Volvo XC60 boosts sportiness with R-Design

The Volvo XC60 R-Design makes a clear statement about true driving pleasure, a young, energetic attitude and confident success. A sporty chassis and even more direct steering ensure the driving experience matches the sporty appearance.

The Volvo XC60 is a car that has already carved out a solid market share in the premium sport cross-over segment. With its muscular curves and sharply contoured tail lamps, it attracts attention wherever it goes. The new R-Design option pack that will be presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 gives the car an even more purposeful and bold appearance.

"The R-Design model boosts the XC60's already sporty aura and gives the car an even more refined character in terms of both driving experience and design. These are properties that we know appeal to the discerning buyers of this type of cars," says Lennart Stegland, president of Volvo Special Vehicles.

Confident exterior

On the outside it is easy to recognise those typical R-Design attributes: door mirror housings, trim mouldings and décor trim in matte silk metal finish, skid-plates and twin chrome tailpipes. The five-spoke Cratus aluminium wheels are also unique for the R-Design models. In standard form they measure 18 inches but there is also the option of a stunning 20-inch. This dimension is new to the Volvo XC60 and is only available with the R-Design pack.

Another new feature is that the lower section of the car is now colour-matched to the rest of the body on the XC60 R-Design, instead of the matte black execution of the standard model. This creates the impression that the car sits closer to the ground and gives it a more dynamic look - even though ground clearance remains unchanged.

Thrilling driving experience with excellent comfort

The R-Design chassis is stiffer, features stronger damping and has more distinct driving properties - without impacting too much on ride comfort. All passengers can still enjoy a long and pleasant ride on any type of road surface. Further, the fact that the chassis has not been lowered ensures that the XC60 R-Design maintains its ground clearance for off-road capability.

The new, more direct steering gear also significantly contributes to the driving experience. Owing to faster steering response, the driver benefits from a more alert car behaviour and more precise communication with the road surface. This in turn gives the driver the confidence to push the car to its limits and fully enjoy the sporty capabilities of the XC60 R-Design.

Modern and exclusive interior

Inside the car, exclusive metal finish is the dominant theme, with aluminium inserts in the steering wheel, door mouldings and the iconic centre stack. The sports pedals are made of brushed aluminium, with rubber inserts for precise grip, feel and control.

The elegant dark centre stack features a décor with a circular pattern that expands outwards in a dynamic way. This pattern also reoccurs in the oblique striping of the sculpted, duo-tone seats. Further, the seats are available with the choice of two colour combinations, with light beige or dark black as the main theme.

The front seats feature an advanced seat design with two firmness levels in both the backrest and seat cushions, thus providing a body hugging yet comfortable seating position during inspired driving. The sports steering wheel trimmed with perforated leather and featuring the engraved R-Design emblem is a constant reminder to the driver of the car's special character and excellent driving properties.

Volvo XC60 R-Design - An overview

Exterior:

• Grille in silk metal finish with R-Design badge
• Front fog lamp décor in silk metal finish
• Door mirror housings in silk metal finish
• Five-spoke 18-inch aluminium wheels - Cratus (20 inch optional)
• Sill mouldings in aluminium look
• Twin chromed tailpipes
• Colour-matched lower body mouldings.
• Chrome-plated rear skid-plate with black mesh
• Sport chassis
• 7 body colours to choose between including the R-Design unique colour Passion red

Interior:

• Sport seats for great cornering support and comfort
• Unique upholstery in smooth leather with a choice of two colour combinations: off-black with soft beige inserts or vice versa
• Embossed R-Design emblem in the front backrests.
• Watch Dial instrument with blue gauges, unique to the R-Design model
• R-Design sports steering wheel trimmed in perforated leather
• Sports pedals in aluminium
• R-Design centre stack trim with a unique décor pattern
• Gear selector trimmed with perforated leather
• Off-black sports mats

R-Design a success for Volvo Cars

R-Design was launched in 2007 to satisfy the immense interest among younger car buyers, in particular, who want to equip their cars with sporty, personalised options. With R-Design, they got access to tastefully composed options packages featuring exclusive design details and thrilling sport chassis.

Today R-Design is found across almost the entire Volvo product range in the C30, S40, V50, S80, V70, XC60 and XC90 models.

