Volvo S60 2014 News

Volvo, Subaru, Land Rover, Citroen and GM have issued safety recalls for some vehicles due to defective manufacturing issues.

The "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mantra has proven true for Volvo and more than validates the Swedish maker's decision to race V8 Supercars.Book A Test Drive > Request an eBrochure > Find Latest Offers>Volvo Australia boss Matt Braid says a 60 per cent rise in sales of the S60 sedan are directly attributable to the team's V8 success. "Since the weekend of Clipsal (the first V8 race on the calendar, in March) our inquiries have probably doubled," Braid says.That hasn't translated across the entire Volvo range and Braid says the company still needs to educate the public about its sedan, wagon and hatch line-ups. "We know when it comes to a family buying an SUV we're definitely on the shopping list. We're not with our sedans." Referring to Volvo's conservative history, he says: "We're the last market globally to get rid of the view of the hat on the parcel shelf." Braid says building sales of the V40 hatch will be a priority but it won't involve price cuts. "The segment's booming so we've got to be a bit more aggressive with that car. "We're a luxury brand, so we need to push the luxury potential of the brand, push the technology, push the performance aspects." The mix of technology and performance will be highlighted by the arrival of the new XC90 large SUV next year. Braid says the vehicle will use four-cylinder engines. The performance flagship for the range will be a plug-in hybrid."You'll definitely see (the plug-in as a premium vehicle). It won't be priced in line with the other cars. We're still at the tentative stage of exactly what that entails from a price point and also what equipment and technology it will have versus others," he says."People aren't necessarily going to look at hybrid technologies purely as being green. It's going to be, ‘How can I maximise efficiency and performance out of a given vehicle platform?'"  

Volvo's new, economical Drive-E engines have arrived in Australia.

Volvo and engineering company Flybrid Automotive, have been conducting UK tests of lightweight Flybrid flywheel KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology that boosts performance while cutting fuel consumption and emissions.The partnership, using real-world driving data from tests on public roads and test tracks in both Sweden and the UK, has shown that the flywheel-based hybrid technology can deliver an 55kW performance boost, together with fuel savings of up to 25 per cent.The research forms part of Volvo's continued Drive-E Powertrain research and development programme, which demands no compromise between performance and efficiency. Flybrid KERS tests deliver impressive results and confirm that it is a lightweight, financially viable and very efficient solution.The system is the first full-scale trial of a rear-axle mounted flywheel system in a front-wheel-drive passenger car. The Flybrid KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) is fitted to the rear axle of a Volvo S60 powered by a 200kW five-cylinder T5 petrol engine. Under braking, kinetic energy which would otherwise be lost as heat is transferred from the wheels to the KERS, and is used to spin a 6kg carbon fibre flywheel at up to 60,000 revs per minute.When the car starts moving off again, energy stored in the spinning flywheel is transferred back to the rear wheels via a specially designed transmission, and can either boost power or reduce load on the engine. The combustion engine that drives the front wheels is switched off as soon as braking begins. The energy in the flywheel can then be used to accelerate the vehicle when it is time to move off again or to power the vehicle once it reaches cruising speed. 

Volvo has released a revised version of the the S60 Polestar, developed by Volvo Car Group's global performance and motorsport partner, Polestar.The latest model builds on the strengths of the limited-edition debut model, which was released only in Australia in 2013. Volvo last year decided to introduce specialised Polestar variants on the production line for a number of markets.The evolution of the S60 Polestar is based on feedback from Australian journalists and customers. Included this time around is a new paddle gearshift system, new Brembo brake package and a subtly-revised interior.The six-cylinder turbo-charged T6 engine remains the same but is optimised by Polestar with a bigger turbo, new intercooler, revised engine mapping and racing exhaust to produce 257kW and 500Nm.The six-speed automatic gearbox has been Polestar-optimised, which means quick-shift gearchanges via the new gearshift paddles. In conjunction with the launch control and Polestar-optimised Haldex AWD system the S60 Polestar will accelerate from standstill to 100kmh in 4.9 seconds.Chassis upgrades include modifications to increase rigidity of the chassis, with 80 percent stiffer springs relative to a standard S60 T6 R-Design. These changes combined, with the tailored high-performance Ohlins shock absorbers and 19-inch Polestar graphite alloy wheels result in a precise, yet comfortable, ride.The brake system now boasts six-piston Brembo calipers, 370mm ventilated floating discs with high performance pads front and rear. To reflect the increased performance of the S60 Polestar, positive aerodynamic effects have been achieved through subtle, yet efficient, modifications based on data from tests in the Volvo Cars wind tunnel.The new S60 Polestar incorporates sports seats for comfort during any driving condition. Upholstered in charcoal Nubuck and leather, these are complimented by blue stitching and an embossed Polestar logo. 

