Volvo S80 News

Volvo is working on technology that could replace the heavy batteries used in cars. The research, being undertaken with a collection of research groups headed by the Imperial College, London, has been under way for three years.The latest result could save weight and space in both conventional and electric cars, with an energy storage solution that ditches traditional bulky battery and super capacitor systems. The invention is a new material that blends nano structured batteries and super capacitors together with carbon fibre, and which can then be shaped to become a car's body panels, such as the doors, wheel arches and boot lid.The researchers have used the process to build a Volvo S80 prototype, with the material forming the boot lid and the bonnet. They've started with nano structured batteries and super capacitors, sandwiching them into the material and then preforming it to fit car panels.These can be recharged -- either by plugging into mains power or capturing and storing brake energy -- and send the energy to an electric motor that drives the car wheels.The system can store enough energy to start a conventional car engine and power its 12-volt system, essentially replacing the standard battery.In electric cars, it would offer massive weight and space savings over the weighty battery packs usually required to power them, with a car carrying the new panels as doors, bonnet and roof said to get a range of about 120km.The weight and space benefits of the panels are enhanced by the material's strength, with the prospect that it can replace some structural parts of the car, such as suspension components.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Afzal Kahn has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds building up one of Britain’s most impressive private plate collections.  And the most desirable of the registrations is his beloved 'F1', which currently sits on the front of his Bugatti Veyron supercar.The entrepreneur caused a stir when, in 2008, he paid a staggering £440,000 ($765,300) for the cherished plate -- a British record. But it’s proven to be a savvy investment with the plate’s value increasing by more than ten times after one ultra-rich individual offered £6million for it.Drivers in the United Arab Emirates are even more fanatical about personal registrations. The single digit ‘1’ sold in February 2008, for £7.25 million ($12.61m) , reportedly to Abu Dhabi businessman Saeed Khouri, then 25.Personal plates can be a good investment, if you make the right choice. VIP 1, which originally belonged to Pope John Paul II’s Popemobile, was bought for £62,000 ($107,840) in 2004 – two years later Roman Abramovich bought it for £285,000 ($495,730).However, Mr Kahn, who runs A Kahn Design in Bradford, rejected the offer believing it is worth considerably more. Indeed, he has no pressing need for new cars, with our pictures also showing him posing with the plate attached to his Mercedes SLR McLaren. Mr Khan's refusal to sell the plate means that he still likely holds the record for spending the most money on a UK registration plate.A spokesman for Mr Khan's company said: 'We have received a significant multi-million pound offer for the F1 plate which we rejected out of hand. Mr Kahn has no interest in selling F1, which is his favourite plate. Cherished number plates, unlike property or other investments tend not to fluctuate in value, they only go up. It really shouldn’t be a shock to people that the number plate is worth millions of pounds.'The 109-year-old registration was on a modest Volvo S80 when Kahn bought the plate in 2008. It was used by the chairman of Essex County Council with the local authority using the funds from the sale to raise money for a charity which aimed to raise the standards for young drivers. 'F1' now makes up part of Mr Kahn’s impressive plate collection which includes the registrations ‘4HRH’ and ‘NO1’.  

But Volvo points out it's not alone and won't be the first European to use China's enormous manufacturing and labour expertise to make vehicles for smaller markets such as Australia.Volvo Cars product strategy vice president Lex Kerssemakers says it was "likely'' that cars would be made in China but insists there would be no difference in quality or performance."I can see Volvo cars for Australia coming from China,'' he says. "The only issue may be customer perception. But China makes the S80 for its own market that is equal in quality to the S80 that we make in Sweden. Quality is not an issue.'' Mr Kerssemakers says Volvo was "a small car manufacturer''. In an interview at the launch of the latest V40 small car in Geneva, he says: "We don't source parts from different manufacturers because we can't afford to.''"So all components that would go into a Volvo car built in China would be exactly the same as the components that went into a car built in our Swedish or Belgium factories. The way the car is made also would be no different. But the savings in distribution and duty (taxes) as well as the time frame make it very attractive."Customers don't really care where a car is made. They do care about quality, performance, reliability and so on. That wouldn't change.''Volvo currently makes two cars in China and all are only for domestic sale. The cars are a long wheelbase version of the S80 - which is exclusive to China - and the S60. The V40, revealed this week at the Geneva motor show, will also be built in China. Mr Kerssemakers says part of the reason Volvo is looking at increasing the number of its factories was to cope with predicted sales growth."We aim to sell 800,000 cars a year within a few years,'' he says. "Of that, 600,000 cars would be made in Europe and 200,000 in China. "Geely (the Chinese parent of Volvo) wants us to be financially self-sufficient and there's no hand-out from Geely. So we have to very carefully plan how we do business.''But he says that if the sales figures change and the need to build cars for export in China is reduced, Volvo wouldn't do it. However, given the upbeat predictions for the V40 small car, Mr Kerssemakers admitted that a China solution was "likely''.

