Reports from China say that Volvo has handed over the XC90 platform to its Chinese owner, Geely. National Business Daily says that Geely will use the SUV platform to develop a vehicle that will sit in a new high-end sub-brand for the Chinese market. The hand over agreement was signed in March.

Makes good sense, since Volvo is already working on the next generation XC90 that will hit the market in 2014. And although the XC90 is far from a fresh face on the road (it has been around since 2003), Geely will be inheriting safe, sturdy and proven underpinnings that meet current standards. The P2 platform on which the XC90 is based on also underpins cars like the S80 and Ford Taurus.

Geely launched its first ever SUV at the recent Beijing show. Called the GLEagle GX7, the seven-seater is powered by a 4G18 1.8 litre and a 4G20 2.0 litre engine. Click here to view a live gallery from the show.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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We talked about this last week, and now Volvo has announced that it has penned a global brand endorsement deal with Chinese-American NBA star, Jeremy Lin Shu-How. The New York Knicks point guard will be used to promote the brand’s cause in China, USA and Chinese-language markets in Asia.

According to the agreement, over the next two years, Lin will participate in Volvo Cars corporate and marketing activities in his capacity as brand ambassador. He will also appear in Volvo’s ads, of course.

“For our region, Jeremy Lin is the pride of the whole Chinese population, and we are excited to work with him. We believe Jeremy Lin’s character, intelligence, perseverance, and pursuit of excellence are perfectly in tune with Volvo car owners’ characteristics of appreciating smart understated luxury with a human touch,” said Richard Monturo, VP of Marketing at Volvo Cars.

“Growing up, I never had the super luxurious cars or watches or whatever it may be. Being able to find a car company that has high quality but is also affordable and relatable was very important to me,” said 23-year-old Harvard graduate Lin, who added that he doesn’t currently own a car in New York. Now, he will have a range to pick from!

The Swedish brand, now owned by Chinese carmaker Geely, sold 449,255 cars last year in China, and wants to double sales to 800,000 vehicles by 2020. Like many luxury brands, China is Volvo’s fastest growing market.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Linsanity is sweeping across China, and Volvo wants to ride the wave. You don’t have to be a basketball fan to know that it refers to Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks point guard that has been the NBA’s story of the year so far. The Taiwanese American is reported to be in talks on an endorsement deal with Volvo, to endorse the brand in China.

A deal may be announced soon. Sources close to the deal say that both parties are in advanced negotiations, having reached a preliminary agreement.

The 6ft 3in 23-year-old ex-Harvard player is following the footsteps of former Houston Rockets’ All-Star center Yao Ming in drawing Chinese interest to the NBA. Lin, who blogs in Mandarin and English on his Chinese Twitter-style weibo, has 2.5 million followers.

Volvo is hoping Lin’s popularity will draw people to showrooms. The Swedish brand, now owned by Chinese carmaker Geely, sold 449,255 cars last year, and wants to double sales to 800,000 vehicles by 2020. The brand is looking to form a manufacturing joint venture with Geely as part of initial plans to open two factories and an engine plant in China.

Volvo’s latest product is the impressive looking V40 that premiered in Geneva. Click here for the report and gallery.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo’s new V40, which was leaked prior to its Geneva premiere, has made its official debut. The five-door, five-seater sibling to the Volvo C30 is the first new model that’s fully developed according to the company’s human-centric ‘Designed Around You’ strategy.

Design cues include a classic V-shaped bonnet further enhanced by bolder expressive lines, a low and wide front grille, a wide shoulder line to echo the rising beltline and a hexagonal tailgate reminiscent of the C30.

Six engine choices have been slated for the car, three petrol and three diesel units. The range-topping petrol mill is the 2.5 litre T5, with 254 hp and 360 Nm (400 Nm in overboost), followed by the 1.6 litre T4 and T3 units, offering 180 hp / 240 Nm and 150 hp / 240 Nm respectively.