Neither a box on wheels nor a DIY flatpack, Volvo blew away all those Swedish gags at the unveiling of the V8 Supercar it will debut at Clipsal 500 in two weeks.In distinctive blue and dominant Valvoline livery, the two-car, factory-backed entry running under the Volvo Polestar Racing banner made its grand entrance to the 2014 V8 Supercars paddock at Sydney Harbour yesterday morning.Featuring a stumpy boot true to its road-model companion, the final look of the S60 racecar powered by a 478kW Polestar-built 5.0-litre V8 engine had been a closely guarded secret."It's a very mean-looking car," driver and last year's V8 Supercars rookie of the year Scott McLaughlin said. "The front is a little bit shorter and the boot's a bit shorter as well, so it actually makes it look quite phat."It's awesome.""I'm just honestly looking forward to getting out there and giving it a red-hot crack." It's entry under new car of the future specifications makes Volvo the fifth manufacturer in Australia's most popular motorsport category, joining Ford, Holden, Nissan and Mercedes. The national touring car series has not been so diverse in terms of makers since it ran under previous international rules in 1992.The cars, to be piloted by McLaughlin and Robert Dahlgren, have had only straight-line aerodynamic testing of their Volvo shell ahead of tomorrow's official test day at Sydney Motorsport Park."This is a historic day in the history of Volvo Car Australia," Volvo Car Australia managing director Matt Braid said. "As the first luxury car manufacturer to enter V8 Supercars with a factory team, we're delighted to reveal our Volvo S60 race car to meet the challenge of the world's toughest touring car series and strengthen the presence of the S60 model line - and Volvo brand - here in Australia." The season begins at the Clipsal 500 on February 27.

Volvo has confirmed that it will unveil a third concept based on its new SPA platform at the Geneva motor show next month.Building on the Coupe and XC Coupe concepts shown over the past year, it’s unclear what body style the new concept will represent.The first two concepts showcased Volvo’s new look in coupe and two-door crossover forms, so the third concept could hint at the future S60 sedan or V60 wagon, with a new four door coupe shape also a possibility.The modular SPA platform will underpin Volvo’s entire next-generation lineup, and feature the brand’s new efficiency-focused Drive-E four cylinder petrol and diesel engines.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Swedish driver Robert Dahlgren will partner rising Kiwi star Scott McLaughlin in the new factory-backed Volvo Polestar Racing outfit in the 2014 V8 Supercar Championship.The 34-year old Swede arrives with several years of Volvo S60 Polestar racing experience and road car development, most recently finishing a hard-fought and credible third place in the 2013 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship for Volvo Polestar Racing.“V8Supercars is one of the toughest in the world,” Dahlgren commented, referring to his first experience in 2006 of seeing the series in Darwin. Dahlgren was obviously impressed as he pursued a full time seat in Australia’s elite motorsport category.Dahlgren will need to rely on his previous Volvo racing experience as the V8Supercar rookie looks down the barrel of his biggest motorsport challenge to date.“The car I’m used to racing is a bit different, still a Volvo S60 Polestar but … is a DTM .  This V8Supercar is completely different and I have to learn a lot of new things…such as sitting on the right side of the cockpit,” Dahlgren says.The 2014 V8 Supercars Championship will mark 27 years since Volvo last raced in the then-Australian Touring Car Championship. The Volvo Polestar V8 Supercar team will enter the category a year after the introduction of the Car of The Future control chassis formula, and will join segment stalwarts Holden and Ford along with the Nissan and AMG efforts that entered the series in 2013.Volvo’s entry to the sport has been aided by pairing with the formerly Holden-aligned Gary Rogers Motorsport, where Dahlgren replaces Frenchman Alexandre Premat who drove for the team in the 2012 and 2013 championships.Progress and testing for the Volvo Polestar Racing S60 and its Volvo B8444S production-based V8 engine have been heavily guarded, although team principal Garry Rogers admits: “at this stage we are looking fair,  but I think we can improve from fair to very good, very soon!”.The Volvo racers will make their first public appearance on February 15 at the initial 2014 V8 Supercar test day at Sydney Motorsport Park. This will give the teams a mere 12 days to iron out any issues before the 2014 V8 Supercar Championship kicks off in Adelaide with the Clipsal 500 on March 2nd.First published at MyDrive: Volvo Polestar Racing V8 Supercar driver lineup confirmed 

