Volvo Blog
Volvo bringing ethanol-powered C30 racer to WTCCFiled under: Motorsports, Euro, Green, Volvo 
Click to view a hi-res gallery of the Volvo C30 Green Racer
Let's play a little word association game here. When I say "Volvo", what comes to mind? Swedish. Safety. Soccer moms. Station wagons. But racing?
Granted, Volvo is not one of the better-known names in motorsport, but the company has been competing for the last couple of seasons in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. Volvo Motorsport actually took the first two championships of the series in 1996 and 1997, and came back to the series last year with an E85 ethanol-powered C30, campaigned by Polestar Racing AB. Although the green racing hatch has yet to reclaim the national title for Volvo, it has won a couple of races against conventionally-fueled competitors from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Opel. The Swedish automaker has now decided to bring the vehicle up a level to the World Touring Car Championship when the series comes to Brands Hatch in the UK next weekend. It will be interesting to see how the E85 Volvo will fare against the diesel-powered Seats and the other gasoline-powered regulars in the WTCC, however Volvo's entry will be strictly for exhibition and not eligible for points. Press release after the jump and images in the gallery below.
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Rumormill: 350 hp Volvo C30 R in the worksFiled under: Hatchbacks, Volvo, Rumormill 
Click above for a high resolution image of the C30 D-Design package
Volvo gave its C30 hatchback a pretty aggressive look when it introduced the R-Design package, but unfortunately none of that sportiness made its way beneath the hood. Adding some show to the go, Volvo has reportedly created a C30 prototype fitted with a turbocharged inline-5 pumping out 350 horsepower using the Ford Focus RS engine block as a base. Best of all, it would be able fully put down all that power combined with Volvo's AWD system, unlike the FWD system on the Focus RS. Unfortunately, Volvo has no current plans to bring the car to production, and with high gas prices and upcoming fuel consumption regulations, it would be tough to convince them otherwise.
[Source: MotorAuthority.com]
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Volvo denies reported dealer cutsFiled under: Ford, Volvo  A couple days back we received word from Automotive News that Volvo was looking to downsize its dealer body by 30 percent in an effort to cut costs. The Swedish automaker says that isn't going to happen. PR VP Geno Effler said that while Volvo doesn't plan to cut almost a third of its 350 US dealers, it will try to persuade its struggling dealers to call it quits. The problem with Volvo's denial is that we'd heard about Volvo closing a significant amount of dealers way back in December, before the car market took it's most recent nose dive.
With Volvo sales down 14 percent for the year and constant talk about a Ford/Volvo split, we wouldn't be surprised if there are more than a handful of dealers in need of coercion. Not that the prodigious dip in sales volume has everything to do with dealers, either. Volvo's lineup isn't exactly fresh or fuel efficient, which spells disaster in this vehicle market.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Volvo to trim 30-percent of U.S. dealers by the end of next yearFiled under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Volvo 
Volvo hasn't been doing too hot lately, posting a $1.73 billion loss over the past five years as it flails to find its niche. Sales of almost every Volvo product have declined in 2007, with the S60 falling by 28.1 percent, the XC90 dropping 5.6 percent and the V70 station wagon losing 7.7 percent. For June of 2008, Volvo only moved 7,001 vehicles, down 14.2 percent compared to last year. Something has to be done on the retail side, and according to Automotive News, dealers are on their way out.
The automaker is looking to cut out approximately 30 percent of its U.S. dealer network by the close of next year, however, Volvo retailers won't be cut in Europe, nor Russia, where Volvo is a leader in premium vehicle sales.
Volvo recognizes that part of its problem is fuel efficiency, so it's focusing on producing smaller vehicles and pushing its C30 hatch hard in the States. A hybrid version of the XC60 is in the works, but that won't be out for at least another three years... in Germany, and as a stopgap, Volvo plans to implement start-stop technology on its smaller engines.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Volvo's suitor of the week: China's CheryFiled under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Volvo  Following up on our report last month about Volvo possibly going to the Chinese, state media is now reporting that Chery Automobile, one of the largest independent and fastest growing Chinese auto manufacturers, has its eyes on the Swedish automaker. Although officials at Chery rule out the possibility of buying Volvo, other sources have stated that the Chinese automaker has already negotiated funding for a possible acquisition. If so, that funding will be significant-insiders put Volvo's value at 30 billion yuan (about $4.4 billion dollars). This isn't the first time that Ford has been rumored to be cashing-out on Volvo... however, it was just two months ago that Ford officials reiterated that Volvo was not for sale. We wouldn't bet our yuan on it.