"R-Design has been a great success for Volvo Cars. This sporty, exclusive sales version has helped us attract new customer groups who would perhaps not otherwise have chosen Volvo. The introduction of the XC60 R-Design shows clearly how strongly we believe in this concept and we have noted considerable pre-launch interest in this product from our markets," says Lennart Stegland, president of Volvo Special

Technology that brakes runaway trailers

Suddenly you note that your trailer has a life of its own. While driving downhill, it starts weaving back and forth by itself and things don't improve when you apply the brakes. You break into a sweat and you're close to panicking.

Your guardian angel is TSA^TM, which stands for Trailer Stability Assist^TM. This is a system that counteracts wobbling and stabilises a trailer that has started weaving back and forth across the road.

The system continuously monitors these wobbling tendencies and compensates by braking one or more of the car's wheels as necessary. If this is not enough, all four wheels are braked and engine power is cut until control is regained.

"Wobbling is a true nightmare for anyone who regularly tows a trailer of some sort. The problem often occurs, for instance, when a towing caravan that has been incorrectly loaded with too much weight at the very front or very rear," explains Per Ola Fuxin, head of vehicle dynamics at Volvo Cars.

Sometimes it can be very difficult to get out of a situation where a trailer has started wobbling, and in the worst case the trailer may even stray onto the wrong side of the road and roll over.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for this to lead to severe traffic accidents. These accidents usually occur during vacation periods when the roads are filled with towing caravans, trailers and boat trailers.

"It is not easy to single-handedly regain control over a trailer that has started wobbling. The basic rule is to always brake. With TSA, the wheels are braked individually, thus counteracting the trailer's weaving tendencies. This is much more effective than the driver braking all the wheels at the same time. The other advantage of TSA is that it can activate much earlier to bring a situation under control, perhaps even before the driver notices what is about to happen," concludes Per Ola Fuxin.

The Trailer Stability Assist system is active at speeds above 50 km/h. It is a standard feature when buying a Volvo XC60 with a towing hook.

Source: Volvo NA

Volvo Cars and Vattenfall to develop new plug-in hybrid

A Volvo that can be fuelled with electricity from a standard wall socket will be a reality in 2012. Swedish energy company Vattenfall and the Volvo Car Corporation are launching an industrial joint venture partnership to introduce plug-in hybrids on the market. The ground-breaking technology will considerably lower the environmental impact from traffic. In addition, owning a plug-in hybrid vehicle will be convenient since you can fuel up at home and fuel costs are significantly lower.

In January 2007, the Volvo Car Corporation and Vattenfall launched a joint project with the aim of testing and developing plug-in technology. Now their cooperation is being taken to the next level.

"We are investing in an industrial joint venture to series-produce plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden in 2012, cars that can be powered by both electricity and diesel. This is an important business development for us and our partnership with Vattenfall allows us to take a giant step toward offering our customers cars with an even smaller environmental footprint," says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of the Volvo Car Corporation.

Vattenfall and the Volvo Car Corporation believe that series production of plug-in hybrid cars and the development of infrastructure can generate new jobs and help Sweden maintain its position at the cutting edge of advanced pro-environmental technology.

The car can be charged at home

One of the major benefits of plug-in hybrids is that they can be charged from a regular household wall socket.

"We want to reinforce electricity's importance in society and its key role in solving climate issues. Through this cooperation we hope to be able to speed up the introduction of electric cars. Together we are developing the next-generation technology based on plug-in cars and various charging alternatives," says Lars G Josefsson, President and CEO of Vattenfall.

The development of the cars is being carried out and financed jointly by the two companies. The Volvo Car Corporation will manufacture the cars and Vattenfall will develop charging systems and supply the cars with electricity.

Innovative environmental technology

Electricity is very well-suited as a power source for cars. An electric motor has a high efficiency rating and consumes roughly one-fifth the energy needed to power an engine that runs on fossil fuels. The purchase price of the plug-in hybrids will be higher than that of cars with conventional technology. Batteries are still expensive but with the car running on electricity, its fuel costs will be cut to roughly one-third compared with diesel power.