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | over $100,000 LIGHT CARSBMW i3: BMW will bring the high tech i3 city car down under from September, with the pure-electric i3 BEV expected to start at about $60,000, and a range-extended i3 REX version with a 647cc petrol generator further up the price scale. (Approximately $60,000)SMALL CARSAudi A3 sedan: Audi will add a sedan version of its A3 small car to the existing Sportback hatch lineup from January, with the hot S3 version to follow in April, and the drop-top A3 Cabriolet (from about $57k) to complete the lineup in about September. (Approximately $65,000)BMW 2 Series: The discontinued 1 Series coupe will be replaced by the new 2 Series coupe in around May, and will likely mirror the petrol and diesel drivetrains of the existing 1 Series hatch. A soft-top convertible is also in the works, but its launch date is still up in the air. (Approximately $45,000-$85,000)FAMILY CARSInfiniti Q50: Infiniti models are set to become a more common sight on Australian roads before June, with the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series-rivalling Q50’s arrival, boasting fresh styling, rear-wheel drive, and a choice of diesel or hybrid drivetrains. (Approximately $51,900-$73,900)Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Mercedes' new C-Class sedan and wagon are due around mid-year, with a range of new engines and an 80mm wheelbase stretch to help combat the also enlarged BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS rivals. Drivetrain availability from launch will include the 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre C180 and 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre C200 petrols, and the 125kW/400Nm 2.1-litre turbodiesel C220. A smaller diesel, diesel-electric hybrid and more powerful petrol engines will come later. (Approximately from $60,000)Tesla Model S: The long-awaited Tesla Model S pure-electric passenger car is due to arrive locally in the second quarter, with the five door hatch balancing style, performance, and all-electric tech in equal measures. (Approximately $80,000)Volvo S60 and V60: Volvo will introduce the first of its new Drive-E engines to the S60 sedan and V60 wagon range in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $49,000-$78,000)LUXURY CARSLexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)SUV/4WDAudi RS Q3: The company’s first RS-badged SUV will arrive in February, with the RS Q3 borrowing its 228kW/420Nm five-cylinder heart from the TTRS, and promising 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $81,900)BMW X1: The baby bimmer SUV is also in line for a refreshing in March, with styling and interior tweaks expected. (Approximately 46,000-63,000)BMW X5 sDrive 25d: BMW will add the first two-wheel drive X5 to the new 2014 lineup early in the year, with a price-leading $82,900 2.0-litre turbodiesel sDrive 25d undercutting the existing all-wheel drive xDrive 25d by $5000. (Approximately $82,900)Ford Territory: The Territory SUV will score SYNC-inclusive revisions by the end of the year, ahead of its 2016 fate. (Approximately $40,000-$63,000)Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: The stylish Range Rover Evoque is due for an update before June, with a new nine-speed auto delivering fuel economy gains of about 10 per cent, plus styling tweaks to bring it in line with the new full-size Range Rover and Sport models. (Approximately $50,000-$91,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)Volvo XC60: Volvo’s new Drive-E engines will also appear in the XC60 SUV in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $57,000-79,000)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAlfa Romeo 4C: Alfa will bring a limited number of its limited-build 4C sports car to Australia in around June, with the mid-engined, carbon-chassised performance hero expected to lob for as little as $75,000.Peugeot RCZ-R: Building on the brand’s reignited performance cred thanks to the excellent 208 GTi, the French brand will also add the hot RCZ-R to the lineup in the second quarter, with a highly tuned 199kW version of the existing petrol version’s 1.6-litre turbo. (Approximately $70,000)CONVERTIBLESBMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)  

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.