[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Volvo Trucks roll down the catwalk (down the catwalk, yeah)Filed under: Etc., Volvo 
Click for hi-res gallery of Volvo Trucks clothing
Trucker chic isn't exactly the same in Europe as it is in America, where every tool with a practical-joke or retro-themed television show is punkin' out the mesh-backed trucker hats. Case in point: the new apparel collection launched by Volvo Trucks.
Although the fashion-forward collection might seem more aligned with Volvo's latest passenger cars than commercial vehicles, remember that, since 1999, the two divisions are separately owned (one independent, the other by Ford... for now) and both share the same name and logo. Commendably, Volvo Trucks didn't just slap its name on some t-shirts and backpacks and called it a day. The recently launched collection consists of more than 100 items, on which the company's designers collaborated with IKEA fashion designers for over a year. The line includes leather jackets sporting shoulder sections modeled on the company's trademark grille and watches shaped like the cabin's instruments. Clever, eh? We don't know who is driving the big-rigs on that side of the pond, but the Volvo Trucks collection has things for the whole family, including men, women and even children - like baby tees with UV protection to safeguard their fair Swedish skin. The items are available via the company's online shop at www.volvotrucks.com/merchandise. In the meantime, you can check out the press release after the jump and the images in the gallery below.
[Source: Volvo Trucks] Continue reading Volvo Trucks roll down the catwalk (down the catwalk, yeah) Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Volvo still wants to compete with the Germans, despite rumors of saleFiled under: Trends, Etc., Volvo 
Ford says Volvo's not for sale, and the Blue Oval would be smart to hold on to its remaining vestige of the Premier Auto Group as long as it can, especially since engineering and platforms have become so entwined with Dearborn's product line. For its part, Volvo is angling to take on the high end Germans. Volvos have long been premium products, having built a reputation on exceptional durability, meticulous engineering, and of course, safety. Try as it might, however, Volvo has a hard time competing head on with BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The cachet of the Swedish automaker is diminished compared to the Germans, and dynamically, Volvos tend to get schooled hard despite being good, capable drivers when taken alone.
Operations chief Steven Armstrong tells Automotive News that Volvo is looking to be mentioned in the same breath as its intended targets, even as losses mount and layoffs ensue. Volvos already occupy the same pricing arena as the premium Germans, but that's partly due to a weak dollar and transport costs. The possibility of building its cars in the United States might bring prices down and allow better developed performance versions, versus the outclassed R models of the past. Also hurtful is the model range's appetite for fuel -- we've gotten mileage in the teens from some Volvos in the Autoblog Garage. Armstrong says that the fuel economy issue will be addressed soon as technologies like start-stop, energy recovery from braking, and further down the road, hybrid powertrains are brought to market. Green is a good way for Volvo to go, given the Scandinavian proclivity for low-impact, gentler consumption. What it all means is that soon, we may see a kinder, gentler, meaner, faster Volvo product lineup -- possibly managed by Russian, Chinese, or Swedish owners.
[Source: Automotive News - sub req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Volvo planning more small models, more dieselsFiled under: Coupes, Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, Volvo 
click above image for high-res gallery of the Volvo C30 Efficiency
In the wake of rapidly diminishing sales of large and not-particularly fuel efficient cars, Volvo is doing what only seems rational: introducing smaller vehicles with more fuel efficient engines. The company reportedly has plans to introduce three new diesel powered vehicles by the fall. We are unclear on where Volvo intends to target with its little green men cars besides emerging markets such as China and Russia, but we'd love to see some more stylish and fuel efficient options in the U.S. It's too early to speculate on what vehicles Volvo is referring to, but that's never stopped us before. The C30 is currently the Swedish automakers smallest vehicle and at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, Volvo showed off its C30 Efficiency concept. We'd say that the timing certainly appears right for a production version of just such a machine. After all, who wouldn't appreciate the 52.26 miles per gallon from its 105 horsepower 1.6L turbodiesel engine?