Vattenfall will offer customers the opportunity to sign an agreement for renewable electricity sourced specifically from windpower or hydropower, as an alternative to the regular mix of electricity sources. Lars G Josefsson sees many benefits from chargeable plug-in hybrids, even in cases where the electricity does not come from renewable energy sources.

"Through electric power, we avoid the emissions from each individual car. Instead of petrol or diesel, the energy is derived from a few large power sources and Vattenfall is working hard to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from all electricity production. In Sweden, virtually all Vattenfall's electricity production is emission-free," explains Lars G Josefsson.

The plug-in hybrid cars will be driven by a powerful electric motor fuelled by a lithium-ion battery. The battery takes about five hours to charge from a standard wall socket, and the battery is also charged every time the car's brakes are applied.

"Most car journeys are short trips, for instance to and from work. We will be able to offer a product that fulfils this transportation need. In order to cover longer distances as well, the car will also be equipped with one of Volvo's fuel-efficient diesel engines," says Stephen Odell.

Demonstration cars on show this summer

In the summer of 2009, three Volvo V70 demonstration cars will be presented. The demonstration cars will be used to gather information about the wishes and demands that drivers may have on the new technology, to determine their driving habits and to establish how they want to charge their cars. Vattenfall will, among other things, test various concepts for high-speed home charging and also for charging stations in public places, where owners pay to fuel with electricity instead of petrol or diesel. The cars that are planned to go into series production in 2012 will feature somewhat different technology, but the launch of the demonstration vehicles is a step towards series-producing plug-in hybrid cars specifically tailored to market needs.

Volvo Cars launches three new child restraints for children of all ages

Volvo Car Corporation now launches three new child restraints, covering the range of newborn infants to children aged up to about ten. The child restraints have been thoroughly tested and meet Volvo Cars' exceedingly high demands on safety. The three child restraints are comfortable, easy to use and of a smart dark design with the Volvo iron mark on the headrest.
"With our new rearward facing child restraints, children can travel rearward facing far longer than before, something that may save many lives," says Jessika Andréasson, Product Manager at Volvo Cars.

 

Comfortable infant seat
The infant seat has a convenient handle and is easy to carry to and from the car. The infant seat can be used from birth until about one year (up to 13 kg). It has deep, softly padded side wings, offering high safety in side impacts. The headrest is adjustable in seven heights and the belt adopts automatically to fit the height of the child's shoulders. The child is secured using a five-point safety harness that is adjusted in the centre. The infant seat is fitted using ISOFIX attachments or the regular safety belt.

 

Convertible child seat rearward facing up to age six
The convertible child seat can be used longer than before, from nine months until the child is about six years old, which is a breakthrough in safety for children in cars. The convertible child seat is comfortable and cosy for the child to sit in as well as sleep in. The side wings are deep and adjustable, offering particularly good protection in side impacts and ensuring that the belt is correctly positioned across the shoulder. Centrally positioned belt adjustment means it is easy to configure for children of different height and sizes. The car's integrated safety belt is used to secure the seat, which features a neatly integrated support leg that is used for fitting in all the car's passenger seats. The child seat can be fitted facing forward when a child weighs at least 15 kg and has outgrown the rearward facing setting. It then converts into a comfortable booster seat with backrest, and both child and seat are secured with the car's integrated safety belt. Volvo Cars recommends that children travel rearward facing until at least the age of three, preferably four years or older.

 

Clever booster seat with backrest
For children aged between about four and ten, there is a practical booster seat with backrest that ensures correct positioning of the car's safety belt across the child's thighs and shoulder. The booster seat and child are secured facing forward using the car's integrated safety belt. The booster seat is comfortable to sit on and the deep, softly padded side wings provide maximum comfort also when the child is asleep. The headrest is adjustable and grows with the child, offering no less than eleven height settings. The booster seat's width can be adjusted to one of three settings, allowing the child to continue to sit comfortably as he or she grows.