Volvo Cars Australia has given its refreshed S80 a visual edge by making the company's R-Design package a specific model in the refreshed S80 lineup. The sassy look is just cosmetic at this stage with no engine tuning part of the enhancements.  However, full-blown factory-fitted R-Design engine performance improvements are destined for the S80 and other Volvos and are likely to replace the Heico Sportiv-inspired cars here. Initially the more driver-focused R-Design S80s will get 18-inch wheels, lowered, sports-tuned suspension, colour-matched rear spoiler, matt silver grille and exterior mirrors, and chrome exhausts.  VCA spokesperson, Laurissa Mirabelli, says R-Design is aimed at enthusiasts who now have families. "The luxury sedan segment is also so competitive the S80 needed some differentiation," she says.  C30, V70 and XC90 buyers can already specify the cosmetic R-Design enhancements, which are optional.  Prices for the 2010 S80 remain unchanged, starting at $79,950 for the D5 and twin-turbo T6, topping out at $98,950 for the V8. Adding R-Design to a D5 or T6 costs $1500 extra over the standard car and $2500 more in the V8.  Visually the 2010 changes bring the big sedan inline with the XC60 and new S60, with a new grille and larger Volvo insignia. The D5 gains a new 151kW twin-turbo diesel and adds all-wheel drive as standard, the same as the T6 and V8.  The range-topping V8 adds lane departure warning with driver alert control, blind spot information system, adaptive cruise control with collision warning and auto brake function as standard. Inside there is a new four-spoke steering wheel with deco inlay, more ergonomic switchgear and alloy cabin trim.  Like the XC models, the S80's all-wheel drive system employs a Haldex clutch to distribute power between front and rear wheels according to road and driving conditions. The system can automatically move a small amount of torque to the rear wheels when starting on slippery surfaces.  As with all Volvo's the S80 has a comprehensive active and passive safety features. The car's navigation system is now more user friendly.  Volvo is hoping for a better year with the revised S80 and expects the D5 to be popular.  Last year it sold less than 100 S80s.  The company is hoping that the R-Design will make up 50 per cent of S80 sales this year.

And the car industry is not immune from being saddled with these potentially damaging problems.Apart from Ford's recent problems with brake hoses and brake booster valves on E-Gas Falcons the other ‘big two’ carmakers have had their fair share of recalls.Holden has had five recalls for its VE Commodore and Statesman range since its introduction in 2006, involving things like fuel vapor lines, fuel lines and defective valves on LPG cars.ToyotaToyota had a range of recalls for its Camry, HiLux, RAV4, Yaris and LandCruiser over the past three years. Most, like a headlight dimmer switch on a Camry, have been minor. Others, like the potential fire hazard stemming from a poorly installed insulator pad on a Yaris, raised alarm bells among some customers.NissanLast week Nissan was forced to recall 11,743 Maximas and 4972 Muranos because of a vibrating air intake in the engine bay.AudiEven the luxury German brands are not immune. Last year Audi had to recall its TT for a piece of rear side trim in its cars that unless fixed, could potentially injure passengers.Mercedes-Benz This year Mercedes-Benz has recalled its M-Class off-roader for a possible glitch in its electric rear hatch. It was also forced to recall S-Class sedans fitted with active body control because of problems with the front lower ball joints on its suspension. On some high-mileage vehicles, the front suspension could fracture on rough roads. Faulty left and right windows in the Viano van also required the replacement.BMWOf the German carmakers, BMW has fared better. It has not had a official government recall since 2006.Volvo Volvo has had three recalls this year of its S80, XC70, V70 and new XC60 for engine cooling fan problems and windscreen wiper problems with the S80 and XC70.JaguarJaguar, once widely ridiculed for its poor quality cars, has come a long way over the past few years. Jaguars these days have no less, or no more, problems with recalls than some of the other luxury brands. Last year it experienced some minor problems with the XF range involving wiring and rear seatbelts.In all cases, recalls by carmakers are handled quickly and responsibly. If you want to check out whether your vehicle has had a recall, go to www.recalls.gov.au

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.  

