Tag Archives | Volvo

Review: 2013 Volvo S60 T5 AWD

By on May 23, 2013 in Reviews

With the departure of Volvo’s C30 hatchback and the related S40 sedan, the S60 has to fill the marque’s role as the entry-level Volvo. Sized to compete with the likes of BMW 3-series, Audi A4, and Mercedes C-class, the S60 has a lot of ground to cover. Starting at $31,900, the entry-level model is the S60 T5.

The S60 T5 AWD is the third variant of S60 sedan I’ve reviewed since the “Naughty Volvo” launched in 2011. Both previously-tested models had turbocharged versions of Volvo’s inline-six cylinder engine- the 2011 S60 T6 AWD was the powertrain available at launch with 300 HP, and the 2012 S60 T6 AWD R-Design featured enhanced styling to complement the increased 325 HP output. Given my mild obsession with high-performance Volvos, I spent way too much time comparing those cars to the hallowed R cars of 2004-2007 when testing those six-cylinder S60 models. Continue Reading →

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Infiniti Announces Idiotic New Naming Scheme

By on December 17, 2012 in Editorials

Over the years, Infiniti’s management has made some head-scratching moves.  The brand, launched around the same time as Lexus, decided to show rocks and trees – and not the actual products – as it launched, which led potential buyers to wonder just what the heck Infiniti was.  Now, Infiniti has a decent – albeit not full – lineup consisting of the G and M cars, and EX, JX, FX, and QX crossovers, all with model names that describe their engine displacement, so it must be time to blow things up.

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Old Favorites: Volvo 300-Series

By on August 6, 2012 in Features

Back in ’08, I wrote a brief ode in these pages to the Dutch manufacturer DAF (Van Doorns Automobiel Fabriek), long defunct as a carmaker but still in business making trucks, whose little cars, equipped with the innovative Variomatic continuously variable transmission, were once common sights on the roads of Europe, often in Dutch-tulip hues of red or yellow. After 1975, persuaded that DAF’s transmission technology was way ahead of its time, which it was, and that its access to Renault mechanicals was a valuable asset, as it turned out to be, Volvo wrote a big check and took over the automotive side of the firm. The surviving DAF model, the 66, became the Volvo 66, “the tiniest Volvo ever,” in the words of my colleague Andy Bannister, who wrote an article about it for Autosavant.

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Film Review: Wagonmasters

By on July 31, 2012 in Reviews

In addition to seeing a lot of cool cars at the recent Concours d’Elegance of America, I also had a chance to catch one of the first screenings of Wagonmasters, a 40-minute documentary that had its public premiere at the event. It’s the work of North Carolina filmmakers Sam Smartt and Chris Zaluski, and represents a paean to the classic American station wagon; that means full size and rear-wheel drive with an expiration date of 1996—when the last of such cars, the Buick Roadmaster and Chevy Caprice wagons, went out of production.

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Review: 2012 Volvo C70 T5 Inscription

By on July 30, 2012 in Reviews

Volvo designs tend to have a long shelf life, and the C70 is no exception. The Volvo C70 went on sale in 2006, so is now in its seventh year of production. The versatile C70, with its retractable metal roof is a stylish, comfortable “personal luxury” coupe which just happens to be able to retract its roof and become a convertible. It is comfortable for two people, and works for four in a pinch. Despite the fact that the C70 is nearing the end of its production life cycle (due to impending closure of the factory where it is being manufactured following the 2013 model year), it remains a stylish, comfortable coupe. Continue Reading →

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Review: 2012 Volvo XC70 T6 AWD – Polestar Performance

By on July 6, 2012 in Reviews

Back in 2008, I was able to review Volvo’s then-new XC70 T6 AWD. I found its 281 HP to provide plenty of power, while the crossover wagon cosseted occupants with plenty of comfort, space, and luxury features. In the time since that review, revisions to the powerplant’s tuning have bumped power of the standard T6 AWD to 300 HP. For 2012, Volvo has partnered with tuner Polestar Performance to offer ECU upgrades for some models. In the case of the XC70, the sportier ECU bumps power output to 325 HP. Continue Reading →

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Detroit 2011: Volvo C30 Electric Safely Crashes Stage

By on January 11, 2011 in News

By Kevin Miller

Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles virtually littered the floor of Cobo hall this year. It seems as though near as many vehicles have an SAE J1772 charging port as have a standard gasoline fuel filler. Show stands on the main floor and the basement of Cobo featured a variety of EV charging equipment. Into this environment, Volvo injected their focus on safety. In combination with the battery supplier ENER1, Volvo showed a C30 Electric which had been subjected to a 40 MPH frontal offset collision.

In C30 models with internal combustion engines, the engine forms a part of the crash-absorbing structure at the front of the car. Because the C30 Electric has a much smaller electric drive unit, with a relatively heavy load of batteries located farther back in the car, additional structural members were added to the front of the vehicle to provide occupant protection in a collision. Continue Reading →

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Review: 2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD

By on December 16, 2010 in Reviews

By Kevin Miller

I am no stranger to 300 HP, midsized Volvos. As the original owner of a 2004 Volvo V70R, I’ve watched the development of the S60’s second generation with great interest. As the original S60 remained in production long past its sell-by date, Volvo needed a replacement that could continue the original car’s’s style, while improving on rear seat room and the original S60’s now-antiquated in-car electronics.

Volvo has launched the S60 with a marketing campaign referring to the car as the Naughty Volvo. While the new S60 T6 AWD does not carry the R moniker, it probably could. Rated 300 HP, with a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transaxle, the car does a much better job of smoothly transferring power to the ground than the R-series cars ever did, and Volvo’s latest-generation AWD system makes the car feel less front-heavy than one would be expect, given the car’s front-drive-based foundation. Unfortunately, neither a manual transmission nor the V60 wagon version of the vehicle are destined for the US market.

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First Drives: 2011 S60, Mazda2, Juke, Optima, and Grand Cherokee

By on October 20, 2010 in Features

By George Straton

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a day at a media event outside Chicago where I was able to play the automotive version of musical chairs. Over six grueling hours, I and a few dozen other media members were able to get some seat time in 30 or so newer automotive models. The following is the result of the time spent with several new-for-model year 2011 offerings which we think will have some sort of impact in the marketplace.

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Paris Show Preview: Volvo S60 and V60 R-Design

By on September 21, 2010 in News

By Kevin Miller

Volvo today announced R-Design packages for their new S60 and V60 sedan and wagon, that will make their debut at the Paris Auto Show at the end of this month. The S60 is already on sale in Europe, and is hitting US Volvo dealerships this month, in the T6 launch trim with 300 HP from a 3.0 liter inline 6 and AWD, delivered through a 6-speed Geartronic automatic transmission. Other powertrains will become available sometime after the initial launch of T6 models, but no manual transmission is planned for any S60 models in the US.

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