[Source: Just-Auto - sub. required] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ford discusses selling Volvo with Renault, againFiled under: Ford, Volvo, Renault  As Ford reportedly prepares to offload Volvo and dismantle the last remaining vestiges of its once proud Premier Automotive Group, reports indicate that discussions were, once again, held with Renault.
The French automaker was tipped as a potential buyer when Jaguar was on the table, expressing interest in acquiring a luxury brand (and evidently forgetting it had Infiniti up its sleeve). Along with Chinese automakers, Renault has reportedly been in on-again, off-again discussions with Ford over the sale of Volvo as well, though Ford insists that its Swedish subsidiary is not for sale.
[Source: Automotive News - subs. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Chinese automaker denies rumor about interest in VolvoFiled under: China, Volvo 
An eternally unanswerable question seems to be whether or not Ford is actively shopping around Volvo for a buyer. Just this week we reported that Chinese automaker SAIC and some Russian investors had expressed interest in purchasing the Swedish carmaker from Ford, but today we learn from a source within SAIC that the company is doing nothing of the sort. The unidentified source said that, as far as he/she knew, the two companies were not in contact about a possible purchase at all. Volvo's staying quiet and licking its wounds after announcing 2,000 layoffs this week, while Ford is singing the same old song with a catchy chorus that insists Volvo is not for sale. Well, the rumor that some Russians are interested in Volvo hasn't been refuted yet, so until someone named Boris says otherwise, let's considerable Volvo on the market despite Ford's protest.
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
REPORT: Ford looking to offload Volvo on Chinese, cutting 2,000 jobsFiled under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Volvo Ford might be looking to sell Volvo to a Chinese company according to a report by Dagens Industri and followed up by Automotive News. Sources are saying that Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. may be one of the potential suitors, while a Russian investor has also expressed interest in Ford's Swedish arm. FoMoCo's CEO, Alan Mulally began a strategic review of the automaker last year and the possible sale of Volvo was reported to be in the cards. However, Ford denied such a plan at the time and when AN contacted a Ford spokesperson for comment about the report today they said, "We have been consistently saying since the end of last year that Volvo is not for sale. We are focused on improving Volvo's business results."
Regardless, news of the possible sale of Volvo comes on the same day Ford announced that 2,000 workers will be laid off in an effort to cut costs due to an overall weak market and rising material costs. Volvo is hoping to slash around $662 million in costs, with the primary cuts coming from workers in Sweden. 1,200 workers were informed of the cuts today, and overall, 1,400 white-collar staff and 600 blue-collar jobs are on the chopping block.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ford to make fewer Volvos, possibly in prep for saleFiled under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Volvo, Earnings/Financials  Volvo, once the success story in Ford's Premier Automotive Group, has hit choppy waters. And according to Wall Street Journal insiders, Ford is preparing to treat the Swedish automaker the same way it did the English ones: slap some floaties on it and keep the brand bobbing long enough to sell it.
Volvo made $94 million in profit in Q1 of 2007, but lost $151 million in Q1 of this year. In total, over the past two years, the once smiling Swede has lost $1.7 billion, part of which is due to exchange rates, and another is due to selling fewer cars. To combat the decline, Volvo is shedding up to a third of its work force at one European plant, and cutting back on production at another. As you would suspect, both of those plants make the largest vehicles in Volvo's lineup.
A couple of weeks ago, Ford was intriguingly -- or deceitfully -- still in "Volvo's not for sale" mode. Now it appears that Mulally has admitted to some Ford execs that Volvo is about to wear the "Needs a Caring Home" sign. Jerry York, the right hand man of Kirk Kerkorian, maintains that Volvo will probably be sold in 18 months. The way things look now, we'd be surprised if it took that long.
[Source: Wall Street Journal via Yahoo!]
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El Capuccino Volvo 'ute spotted outside museumFiled under: Tuners, Trucks/Pickups, Volvo 
Click above for more images of the Volvo XC70 pickup
Volvo has been known for its safety and practical nature since the company's inception, but what we never expected to see from the Swedish automaker is a sport 'ute. A quick-witted photographer snapped up a few pics of an XC70 outside the Volvo museum in Sweden that has been converted for pickup duty, and it looks pretty damn good. Surprisingly, the Volvo ute looks exceptionally well built, thanks to the efforts of Swedish coachbuilder Dalbo Fordonsteknik. While it won't be confused with an El Camino or Ford Falcon, it has a small but usable bed, a shark fin-like design in profile, and what looks like some covered space behind the front seats.