No one in its Gothenburg centre in Sweden will talk about future product, although there is an underlying trend to shrink technology.Volvo's strategic design chief Jose Diaz de la Vega thinks a small car — smaller than the current C30 hatchback — would fit neatly into the company's mould.But he warns it could be a long way off — not because of design and engineering progress, but simply because of the Scandinavian caution about change.“We take a long time, we enter vehicle segments later than many car companies,” he said.“Volvo is a cultural brand. There is a movement towards smaller, more efficient motor cars and away from bigger SUVs. So I hope we can look at a smaller car. Like the Fiesta.”Volvo's holistic approach to the car has encompassed safety and environmental concerns for decades.Prepared to put its money where its mouth is, Volvo has committed $1.8 billion between 2006 and 2011 for research and development linked to environmental issues.The biggest step in this framework becomes tangible within five years with the launch of Volvo's first hybrid. No details are being released, although the hybrid unit is being developed in Sweden at Volvo's specialist Hybrid Centre using technology shared with its parent company, Ford.The hybrid — expected to be seen first in the XC60 body — aims to reduce Volvo's CO2 emission footprint and will join its other low-emission models for sale in Europe.It is part of Volvo's commitment to reduce emissions and to meet the stringent 120g/km of CO2 level being legislated for 2011 by the European Union. The CO2 level is an average across a carmaker's range and affects all manufacturers.Volvo said it was looking across the hybrid spectrum, including the simple 'micro-hybrid' technology, which is a starter motor/generator combination that works as a stop-go system. This turns off the petrol engine when the car is stationary — such as in heavy traffic or at lights — and automatically restarts when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Stop-go reduces fuel and C02 emissions by up to 10 per cent.Volvo will also expand its alternative fuel range, predominantly for the markets in Sweden, France and Brazil.There are three Flexifuel engines that run on varying percentages of ethanol and are available in five models — C30, S40, V50, V70 and S80. The engines range from a 1.8-litre four-cylinder to a 2.5-litre turbocharged version. Extra-low CO2 emission models under development include the C30 Efficiency with a C02 level of less than the proposed EU figure of 120g/km. This car will go on sale next year in Europe.Volvo is also close to delivering a twin-clutch automated gearbox that will offer greater engine economy.This transmission is similar to the Volkswagen DSG system. Would you be interested in a smaller Volvo car?  

The concepts were shown at the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, the biggest automotive specialty products trade event in the world.They are a beach-ready Volvo XC70, pictured, a high performance version of the S80 T6, a hot-orange C30 SportsCoupe, a powerful C70 convertible and a one-off fully custom hot rod, which is the only concept not based on production versions.The hot rod was custom built from the ground up using major Volvo components from the previous-generation S80.Volvo worked with Heico Sportiv in Germany to build the S80 T6 HPC and Volvo C30, while Caresto built the C70 and hot rod.The Volvo XC70 concept, on the other hand, was conceived by the Volvo Cars design team and built by Aria, a California concept car firm.The XC70 Surf Rescue rides on a lift suspension, with oversized tyres and heavily modified body panels. Inside, pictured below left, is a host of life-saving equipment and custom rescue surfboards, while the front bucket and rear seats have been recovered in wetsuit style neoprene.The Heico Sportiv S80 T6 High Performance Concept features a 260kW E85 ethanol fuelled T6 engine driving through an all-wheel-drive system.It accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.8sec.It is painted in seven-layer metal effect paint and inside is blue leather with a sweeping aluminium centre stack.The Heico C30 is also inspired by surfing with a surf pattern inlay on the aluminium centre stack and a striking orange paint job.It is lowered, sports a custom body kit with integrated spoilers and larger air ducts, has quad exhaust tips hint and a 223kW turbocharged T5 engine capable of 0-100km/h in 5.4sec.Inside are bright orange leather seats.First shown at last year's SEMA show, the Caresto Hot Rod was brought it back as a complement to the Caresto C70 Convertible.Completely hand assembled from aluminium and carbon fibre, the Caresto Hot Rod features many Volvo parts, including the mid-engine 232kW V8 engine, hand-stitched chestnut leather upholstery and brushed-aluminium inserts around the fog lights and custom exhaust ports.

