Volvo Car Co. will show up at the imminent North American International Auto Show in Detroit with the innovative XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept, a highly economic SUV that also exploits the power of a petrol engine. The most distinctive feature of the model is perhaps the fact that drivers will be able to decide how to combine the two power sources by the simple touch of a button, a new technology that President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, Mr. Stefan Jacoby, describes “as ingenious as it is unique“, adding that “no other manufacturer has succeeded in delivering fuel economy and electrical range on this level in a capable, spacious performance car with 350 horsepower on tap.”

More specifically, drivers will be able to choose the driving mode by three buttons placed on the instrument panel: Pure (electric motor only), Hybrid (the standard setting, with gasoline and electric engines cooperating to provide maximum driving pleasure with minimum environmental impact) and Power (with the two units working together to create maximum possible power). The petrol engine is a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4 cylinder unit delivering 280 hp and 380 Nm of peak torque while the electric motor produces an output of 70 hp with 20o Nm of maximum torque, making up a grand total of 350 hp. Performance figures are not bad at all for an hybrid vehicle: with the ‘Power’ mode on, the carmaker claims a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 5.8 seconds with a top speed of almost 210 km/h (130 mph). With the ‘Hybrid’ mode activated, the performance of the model is not as good but the average fuel consumption goes down to 2.3 l/100km and CO2 emissions would be 53 g/km, with a full autonomy of about 960 km (about 600 miles), whereas the ‘Pure’ mode gives the car 45 km (28 miles) of range. The 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment can be recharged from a regular power outlet, reaching the full charge from a 220v/12A source in 3.5 hours.

The electric motors provide power to the rear axle while the whereas the petrol unit feeds the front wheels. The latter is coupled to a 8-speed automatic transmission and works together with an Integrated Starter motor and Generator (ISG) connected to the crankshaft, which is located between the engine and the transmission, which delivers an extra 45 hp during acceleration and charges the battery during braking. To find out more about the model, check out the official Press Release issued by Volvo North America after the jump, where you will also see a short video-presentation of the main feature of Volvo XC60’s innovative hybrid powertrain.

View the full Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept photo gallery

Continue reading: Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept: official video, pics and more info available

....

0 comments

As previously reported, Volvo just released the first official teaser of its upcoming new model, that CEO Stefan Jacoby confirmed is going to be called V40. In the intentions of the Swedish carmaker, the new 5-door hatchback will replace both the S40 sedan and the V50 in its range, positioning itself right under the S60/V60 line. At this moment the fate of the C30 is still unclear, as Mr. Jacoby himself has been quite sketchy on the matter.

Apparently, Volvo is trying to go more premium with the new car. The mule pictured in these new spy shots is still very heavily disguised, still wearing the same sort of armor we had seen on the previous lot of spy shots (when we still thought the model was going to be called V30) to defend itself from the cameras of the onlookers, but what we can see is enough to guess that the new V40 will look a lot like a smaller version of the V60. Rumor has it that at a later stage we will also see a XC40 model, while a S40 sedan for the Chinese market should also be in the works. The new V40 will have its public debut in March at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

View the full Volvo V40 spy shots photo gallery

....

0 comments

A new version of Volvo V40 is about surface. The original car bearing the V40 name was a station-wagon model launched in the mid 90s, which later evolved into the V50, but the new V40 was rumored to be a quite different type of car. Now, with the release of this official teaser from the Swedish manufacturer, it seems like those rumors were actually right as that veil definitely doesn’t seem to conceal an estate car. The new V40 seems to be a 5-door hatchback that should end up being positioned in the Volvo range right below the S60/V60 line, replacing both the S40 sedan and the aforementioned V50. However, the new model is set to make its official debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, that will take place as usual in March.

In a recent interview with business and financial newspaper Dagens Industri, Volvo Car Corporation’s President and Chief Executive, Mr. Stefan Jacoby, revealed that the definitive name of the model will be V40, ending speculations that the car was going to be named V30. The model will compete in a segment where the likes of Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class and the revamped BMW 1-Series will represent the most fierce competition.

The new V40 will then try to succeed where the C30 failed, but its approach to the challenge will be completely different, with 5 doors rather than 3 and more space for both passengers and luggage. Mr. Jacoby did not rule out the possibility of a three-box configuration of the V40, confirming that the production of the model should be ready to start in May 2012.

....

0 comments