The new Volvo S60 premium mid-sized saloon range was introduced in the Spring of this year and its arrival heralded two important moves, says David Miles. Firstly it is the first modern day Volvo car range not to include a diesel engine. Secondly it is the first model to be built in Volvo’s US manufacturing facility in Charleston South Carolina continuing the brand’s rapid expansion … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Volvo XC90 B5 diesel R-Design
The second generation Volvo XC90 large SUV with 4x4 traction and seven seats is the flagship of the revitalised Volvo range, writes David Miles. It was introduced in 2014 and recently it has undergone its mid-term revisions to keep it relevant in today’s expanding SUV market sector. It was the sales and image success of the premium brand XC90 that led Volvo to producing similar in style the XC60 … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 November
Volkswagen is breaking new ground with a concept for an electric estate car to be shown at the Los Angeles motor show the end of this week. The ID Space Vizzion is their latest proposal for a new model after a future EV hatchback was unveiled in the autumn. Jaguar Land Rover’s decision to shut down assembly plants last week to ease any Brexit issues with components and stocks will cost the UK … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest:Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription AWD
If you asked anyone to name three famous Swedish icons I bet you’d hear them mention Volvo. Whether that came before or after ABBA and IKEA is debatable and older generations may substitute SAAB somewhere, but the fact is Volvo has become more than a car brand. It’s a global representation of Sweden and the Swedes tend to do things differently, their own way, with a particular style and flair … [Read more...]
Volvo begin drive to significantly reduce carbon impact
Volvo Cars today launched one of the most ambitious plans in the automotive industry, to reduce its lifecycle carbon footprint-per-car by 40 per cent between 2018 and 2025. This is the first, tangible step towards Volvo Cars’ ambition of becoming a climate-neutral company by 2040. The plan represents concrete actions in line with the global Paris climate agreement of 2015, which seeks to limit … [Read more...]
Volvo toughen up EV standards
The fully electric XC40 SUV will be Volvo’s first electric car and one of the safest on the road. The advance of electric cars constitutes the biggest change in the history of the automobile. For the first time in over a century, cars move without a petrol or diesel engine in the engine bay and have a battery in the floor, changing the car at its core. With the introduction of the forthcoming … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 September
Volvo is first to offer plug-in hybrid versions of its entire model range with launch of new XC40 T5 Twin Engine. The front-wheel-drive hybrid system uses 180hp three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine with 82hp electric motor to achieve combined output of 262hp – highest figure in the XC40 line-up. With the UK set to bake in an Indian summer heatwave this weekend, and motorists set to take … [Read more...]
Survey shows evs with worst depreciation
A new study shows striking differences in the depreciation of ten popular electric and hybrid cars from their purchase price three years ago to their current value. InsuretheGap.com found that the pure electric Renault Zoe lost the most value, depreciating by 61% in three years from its purchase price of £19,988 to only £7,830 value in 2019. According to a 2019 Opinium survey, … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 August
Vauxhall's fifth generation Corsa with a new range of high efficiency petrol and diesel powertrains from the parent PSA Group is available to order from £15,550 on the road. Arriving in Vauxhall showrooms in January, Corsa has undergone a complete overhaul in four core trim levels with every engine variant of the new model emitting less CO2 than even the most efficient versions in the current … [Read more...]
Dishing the dirt on their car lives
Two thousand British drivers have dished the dirt on themselves. They have revealed what they have kept in their cars for up to 12 months before clearing out the mess, which means many are too red-faced to smile and carry a passenger. Whilst your car might sparkle on the outside, the inside often gets neglected – meaning those fast-food cartons and old running shoes can cause a bit of a … [Read more...]