint venture, to investigate plug-in hybrids. They will be a reality from 2012," says Mirabelli. "Ideally, we'll also have them here within 12 months of production. The aim is economy of 1.9L/100km." Hitting those targets means using a diesel engine in the hybrid drivetrain, a move which has not been made yet by any maker. Most European brands are promising some form of diesel hybrid but, so far, the mass-market Toyota Prius and Honda Insight use petrol power. "The plug-in system takes five hours to charge and the electric range is 50 kilometre. That's on the demonstration car which is a V70," says Mirabelli.

The car brand trumpeted as the world's safest will catch up with the pack next month. Volvo is at last making sure every car it sells in Australia is equipped with ESP and traction control as standard. It has yet to confirm details of the ESP upgrade, including prices, though all Australian cars coming off the production line this month – which means deliveries in June once they are shipped from Sweden – will have the system. “We can confirm that dynamic stability control and traction control will be standard on all Volvo models from May production,” says Laurissa Mirabelli of Volvo Cars Australia. While Volvo is talking up its ESP upgrade, it is also working to finalise details of next year's model line-up after an upgrade last week in Europe. They should be here by October, and the all-new XC60 all-wheel-drive wagon will be the headliner. The most obvious change, on everything from the baby C30 to the C70, is a larger Volvo badge on the boot. It picks up the prominence of the badge on the XC60 and the latest mid-sized wagons. The only other change across the range, though not confirmed for Australia, is exterior mirrors that fold flat for parking. “There will be some minor changes to Volvo's MY09 line-up this year, as there is with its models every year,” Mirabelli says. “The MY09s won't be here until much later this year and we're not in a position to confirm the extent of the changes yet, given we're still going through the business case process.” She says there are only minor tweaks to the range, apart from the XC60, and nothing big on the technical front. In Europe, there are minor tweaks to nine models and one of the best is an optional system called Homelink. It uses buttons integrated into the sun visor to operate remote-controlled home appliances such as garage doors, house alarms and lighting. There is an upgrade of the optional satellite navigation on the S40 and V50, a hard load cover is now standard on all C30s and the climate control is upgraded in the C70 with the addition of the Powershift gearbox already fitted to the C30, S40 and V50. The S80 flagship gets heated washer nozzles and chronograph-style dials in the dash.  

Just a week after US President George W. Bush told a Sydney media conference about how battery cars that didn't look like golf carts were being developed, the real things were displayed at the world's largest motoring show.General Motors showed off its Flextreme from its European subsidiary Opel. It's a small commuter car with an electric-diesel hybrid that can travel 55km on a single charge before switching to fuel. It is a concept car, meaning it may or may not go into production.Volvo will also unveil its plug-in hybrid concept at the show. Called the Recharge and based on its C30 hatchback, it uses four separate electric motors to power each wheel, augmenting a 1.6-litre four-cylinder Flexifuel engine.Meanwhile, Volvo said a fully charged model can travel about 100km before it needs to be recharged. And it is not a slug. It can reach 0-100km/h in nine seconds on the way to a top speed of 160km/h.VW is claiming fuel consumption of as little as three litres per 100km for its spiritual successor to the original people's car, the Beetle.The Up concept is a miniature four-seat city car powered by a rear-mounted two or three cylinder engine,  the first rear-engined car VW has made since the original Beetle. VW said the car would be low-priced and a fuel miser. It has claimed 3.5litres/100km with a target of reducing that to less than 3litres/100 km.That's better than Australia's current best the Toyota Prius hybrid at 4.4litres/100km, the Citroen C4 diesel at 4.5litres/100km and the Honda Civic Hybrid at 4.6litres/100km.It is also better than the new-age Fiat 500, which will have a diesel model with a claimed consumption of 4.2litres/100km and the next generation Smart car.VW boss Dr Martin Winterkorn said: “This is VW reinventing the Volkswagen. It is what the brand stands for — mobility for everyone.”Dr Winterkorn said show visitors' reaction to the car would decide whether the Up goes into full production.Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks said: “If the philosophy stays the same as it was for the original Beetle, to be a car affordable to everyone, then it will certainly be a good fit into our market.” Volkswagen Up2 or 3-cylinder engine Fuel economy of 3.5l per 100km.Available in 2011.GM FiextremeElectric-diesel hybrid.Can travel 55km on battery power before switching over to diesel fuel. Volvo RechargeFour electric motors plus a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.Can travel 100km on battery power before re-charge needed.Top speed of 160km/h. 

