Volvo C30 News

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 latest round of official crash tests has given five-star occupant protection ratings to some of the most fuel-frugal small cars sold in Australia, the Mini Cooper diesel, the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic diesel, the Volvo C30 diesel and the Toyota Prius hybrid.On the Global Green Challenge, a 3150km drive from Darwin to Adelaide and with driving in Adelaide last month, the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic averaged just 3.13 litres/100km fuel consumption and the Mini diesel was not far behind.  Transport Department director of road safety, Martin Small, said yesterday (Tuesday 17) the crash test results showed that new-car buyers could save fuel and still get five-star safety."These ratings show that manufacturers can make a range of fuel efficient vehicles which do not compromise safety," Mr Small said.  Other vehicles to score five stars in these tests are the new Subaru Liberty Exiga and the latest Hyundai Sante Fe with four-cylinder engine.  The only car in this round of tests not to get the full five stars is the Honda City sedan which managed four stars.RAA (SA) technical services manager Mark Borlace said this was because that model Honda did not have electronic stability control, a requirement since 2008 before five stars could be awarded.  "It makes the lack of ESC for the Honda City disappointing," Mr Borlace said."All of these five-star models include head-protecting side airbags or curtains, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and electronic stability control as standard," he said. "And it is pleasing to see the results apply to all models in the various ranges, not just luxury-specified vehicles."In separate testing for pedestrian protection, the Honda City, Subaru Exiga and Fiesta achieved three out of a maximum four stars. The upgraded Sante Fe, previously scoring zero, this time got one star.

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. 

There was plenty of incredible historic racing, Wayne Gardner was back to winning on classic motorcycles, and Sir Stirling Moss celebrated his 80th birthday with a cavalcade of 80 cars he raced through his incredible career.But the highlight at the Goodwood Revival meeting was the sight of Rowan Atkinson recreating the incredible stunt when he 'drove' a Mini from an armchair on the roof during an episode of the Mister Bean series.Atkinson is a talented amateur racer who often turns out at Goowood for a sprint in something special, like a 1950s Jaguar, but he brought the house down when he climbed up into the armchair last weekend. And that is what Goodwood is all about. It is racing, and history and socialising and real surprises.There was even a Messerschmitt Bf109 fighter plane in the sky abo ve the history British track, as well as a guest appearance by Buzz Aldrin, and a Mini-only race to celebrate the car's 50th birthday. All of this action is the reason why Goodwood is a sellout each year and why I had to get along.It was only a day, on a packed personal program that included the Frankfurt Motor Show and a safety visit to Volvo in Sweden - when I also tried the company's impressive new electric car and a C30 with the DriveE system - but it was a trip I was happy to make.The day started with smiles and ended with smiles and now I'm making serious plans for a return visit in 2010 with my two best mates. Mister Bean won't be there, but I know there will be plenty of other special stuff.Follow Paul Gover on Twitter!

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.

Then, early Saturday our time, a Swedish court gave it three months to find a means of keeping the company afloat while an administrator negotiates with creditors.Saab's managing director, Jan Ake Jonsson, says Saab is seeking to create a fully independent business."What would happen during the reorganisation phase is more preservation of cash and making sure we have the financials to go through it. Exactly what that means is too early to say."How very confidence inspiring …One feels for the workers, dealers and thousands of various job descriptions whose livelihoods will exist no longer when the Trollhattan marque eventually succumbs to the inevitable.Honestly, though, does anyone believe Saab deserves to survive?Can anyone – except perhaps the ever diminishing number of clueless and chronically dizzy types who mysteriously continue buy them – say with sincerity that they care a Viking’s frozen digit for Saab?The 9-5 is so hopelessly obsolete, so thoroughly behind the times, driving it is the equivalent of wearing spats. To the beach. The numerical designation might as well indicate its year of origin; the 9-5 belongs firmly to the previous century.Next to that the 9-3, with its near-decade old Vectra underpinnings, is positively effervescent. But with at least a half dozen sounder and more desirable alternatives for every one of the barely numerable variants in the line-up, the 9-3 is also very possibly the most futile car on earth.And as for charging $90K for the top model, on what planet – or more to the point – in which era do these people dwell?The only possible thing Saab could do to justify its continued existence is to make an entirely new car. A proper new car, that is, as opposed to minor embellishments of two decomposing model lines.That’s not going to happen, at least not in a hurry. Saab is wedded to a decaying US former auto giant, whose embattled execs want nothing more than a quick divorce. And Saab can’t afford to live on its own.The contrast with compatriot Volvo is glaring. But while Ford remains attached to life support, its Swedish subsidiary has at least continued to produce new, competitive and even – in terms of its fusty image – exciting new models, a la the C30 T5 and XC60. So Ford will eventually find a buyer for Volvo, because it’s making cars that you’d cheerfully spend your money on.Whereas Saab … well, the best thing it could do is to stop making them altogether. Please. 

Such is the incestuous nature of our auto industry.With very few exceptions, just about every manufacturer you can name is somehow related to another one. And without sounding too much like I’m into that sort of behaviour, it’s one of the major factors that makes the car game so interesting.Car design is very similar, most recently noticed in the first images of the long awaited Porsche Panamera. At carsguide HQ, it wasn’t long before we had pics of the new Porsche and Volvo’s C30 lined up bum to bum – not in that way – and couldn’t help but gaze at the striking similarities.It wasn’t too much of a stretch to cast our minds back to more instances of sameness in the recent past.Squint and you’ll think the back of the German designed Hyundai i30 is actually a one series Bimmer hatch.Still on rear ends and you won’t be shot down for mistaking the new Jaguar XF for an Aston Martin DB9, the latest Camry for an Accord Euro, or that the new Citroen C5 has an Audi A4 butt.The latest Jeep Cherokee is almost a mirror image of the Dodge Nitro and the Toyota Camry could almost pass for a Honda Accord.Then there are the ridiculous cases where affiliated brands simply swap badges and celebrate the arrival of an ‘all new’ car. The Ford Laser/Mazda 323 combo of few years back springs to mind in the same thought bubble as the Holden Commodore/Toyota Lexcen exchange. The latter rather ironic really considering the secrecy and uniqueness surrounding 1983’s Americas Cup winning yacht, Australia II, and its Lexcen designed ‘winged keel’.I know, I know, this has been happening forever but it would be nice too see more unique, fresh metal on the roads these days wouldn’t it?Which cars can you think of that bear a striking resemblance to others?

The 'all new' Mazda 3 shares its mechanical platform with the Volvo C30 and Ford Focus and the engines are basically carried over from the previous 3