 

The Volvo dealer has all the expertise
The Volvo branded child restraints are available from authorised Volvo Cars' dealers in Europe and Asia, including China, in the summer of 2009. Anyone transporting children in their cars is welcome in to try out the new child restraints. The dealers have unique expertise in the field of safety and offer thorough instructions on how the child restraints should be fitted and how the children should be properly secured. 
"International accident surveys show that one of the most common causes of child injuries or fatalities in traffic is that the child restraint is not properly fitted or the child is not properly secured in the seat," relates Helena Larsson, Design Engineer at Volvo Cars.
The child restraints are supplied with all the necessary fittings such as snap hooks and other attachments to permit easier installation, as well as clear instructions on how each particular child restraint should be fitted.
 
Tested to meet extremely high demands
Volvo Cars works together with Britax Römer, world-renowned in child safety equipment.
"Our cooperation is a perfect synthesis whereby the manufacturer provides the expertise in the design of attractive and comfortable child seats and we add our know-how on safety for children in cars," explains Jessika Andréasson.
The three child seats feature Volvo's well-known iron mark, symbolising the highest levels of safety and quality. 
"We have tested the child seats' moving parts and their mechanical properties. We have also crash tested them to verify that they meet Volvo Cars' high safety demands," says Helena Larsson.
All the fabrics used have been approved according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which guarantees that they are free from specified allergy-forming substances. All the covers are removable and can be machine-washed at 40 degrees Celsius.

 

Children should travel rearward facing for as long as possible
Volvo Cars recommends that children travel rearward facing for as long as possible, at least until the age of three or four, preferably longer. A child's neck is weak and it is still growing, and the head is proportionately larger than that of an adult. When travelling rearward facing, incoming collision forces are spread across the back and head, thus reducing the load on the neck in a frontal impact, which is the most common and often the most dangerous type of collision. For older children, it is important to continue to use a child restraint in the form of a booster seat. The booster seat protects the child's underdeveloped hips and the vulnerable abdomen by positioning the belt correctly across the thighs. 
"Children should travel rearward facing for as long as possible," confirms Jessika Andréasson. 
"If our new child seats result in more children travelling rearward facing for longer, then we are pleased."

Summary

- Volvo recommends that children travel rearward facing for as long as possible, preferably up to age four or more.

- Volvo Cars launches three new Volvo branded child restraints that meet exceedingly high safety demands.

- The child restraints have been developed by Britax Römer, one of the world's leading manufacturers of child restraints.

- The child restraints are available in three models for children of different ages and sizes:
1. Infant seat, from newborn up to 13 kg, up to about one year old.
2.  Convertible child seat, 9-25 kg, from 9 months to about age 6. Can be turned forward facing no earlier than age 3, preferably age 4, and the child must weigh at least 15 kg.
3. Booster seat with backrest, 15-36 kg, from 4 to about 10 years, preferably longer.

- The child restraints have been thoroughly tested by Volvo Cars to guarantee safety and quality.

- Available from Volvo dealers in Europe and Asia, including China, in the summer of 2009.

Volvo Cars and SimBin Join Forces to Release Free Racing Game

Volvo Car Corporation and multiple award winning Swedish game studio, SimBin Development Team, announces that "Volvo - The Game" will be released at the end of May. The game will be free of charge.

 

The fresh and exiting Volvo S60 Concept headlines the car line up and will be accompanied by several well known Volvo race cars. The players will be able to hammer this variety of Volvo cars around two highly detailed and realistic tracks.

 

"Volvo - The Game gives us an opportunity to introduce the Volvo S60 Concept to a much wider target group. In an impassioned way and in an unusual environment we are able to expose the interior and exterior design of Volvo cars.  As an extra bonus we also have the opportunity to show the players how we have worked in a focused way over the years to enhance and develop our Scandinavian design", says Michael Persson, Director Global Marketing Communication at Volvo Cars.

"To work with such a professional team as SimBin's has been a real pleasure for us", he adds.

 

"When Volvo Cars asked us if we were able to develop a Volvo racing game for PC, suitable for a wide audience and including the new S60 Concept car, we picked up on the challenge straight away, says Henrik Roos, SimBin Studios CEO. "Especially since it was Volvo Cars located in Sweden that was asking. Two Swedish brands that join forces sounded like a perfect match to us".

 

As in all games developed by SimBin this game will deliver a great experience in sound and detail with a fun and challenging game as a cherry on the cake. The game comes with three difficulty levels to appeal to a broad audience, from new comer to the experienced gamer.