There were a handful of hybrids, and a few fuel cell techno treats, but all the real action was just what you would expect in the style-conscious French capital: fast and flashy.Diesel was very big, and there is a lot more to come for Australia, but the headliners at the show were cars that proved there is life in the automobile for many years yet.Audi finally had its R8 supercar ready for the road and then announced it would be coming out to Sydney for the Australian International Motor Show this month.The Mini was bigger, Volkswagen previewed its born-again Scirocco coupe, and Australia tipped in with the outrageous Chevrolet WTCC Ultra, which points directly to the next Holden Viva hatch.Toyota had a thinly disguised and underwhelming new Corolla that looked like a fluffed-up Yaris, Renault finally got into four-wheel drives with its Koleos and previewed the next baby Twingo. Suzuki showed the car it will make in India.Ferrari pulled crowds with the Pininfarina P4/5 custom supercar, as did Alfa Romeo with its 8c Competizione, which will quickly become a hero car for Italy."Europe is still into premium cars," says Michael Simcoe, the Australian design guru who is now based in Detroit with General Motors."All the brands are looking to move up because that's where you get your profit. People are all about being noticed here, so the fuel price doesn't matter."Simcoe had a solid take on Paris, the last serious overseas international show of 2006."This show is growing. GM's presence here is much better than ever before, with a real effort to understand Europe. And it, like all shows around the world, is seeing a lot more non-European stuff. It says a lot about the way the international market is developing."So, too, is the growing emphasis on diesel hero cars, which are driving the economy end of the business in Europe and will soon be making much more of an impact at the top end.But the Audi R8 and the Alfa 8c, which both looked great and are seen as threats to Ferrari and Porsche, were up in lights with old-fashioned petrol power. The Alfa boasts 313kW and a 0-100km/h time that should be in the sub-five second range. The Audi R8 is much more than just another concept car.It, like the Alfa, is a genuine road runner.It is a full-on two-seater with a 309kW, 4.2-litre engine that also punches out 430Nm of torque. The performance numbers are simple and brutal: top speed of 301km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.6 seconds.There is no news yet on price or delivery dates for Australia, but the R8 should be coming and will stick out in a crowd with its radical body — and the latest use of Audi's confronting frontal treatment.The other production heroes included, surprisingly, the chunky Dodge Nitro and Jeep Commando, which drew plenty of interest to the Americans, the vital new Volvo C30 compact and even the sporty Honda Civic Type R, still only a maybe for Australia.Nissan had the X-Trail based Qashqai that is likely Down Under, but there was no sign of the all-new Smart fortwo, even though Paris is packed with the funky little city runabouts.And then there were the concepts.Ford previewed the adventurous new Mondeo, which should be top of the shopping list for Ford Australia thanks to some of the best design work yet from the blue oval brand. What it does do is point to design elements in the new Falcon, due in 2008.Ford Australia's Sinead McAlary says: "Kinetic design is, if you like, the new global DNA of Ford and elements of it will be evident in the Falcon. That is not to say you are going to see a grille like that on a Falcon but there will be recognisable design language."Citroen was outrageous with its C-Metisse, while Renault tested the water for a rear-drive flagship with its Nepta, while pushing towards showrooms with the Koleos and Twingo, and Peugeot went racy with its 980RC.The Volkswagen Iroc is the template for the return of the Scirocco coupe, and looked brilliant with Kermit-green bodywork. Australians will also see production versions of the Hyundai Arnejs concept, which will be the next Accent, and Kia Cee'd twins — hatch and wagon — before long.Paris also featured lots of Chinese cars. Most looked like early South Korean work, or straight rip-offs of existing models, but demonstrated that the world's fastest growing car brands are looking for international expansion. At least one local importer — Ateco, run by Neville Crichton — took a very close look.