Volvo V70 2009 News

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

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 international standard for child seats, called Isofix and linked to a special location in the back seat of all vehicles, is not ratified for Australia it does not include a top-tether strap on seats.But Volvo, which advocates rear-facing child seats up to the age of four, believes international safety regulations should apply in Australia."I don't think that Australia needs a separate set of safety regulations when they are very competent safety evaluation has been carried out in Europe or the US," Alan Desselss says."I think that Australia could quite comfortably accept what has been done in the US and Europe on things such as Isofix."An acceptance of Isofix in Australia would also allow Volvo to sell its own child seat."I do believe it's a very, very good feature and it certainly has been tested extremely rigorously in both the US and Europe. And by our own engineers."If Volvo endorses it you can be sure it has been tested to the nth degree." 

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?