 

As an extra feature Volvo - The Game includes leader boards that will be published on Volvo Cars website (www.volvocars.com) with competitions and prices to be won when the game is released.

Please note: Volvo -The Game is set for release May 26.

Source: VolvoNA

Peter Horbury new head of Design at Volvo Car Corporation

Volvo Car Corporation has today appointed Peter Horbury as new Vice President of Design. He replaces Steve Mattin, who has elected to leave the company. 

 

Effective May 1, Peter Horbury, age 59, will assume responsibility for the division of Product Design within Volvo Cars. He will lead the next stage of the development of Volvo Cars' design language.

 

Horbury is currently Executive Director of Design, Ford Motor Company, responsible for the design strategy and execution of all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products in North America. Prior to this role, Horbury was the Premier Automotive Group's (PAG) Executive Director of Design, leading the product design strategy for Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. Horbury has more than two decades of expertise with luxury vehicles and has been ranked as one of the most renowned executives in the car industry.

 

From 1991 to 2002, Peter was the Design Director of Volvo Car Corporation, leading design teams in Sweden, Spain and California. He was responsible for creating and implementing the stylish new design language in all new models in the 1990s including the XC90 SUV and the award-winning concept cars like the Environmental Concept Car and Safety Concept Car.

 

"We are very happy to have Peter back on board here at Volvo. He will play an important role in taking our Scandinavian design language to the next level and ensure we continue to develop attractive cars for the premium market" says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation. 

 

Born in Alnwick, Northumberland, UK, Horbury received his master's degree in Automotive Design from the Royal College of Art in 1974 and an undergraduate degree from Newcastle-upon-Tyne College of Art and Industrial Design in 1972. He was named Autocar's Designer of the Year in 1998. During his 35-year career, he has been involved in the design of more than 60 cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles.

 

"I'm extremely pleased to be back in Sweden and the great brand of Volvo. Volvo has a very strong design identity and it will be a privilege to work with the team to develop the Scandinavian design language in future products, and contribute to the turn-around of the company", says Peter Horbury.

 

"I would also like to wish Steve Mattin every success in his future career and thank him for his dedication to Volvo Cars", concludes Stephen Odell.

Volvo's City Safety named "Genius" innovation of the year by Allianz

Volvo Car Corporation has received the prestigous award "Genius 2009" by the insurance company Allianz. The Allianz Centre for Technology has been testing cars for traffic safety purposes since 1971. And the "Genius"award was given to Volvo Cars for the development and implementation of the Volvo City Safety system.

 

"This award is a great honour because it singles out our great commitment to the development of innovative safety systems," said Thomas Viehweg, Managing Director of Volvo Car Germany, at the award ceremony on Wednesday during the Auto Mobil International (AMI) in Leipzig.

 

"The strong point of this system is that it automatically intervenes when it is to late for the driver to prevent an accident," said Dr Christoph Lauterwasser, managing director of the Allianz Centre for Technology Automotive (AZT).

 

AZT has been researching vehicle damages and ways to prevent traffic accidents since 1971.

 

The Allianz "Genius" was awarded for the fifth time this year. The award honours a technological development which has already been implemented and contributes to greater safety in road traffic. Moreover, the innovation must be proven to have a permanent effect in reducing claims frequency and the severity of accidents.

Dr Karl-Walter Gutberlet, executive officer at Allianz Versicherungs AG, praised the great potential of th

e new Volvo safety system during the presentation of the award. "A quarter of the liability claims come from collision accidents, and the majority of them occur within urban areas. This year's award-winner has succeeded in developing an innovative protection system for this accident situation, thereby increasing safety in road traffic," said Dr Gutberlet.

 

Volvo City Safety offers more safety especially in congested city traffic and is enabled at speeds up to 30 km/h. The system operates with an optical laser which continuously monitors traffic. For example, City Safety recognises a sudden braking by the vehicle in front of the car. If the driver does not react, the system automatically triggers an emergency stop. The system can prevent a collision completely if the relative speed difference between the two vehicles is less than 15 kph. In the range of 15 to 30 kph, the emphasis is on effectively reducing the collision speed, minimising the consequences of the accident.