The diesels are led by the 2.0 litre D4, with 177 hp and 400 Nm for numbers. Then, there’s the 150 hp and 400 Nm D3, also a 2.0 litre unit, and a 115 hp and 270 Nm 1.6 litre D2 rounding off the list.

The T5 version comes with a six-speed automatic gearbox, while the T4 is available in combination with the automatic six-speed Powershift transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox. As for the T3, it comes with a manual gearbox.

Meanwhile, the two 2.0 diesels are available with a six-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual gearbox, while the 1.6 litre oil burner comes standard with a six-speed manual box, with the Powershift unit available as an option. All engine versions have start-stop and braking energy regeneration, no matter which choice of gearbox.

Suspension-wise, the front McPherson struts have the same 25 mm piston rods as the S60, with the stiffness enabling the structure to absorb lateral loads better. The rear, meanwhile, features monotube dampers with compression and return damping done via the same valve – with a shorter, faster fluid flow, the damper responds more quickly.

Two different chassis setups are available for the V40, a Dynamic chassis being standard. The second setup is the Sport chassis, which lowers the ride by 10 mm, and here, the springs and shock absorbers have a firmer setting.

LEDs feature strongly, used in the front and rear position lights, daytime running lights, turn indicators in the door mirrors, rear number plate illumination and third brake light.

LED lamps are also used to light up strategic areas of the interior, with a red-to-blue setting that adapts the light to the interior temperature; another seven mood themes are available. The gearshift knob for both auto and manual versions also feature LED illumination from the inside.

Inside, the cabin adopts a driver-centric approach, with Volvo’s iconic ultra-slim centre stack now in a more sculpted version than in previous models. Highlights include a new, fully graphic instrument cluster that allows the driver to personalise instrument layout and information stream.

The cluster, which has an active TFT (Thin Film Transistor) crystal display, offers three graphic themes – Elegance, which has amber illumination that creates a traditional and calm aura; Eco, which features green background illumination designed to create an environmentally inspired look; and Performance, which is red.

For the last, a tachometer scale replaces the speed scale in the centre as displayed in the Elegance and Eco versions. Vehicle speed is shown digitally in the centre of the display. The right display includes a power meter, which is a gauge that informs the driver how much power is available and how much power is being used at any given moment in time.

Material and trim-wise, the interior offers three main colour themes: Charcoal, Charcoal/Blond, or Espresso/Blond. Leather seats are also available in a new Azure Blue accent colour. Also available for the car is a fixed panorama glass roof, that stretches from the front windscreen to the backrest of the rear seats.

As is to be expected, there’s a full deck of safety and support systems to be had, and the list includes a world-first Pedestrian Airbag Technology, Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering, Park Assist Pilot, automatic Road Sign Information, Active High Beam and a Cross Traffic Alert radar system at the rear.

The V40 also features the groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake, as well as the further-developed City Safety low-speed collision avoidance system, which now operates at speeds up to 50 km/h.

To top things off, V40 owners will be able to personalise their ride with an exterior accessory styling kit. The kit includes deflectors, a twin-coloured rear diffuser, a striping kit and enlarged rectangular, chromed twin tail pipes. Diamond-cut 18-inch alloy wheels with contrasting grey detailing and a roof spoiler can be added separately.

Production of the V40 starts in May, with first customer deliveries set to begin in September.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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This is the all new Volvo V40, a premium hatchback alternative to cars like the BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 Sportback. To debut in Geneva, the V40 marks a start of a new generation, replacing the one that gave us the current S40 and V50. The new car sits on the Ford Focus platform, although EPS and suspension settings are unique.

The leaked video and images show a body that’s not quite a wagon, but more like a long hatchback. The design is unmistakably Volvo, following the styling direction of the new S60 and V60. The vertical tail lamps highlighting the shoulders, the wavy beltline, they’re all there.

But unlike the V50 and V60, the rear number plate is on the bumper here, not on the hatch, which now has a black panel housing the Volvo name.

Inside, it’s what we’ve seen from Volvo over the years (a good thing) but with a flashy new instrument cluster. The tacho is king, and a digital speedo resides within it. The auto gear knob now has the legend printed on it.