Volvo was first to give us laminated windscreens in 1944, the lap-sash seatbelt in 1959 and the driver's airbag in 1987.It has made safety a priority for many years, often ahead of any legislative requirements to do so.Keeping up its safety push are several innovations making their way into the latest Volvos.Among them are a driver alert control (DAC) system to alert tired and inattentive drivers, a lane departure warning (LDW) system and collision warning system with automatic brake function to help prevent front-to-rear impacts.The new S80 has a collision warning system with brake support, but the auto brake system is the next step.LDW is separate to the blind-spot camera system available as an option on local Volvos.Volvo Cars Australia spokesman Todd Hallenbeck says the company has recently “become extremely focused on safety in the sense of preventive safety."Research figures show 90 per cent of all crashes are the result of drivers being distracted.The DAC system alerts the driver when concentration levels are affected, for example during long journeys. LDW and DAC are part of the same option package, called driver alert system, that was introduced in Europe on the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 late last year.Volvo Cars Safety Centre director Ingrid Skogsmo says safety is a key philosophy for the company.“When it comes to preventive safety, we have the same approach as when we develop protective systems,” she says.“In other words, Volvo's safety research and technical development focuses on areas where new technology can create significant positive results in real-life traffic.”DAC was developed after studies showed driver fatigue was a major safety issue globally.In 1998, the Monash University Accident Research Centre found between 25 per cent and 35 per cent of fatal crashes in Australia were the result of fatigue. It says the figure could be higher in particular types of crashes, such as fatal single-vehicle semi-trailer crashes.DAC is activated at 65km/h and remains active above 60km/h. A camera, sensors and a control unit monitor driver behaviour, the camera continuously measures the distance between the car and the road lane markings. If for some reason the driver veers off the road, they are alerted via an audible signal.A text message also appears in the car's information display, where a coffee cup symbol alerts the driver to take a break.DAC works in conjunction with LDW, which Volvo believes can prevent between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of single-vehicle crashes between 70km/h and 100km/h.LDW will sound a warning chime if a driver crosses the road markings without a reason.The collision warning with auto-brake function senses an imminent impact and brakes to slow the car when the driver fails to react. 

Reports that Ford has added Volvo to its Premium Automotive Group sell-off, has sent flutters through the Swedish manufacturer's Australian operation.“Officially, it's no comment because we haven't heard anything or received any instruction from Ford or Volvo,” Volvo Australia spokesman Todd Hallenbeck says.“All we know is what has been floated in European media.”Reports from Europe claim Volvo is joining Land Rover and Jaguar on the sale block, as Ford overhauls its business to stem record losses.As the flagship of Ford's Premier Automotive Group (PAG) business, and the most likely to turn a profit, Volvo is considered unlikely to be sold but reports have priced the company at $US8 billion ($9.73 billion).“The worrying thing about these reports, even if they are speculation, is that it doesn't do a lot for brand confidence,” Hallenbeck says.The disappointing aspect of the reports is that they come when Volvo internationally and in Australia is on an upward curve, he says.“The relationship between Volvo and Ford has always been very strong. It has always been a money earner for them ... Ford has invested the money for us to develop the C30, the new C70, the S80. They have given us the real foothold to develop a new model range."“There is a lot of speculation and a lot of people are saying that Volvo may be the only brand (within PAG) that has a value ... but it is all just speculation.”Hallenbeck points to global sales and a local operation that is fast putting the dark days of 2002-03 behind.“We couldn't be more happy with the way things are going,” Hallenbeck says. “To the end of June we were up 24 per cent on the previous year and that was up 37 per cent over '05.“To last week we have sold more than 2900 cars, more than for the entire year in 2003. We have a lot of momentum, the dealers are incredibly happy and everybody is smiling.”One of the driving forces behind Volvo's resurgence has been the refreshing of its entire model range.“When the XC70 launches there will not be a model in the range that is more than three years old,” Hallenbeck says.Ford, which sold Aston Martin for $US450 million ($516 million)last year, has valued Volvo at 25 per cent more than the $US6.5 billion ($7.45 billion) it paid in 1999.The official line from Ford is that it is not in discussion with any companies regarding a sale of Volvo, but added that it is continuing to assess all of its options for the business.Jaguar and Land Rover have already attracted interest from a range of potential buyers, with Ford confirming it has received approaches from a number of parties.The group says it is “aggressively evaluating that level of interest” and is thought to have set a deadline for initial bids this week, although it is still to officially announce its decision to sell the brands.Private equity group 3i is one of those considering bidding for Jaguar and for Land Rover, according to the Mail On Sunday. Other private equity firms understood to be in the running include Cerberus and One Equity Partners.Ford launched a review of the PAG business after the overall Ford group posted losses of $US12.7 billion ($14.56 billion) last year, the largest deficit in its 103-year history.PAG almost trebled its pre-tax losses last year, from $US89 million ($102 million) in 2005 to $US327 million ($375 million).Pre-tax profits at the division improved in the first three months of this year, at $US191 million ($219 million) against $US129 million ($148 million) for first quarter in 2006.