Volvo XC90 2013 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued its latest round of recalls, with models from Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia and Volvo impacted by the recent safety notices.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has this week issued safety recalls for various vehicles from Land Rover, Nissan and Volvo.

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

Volvo has revealed styling for the next mid-size XC90 and the rest of its crossover range in image, sketches and video of the Concept XC Coupe that will be unveiled in the lead-up to January's Detroit motor show. This is the second stage of Volvo's design rebirth, following on from the Concept Coupe that starred for them at Frankfurt motor show in September.Like the Frankfurt car, the XC concept has been created by Volvo chief designer Thomas Ingenlath, and looks to follow a similar path -- albeit with a higher ride and more rugged crossover styling than the streamlined Concept Coupe.However the XC gets the earlier car's new face with a vertical grille, split horizontal headlight clusters and clamshell bonnet, but also shows the crossover wagon body, and carries a roof box that's unlikely to be standard fitment -- or good for already hefty SUV fuel usage.It looks clean and uncluttered, and largely close to a production form, although there's an exaggerated development of the signature Volvo shouldered taillights, and the vertical-cut exhaust tips and orange-striped tyres may not make it off the motor show floor.There's no indication yet of what is under the bonnet, but it could follow the Concept Coupe's hybrid set-up with a turbocharged and supercharged (for high and low rev response) 1.4-litre engine mated with an electric motor, together producing a total of 300kW of power and 600Nm of torque.However while a hybrid variant is on the cards, the production version will also carry something closer to the current engine choices of a 179kW/320Nm 3.2-litre petrol unit -- although possibly downsized -- and a 147kW/420Nm 2.4-litre diesel.Watch the desktop version of the Volvo XC90 previewed video.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott   

Volvo set the pace at Frankfurt with its Concept Coupe, a technologically advanced number of exceptional grace reminiscent of its iconic P1800 of the 1960s.Inspired by contemporary, progressive Scandinavian lifestyle and design as well as iconic elements from the past, the elegant new Volvo Concept Coupe is the first of a series of three concept cars that reveal the design possibilities created by the company's new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).The visual impact is highlighted from the side. The distance between the dashboard and the front axle is extended and the greenhouse has been moved slightly rearwards. A low bonnet, roof, and the five-spoke, 21-inch wheels also contribute to the impression of an elegant Gran Tourer with effortless power. The confident stance is emphasised by a beltline that spans an elegant bow along the whole car.The blue-grey exterior is echoed on the inside of the Coupe. Refined, handcrafted elements such as the leather instrument panel, inlays made of naturally aged wood and the dark blue woven carpets are blended with beautifully machined metal details.The Scalable Product Architecture is also being prepared for completely autonomous driving. The first features with autonomous steering to avoid accidents and make driving more comfortable will be introduced in 2014 and Volvo Cars' aim is to have cars with fully autonomous technology out on the roads before 2020.ENGINEThe coupe embodies what Volvo calls its ‘human centric experience’ and apart from a host of safety electronics, has the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor that will soon replace the brand's five and six-cylinder engines.The engine has turbo and supercharging plus a plug-in electric motor, resulting in total outputs of around 320kW and over 600Nm of torque -- and V8-like performance, but with mini car fuel consumption. The hybrid driveline reflects Volvo Cars' strategy to use electrification to create the most powerful versions in the new four-cylinder Drive-E engine family.However, the classy coupe is not scheduled for production in the near future. Instead, it marks the capability of Volvo's new architecture and elements of its design will feature on all future models, starting with the new XC90 in about a year. 

Australians will in two years plug into Volvo in a way never previously thought possible. An electric-hybrid SUV with seven seats, replacing the current flagship XC90, will be the first Volvo on a new platform, with new drivetrains and a new way of doing business.Volvo's vice president of product, Lex Kerssemakers, says that a few years after that Volvos will be made in China for the global market.The ambitious globalisation of Volvo was outlined, in skeleton form at best, this week at the Frankfurt motor show."The next XC90, to be released next year, will be the first of our plug-in hybrids for Australia," Mr Kerssemakers says. "Others will follow but we believe that this is the best car to showcase our new technology." Hybrid power with electric motors is necessary for the larger Volvo models because the company will now make only four cylinder engines - two in fact, one a diesel and one petrol.Mr Kerssemakers says this rationalisation brings efficient cost savings to the small company. But in admitting that some cars need more power - for performance or for towing - many will have the option of up to three electric motors. "We will be able to offer the same engine, for example, from 90kW to 275kW-plus," he says.One of the more powerful versions has a twincharger (turbocharger and supercharger) engine with 275kW and 400Nm of torque. "When we add the electric motor to this engine, we have 600Nm. We know that very few customers want 600Nm of torque but it will be important to those who tow large boats or trailers and for those who want a performance car."But the point is that we can get all this performance from the one basic engine - that saves a lot of money for our business." Saving more money comes from Volvo's parent Geely that this week opened its first joint-venture factory in China. The factory, the first of three, will make the S60 long wheelbase sedan initially specifically for the Chinese market."The car can be exported from China, sure, and we're not shying away from making future cars for export in China," he says. "The factories and the quality are world class and even the facilities make our Swedish workers jealous. But to say that China will make all our cars for all our markets in the future is absolutely wrong.""We will always make Volvo cars in Europe for the European market. It makes no sense making cars in China and then shipping them to Europe." But Mr Kerssemakers says it is practical for China-made cars to be exported to Asian markets, including the Asia-Pacific region into which Australia falls."The cars will be as good or better than those made in Europe." The cars to be made in China will start with the S60 - which from this week is being built in a new Chinese factory - but it may take a few years before it is offered in Australia and will not include the long wheelbase model.The reporter is on Twitter: @cg_dowling