Reports mention six engine choices divided evenly between petrol and diesel. The flagship will be a 254 bhp turbocharged five-cylinder engine, expected to power the V40 to 96 km/h (60 mph) in 6.5 seconds. This is a Volvo the GTI boys don’t want to drag with! Some form of electrification will replace the fifth cylinder in some point.

Lower down, the petrols are four-cylinder turbos with 150 hp and 180 hp, while the economy king of the range is a 115 hp 1.6-litre diesel. As expected, all versions have stop-start systems and brake energy regeneration. Volvo’s City Safety system, which prevents accidents by auto braking, now works up to 50 km/h.

But the safety headlines are reserved for a new pedestrian airbag that pops the bonnet and transforms the base of the screen into a large cushion. Apparently, the driver will still see the road since the victim sinks into his V40′s hood! We’ll need a video to better see how this works.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo Cars Malaysia today introduced the new V60, with two locally assembled variants being available, the T4 and T5. Both feature Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDi) petrol mills, the T5’s coming in 2.0 litre form, while the T4 sports a 1.6 litre lump. Numbers for the T5 are 240 hp at 5,500 rpm and 320 Nm of torque, available from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm, as well as a 0-100 km/h time of 7.7 seconds and a 230 km/h top speed.

The T4, meanwhile, offers 180 hp at 5,700 rpm and 240 Nm from 1,600 through to 5,000 rpm, with an on-demand overboost function taking it to 270 Nm – the car does the century sprint in 9.2 seconds and has a 220 km/h top speed. Both variants wear a six-speed Powershift auto tranny.

Many elements from the S60 are to be found on this one, so in terms of kit and features there are really no big surprises. Exterior design-wise, the company is suggesting the V60 as a coupe-like form rather than an outright estate, saying that from a design viewpoint, the focus was on making the car as close to a coupe as possible, while retaining that handy extra space at the rear.

Standard equipment includes leather seats and steering wheel (the one on the T5 gets a silk metal inlay), roof rails, Shimmer Graphite inlay décor trim and an eight-speaker, four-channel amplifier setup – on the T4 the entertainment system is CD-based, with a 5-inch integrated colour screen, while the T5’s does DVDs and comes with a 7-inch screen, replete with a navigation system.

Both variants come equipped with 17-inch alloys, the T4 getting Balder design wheels and 215/50 series rubbers, while the T5 has Njord wheels, wrapped with 235/45 profile donuts.

Plenty in the way of safety-related kit, with the usual assortment of three and four-letter acronyms to be found – there’s DSTC with ASC and CTC, ABS, EBD, ready alert brake (RAB), fading brake support (FBS), hydraulic brake assist (HBA), blind spot information system (BLIS) and active bending lights (ABL) among the mix.

The T5 features Adaptive Cruise Control with queue assist and distance alert, as well as a Collision Warning System with full auto brake and Pedestrian Detection, while the T4 makes do with cruise control.

Five exterior shades are available for the V60, and these are Electric Silver, Ember Black, Ice White, Seashell and Flamenco Red. The V60 T4 goes for RM230,000, while the T5 version is priced at RM269,000, both prices being on-the-road, without insurance.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo is set to unveil its XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept at the North American International Auto Show next week. The company touts the vehicle as an electric car, a highly economical hybrid and a powerful high-performance car all rolled into one.

It’s powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine from the forthcoming VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) engine family, with 280 hp and 380 Nm on tap, mated to a newly-developed eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels.

The rear axle of the vehicle is driven by an electric motor producing 70 hp and 200 Nm, with juice provided by a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment. The battery pack is rechargeable from a regular power outlet, and at 220V and 12A takes just 3.5 hours for a full charge, while at 110V/12A this goes up to 7.5 hours.

The XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept’s electric all-wheel drive system is activated by pressing the AWD (All Wheel Drive) button, but instead of the mechanical power transfer of conventional four-wheel drive, the central control unit distributes power between the petrol-driven front wheels and the electrically-driven rear axle.

