Volvo V60 News

New Swede mid-size S60 sedan and V60 wagon arrive to take aim at the Germans.

Volvo’s mid-size wagon has received an off-road makeover, with the Swedish brand today unveiling the V60 Cross Country.The Scandinavian answer to a Subaru Outback or a VW Golf Alltrack, the V60 Cross Country is no outright bush-basher. Instead, it’s aimed at property owners who might have to tackle some light off-roading in their daily travels. As a result, ground clearance has been raised by up to 75mm, thanks to chassis and suspension tweaks, and power is sent to all four wheels to help navigate slippery surfaces. Other Cross Country kit includes hill-descent control, corner-traction control and a new off-road driving mode."The V60 Cross Country is every bit as refined as the other 60 series cars based on our SPA platform," said Volvo's senior vice-president of research and development, Henrik Green. "The added versatility makes it at home in town and country, thanks to a higher seating position, increased ground clearance and dynamic all-wheel-drive capabilities." The Cross Country arrives with the best of Volvo's safety kit, too, including AEB that recognises pedestrians, cyclists and large animals (the latter of which is less relevant in Australia, where the mighty moose is less of an issue). The semi-autonomous 'Pilot Assist' system is standard fit, along with run-off mitigation and oncoming lane mitigation.While international specification is still being confirmed, the Cross Country will be offered in the UK with the brand's D4 diesel, along with mild hybrid and plug-in versions. 

Ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show next month, the Volvo V60 mid-size wagon has been revealed with new technology, overhauled styling and two new hybrid powertrains.

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

Californian regulators have reportedly ordered Uber to cancel its San Francisco autonomous vehicle trial on only the first day of testing after the fleet of Volvo XC90 SUVs ignored red lights.

The Swedish brand, which joined V8Supercars in 2014, is committed to running S60 sedans in the series until 2016.But with rule changes for 2017 allowing more variety in body styles and engines, Volvo is rumoured to be considering a switch to a racer based on its V60 wagon.An image obtained by CarsGuide shows how it would look ready to race.Volvo Car Australia refused to confirm the illustration’s authenticity. “We do not comment on future plans,” says spokesman Oliver Peagam.But the sensible Swedish company has raced wagons before, grabbing enduring publicity for the brand. Volvo ran two 850 Estates in the 1994 British Touring Car Championship, and one of the Tom Walkinshaw Racing-prepared wagons competed in the Australian Super Touring Championship the following year. Two decades later they’re still remembered.Current V8 Supercar rules mandate four-door sedans and V8 engines. Regulations for 2017 will open the sport to any body shape with at least four seats, while four- and six-cylinder turbo engines will be able to line up against traditional V8s.For Volvo, the switch to a V60 racer makes senseThe changes are designed to make Australia’s premier motorsport category relevant after longstanding rivals Ford and Holden shut down their Australian factories in 2016 and 2017.The “Gen2” rule book would allow these companies to compete with Mustang and Camaro coupes instead of Falcon and Commodore sedans as well as attracting more brands to the series.Hyundai and Lexus, for example, are both known to be interested in entering cars.For Volvo, the switch to a V60 racer makes sense, highlighting the brand’s practical wagon prowess, for one thing. And with the Swedish company dropping its big five-, six- and eight-cylinder engines, winning races with a high-power turbo four would convince customers that small doesn’t mean slow.A small turbo four brings racetrack advantagesLast year Volvo revealed it was working on a high-performance version of its new 2.0-litre Drive-E engine for road cars. Two regular turbos combined with an electric turbo compressor boost the four’s power to a V8-equalling 330kW.Volvo’s racing partner Polestar was involved in development of the concept engine. This experienced Swedish outfit, which engineered Volvo’s winning V8 Supercar engine, certainly will be able to extract even more power from a racing version of the 2.0-litre Drive-E.Its compact size improves weight distribution between the front and rear axle and lowers the centre of gravityA small turbo four brings racetrack advantages, as Volvo Polestar engine director Mattias Evensson explains when the triple-charged concept was revealed.“Its compact size improves weight distribution between the front and rear axle and lowers the centre of gravity — two factors that have a significant effect on the handling, whether it is a race car or a street car,” he says.The racer would have to adopt rear-drive as demanded by the Gen2 Supercar rules, unlike the showroom V60 which is front or all-wheel-drive.

Hard-hitting Polestar wagon lands in Australia along with revised S60 Polestar sedan.

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

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 

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)