[Source: Carscoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wagons Ho! Volvo V70 gets R-Design treatmentFiled under: Wagons/Estates, Volvo, UK 
Click above for more high-res pics of the Volvo V70 R-Design
Once upon a time, there was a subtle wagon called the V70R who's meek outward appearance belied the snortiest turbo 5-cylinder Volvo has ever put in a production car. All-wheel-drive helped the power get to the ground instead of immolating the front tires, and the R sat atop the V70 trim-level range. Alas, the R is no more. While it was awesome and amusing, it was also outgunned by the competition, even with 300 hard-breathing horsepower. Still, there are those who desire the look and demeanor of the R, while finding no fault with the lesser powertrains that Volvo offers.
Those buyers can find what they're looking for with the new V70 R-Design package on the third generation wagon. Since the demise of the R, the V70 has moved up to become the wagon version of the S80, and the R-Line package adds a little visual oomph and chassis verve to the big estate. Ride height has been reduced and thicker swaybars are added, along with higher durometer bushings in the suspension. Like we saw on the C30 R-Design, matte finish metal accents are added to exterior pieces like the mirror housings and grille surround. Sporty-looking exhaust outlets, a rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels round out the exterior changes. The interior gets blue-faced gauges, unique metal trim pieces, and Volvo's already excellent seats get R-Design logos and sportier bolstering. The R-Design package adds £2,000 or so to the price of a UK V70, a decent price for a handling upgrade and a hunkered look. Volvo hasn't decided whether to bring it to the United States yet. If it does come to the North American market, the V70 R-Design will be a 2009 model, and we'll know by early summer if we have to look longingly across the pond for a clean-looking, sporty-driving wagon.
[Source: Volvo] Permalink | Email this | Comments
You know what they say: Court orders Volvo to pay man with big feetFiled under: Car Buying, Etc., Euro, Volvo, Carsumer Advocacy  "Hey, Stompy, you wanna take a test drive?
Nein, I'll just take the one in black, please."
So goes the imagined conversation between Michael Herzog, he of size 12 (UK) feet, and the Volvo dealer from whom he purchased a C70. Herzog says his feet are too large for the pedal box in his Volvo, precluding use of that most essential pedal, the accelerator. The issue went to court in Wiesloch, Germany, where a judge ruled that size 12 is not freakishly large, so Volvo should have designed a car to accommodate that size foot. Size 12 on UK size charts is about the same as a U.S. size 12, so it's not an incomprehensibly large foot. The dealer has been directed to refund five percent of the purchase price, a total of £1,350, to pay for a custom pair of shoes that allow the owner to drive his new car, as well as compensate him for time lost to shoe-changes. And we thought the U.S. was litigious.
[Source: am-online, Photo: BBC] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ford stock up thanks to Kerkorian, Volvo remains "not for sale"Filed under: Etc., Ford, Mercury, Volvo, Rumormill  Kirk Kerkorian's associate Jerry York stated last Thursday that Ford would do well to sell Volvo and extinguish Mercury. Coincidentally (or not) Ford's stock zoomed up to one of the highest price levels it's seen in the last six months. Tracinda Corporation, Kerkorian's firm, has expressed faith in Mulally's leadership and his plan to strengthen the automaker. There has been speculation about a sale of Volvo in the past, and punditry has been begging the Blue Oval to do something with Mercury, or put it out of its misery, for years.
While York seems certain that Volvo will be on the market in less than two years time, Ford continues to state that the Swedish subsidiary is not for sale. Looking at the Premier Auto Group shuffle of the last year, though, it could certainly be deduced that Volvo will indeed go on the market soon. Moving the brand out of the PAG location in Irvine, CA and back to Rockleigh, NJ, where Volvo had set up shop when it first started selling cars in the United States, is a move that set off whispers of impending sale. While it might be nothing more than right-sizing office space for Volvo now that the rest of the Premier Auto Group is gone, a cross country move is a deft way to trim operational fat without layoffs, and divorcing Volvo's North American operations from Ford locations makes an ownership transition easier, too. While Ford and Volvo products share a lot of engineering and parts, a well-negotiated deal wouldn't preclude a sale that gently phases out the currently entwined platforms as they age and replacements are brought to market.
[Source: Automotive News - sub req. - Photo: Bloomberg] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Volvo wants to eliminate in-car injuries and death by 2020Filed under: Safety, Videos, Volvo 
Follow the jump for the video report on Volvo's safety goals
We all know how seriously Volvo approaches vehicle safety. At least we thought we did. In a new Reuters video feature, we learn that the safety-obsessed Swedish automaker has goals far loftier than we had imagined. You see, Volvo has set a goal of zero injuries or deaths to passengers in its vehicles by the year 2020. According to reporter Paul Chapman, Volvo wants to create a car that basically "forms a giant bumper" around its occupants to protect them if and when the need arises. A Volvo representative quoted on camera goes on to state that beyond the elimination of crash-related death and injury, Volvo would like to see the elimination of car accidents altogether.
While this admirable sentiment undoubtedly serves as a goal-setting mechanism for Volvo safety engineers, it's hard to view it as anything other than hopeless optimism unless you completely remove the human element from driving (and presumably replace all cars with Miracle Safety Volvos). You can build the most perfect car in the world and equip it with the greatest safety features imaginable, but cars can't predict everything, and humans are anything but predictable -- as any readers who commute amongst the general populace can attest. We'll know Volvo's really getting closer to safety Nirvana when it unveils a feature that determines when the driver next to you is simultaneously steering with his knees, reading a newspaper, sending text messages, and eating Ramen noodles at highway velocity.
Watch the full report after the jump.
[Source: Reuters]Continue reading VIDEO: Volvo wants to eliminate in-car injuries and death by 2020 Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Volvo's 81-year history in 9 minutesFiled under: Videos, Ford, Volvo 
Click above to view video
Volvo has been making automobiles since April 14, 1927, and while most of us know Volvo for its safe and sometimes fun-to-drive vehicles, the Swedish automaker's history is of course more complicated than that. For instance, Volvo earned its reputation as a safe automaker before it sold a single car by getting in a head-to-head accident with an American car, which totaled the domestic while only scratching the Volvo. Volvo also featured the first standard three-point safety belt and was the first automaker to have a catalytic converter. Hit the jump to catch up on Volvology. It's a very solid nine-minute Volvo history course, even if it fails to mention current owner Ford all-together.
[Source: YouTube]Continue reading VIDEO: Volvo's 81-year history in 9 minutes Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This needed to happen: RWD Volvo C30Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Hatchbacks, Volvo 
Click above for a photo galllery of Skruffse's RWD C30
While Volvo's C30 has wily charms in its stock configuration, we could see how it'd be even more entertaining with the power being sent to the proper wheels. While we're talking revisions, a honkingly large turbocharger and external-reservoir dampers would be welcome additions, too. The race-ready ride height is dead sexy, and while it's a crazy thing to do to a perfectly good brand new Volvo, Sweden's Skruffse has carried out some beautiful fabrication work. The use is obviously racing of some sort, and with wide tires at all four corners we're surmising that it's something that involves turning, versus drag racing. Seeing this car's tow rig - a first-generation V70, it all comes together -- those willing to strip the C30 down like a stolen Pinto and rejigger the chassis are true Volvo nuts. We're pretty sure the warranty has been voided, though.
[Source: CarScoop]
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Change your C30's character with official swappable designsFiled under: Aftermarket, Etc., Hatchbacks, Volvo 
Click above to view the rest of these crazy Swedish exterior designs
Looking at the pictures above and in our gallery below, you may think that Volvo has either totally lost it or forgot that April Fools Day is on the first of the month. But we're assured this is real and even visited Volvo's official Swedish media site for verification. Beginning on April 7th, Volvo C30 owners in Sweden can completely change the character of their car by ordering one of 20 different nonpermanent films that safely adhere to the exterior of their hatches. The designs are outlandish to say the least and include everything from mock woodie panels to zebra stripes to pink camo to gay pride colors (probably an unintended association for that last one, but it works). The film, which in some cases appears to cover every exterior surface, is guaranteed not to hurt the paint, but actually protect it for up to two years when it's time to replace the film. It is an investment though at the equivalent of $3,130 USD, which is probably more than what it would cost to have the car custom painted with any of these designs. But then it couldn't be removed when you wise up and realize your car looks absolutely ridiculous.
[Source: Volvo via CarScoop] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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