Three operation modes are available for the car – Pure, Hybrid and Power. In Pure mode, it runs on fully electric mode, with a driving range of 45 km. Hybrid is the standard setting, while Power delivers the maximum power through combined powertrain operation.

The driver can choose to save battery power for later in order to drive on pure electricity at a chosen point. When Save is activated, the generator charges and tops up the battery pack, if necessary, ensuring that there is always sufficient battery power for about 20 km of driving on electricity.

The Detroit debutant, which will carry a “T8″ badge to emphasise the combined 350 hp of the four-cylinder engine and the electric motor, will come dressed in a special white colour and wear 21-inch wheels.

Inside, the cabin will feature unique detailing and colours such as sober dark-blue leather upholstery and inlays of blue-grey wood. Meanwhile, the instruments have been tailored to give the driver all the necessary information about petrol and electricity consumption, battery charge level, remaining range and so on.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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First, there was Naughty. And now comes Wicked. Volvo’s S60 won’t be the only mischievous Swede in town come next month, because the V60 wagon is set to join the fray. On January 11, specifically. A teaser image of the car in partial silhouette form is to be found on Volvo Car Malaysia’s Facebook page, highlighting the arrival date.

No details as yet on the estate, which made its debut last year, so it’ll have to wait until launch time to see if it starts off as a CBU or directly as a CKD, in 180 hp 1.6 litre T4 or 240 hp 2.0 litre T5 form, or both. Then, we’ll find out just exactly how wicked Wicked is.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Here are some sketches of the next generation Volvo XC90, as shown to Car and Driver magazine prior to the LA Show. These images are likely to be design proposals for Volvo’s big SUV, which has been around since 2002. A replacement for the successful original is overdue, and the next gen car, said to be planned for 2014, could look like this.

The main pic you see above shows a face that’s not too dissimilar with the one Volvo’s Concept Universe wears, hinting that this could be the new face of the brand. The other rear three quarter sketches show various profiles, rear designs and tail lamps, among other elements. One looks like a bigger XC60, another has a C30 style rear, but I like the one with the boomerang tail lamps the most.

The folks at C/D also revealed that the next XC90 will sit on a so called Scalable Platform Architecture, and the whole range will be exclusively powered by four-cylinder engines, in line with the downsizing movement. Needless to say, the four-pot mills will have direct injection and force induction, with varying outputs.

2014 is very far away, though, and the current XC90 will have to soldier on as old lady in a class of prettier, younger things.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo has come up with an Inscription edition of the C70 – the vehicle is set to debut next week at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, and worldwide production will be limited to just 2,000 units.

It’ll be available in three exterior colours, these being solid Black Stone and Ice White as well as metallic Black Sapphire, and will wear exclusive 18-inch black Midir alloy wheels with black detailing and polished spokes and outer rim.

The car also gets a high-gloss painted grille – this and the LED daytime running lights are both surrounded by contrasting chrome, giving this particular C70 a distinctive face.

The interior also features a look that echoes the unique exterior, and elements include an exclusive leather-covered dashboard with contrasting stitching and Sovereign Hide upholstery in Off Black or Calcite, with the same contrasting stitching as on the dashboard, handbrake lever and carpets.

Elsewhere, the steering wheel, gear shift knob and sports pedals feature aluminium inlays, and the variant gets Special Inscription carpets and handbrake lever as well as the word “Inscription” embroidered on the front headrests.

An aluminium inlay in the iconic ultra-slim centre stack comes as standard, but there’s Black or Nordic Light Oak as an option.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Yes, that grand dame of the SUV world, the Volvo XC90, may be nine years old, but it shows no sign of stopping – in fact, the vehicle has been given yet another set of exterior and interior refinements to keep it going until, well, the second-gen one eventually arrives.

On the outside, there’s a new daytime running light configuration using LEDs in the lower bumper, and a redesigned silver metallic bumper bar as well as silver roof rails are now standard on all variants. There’s also a new lower door moulding, with all XC90 specifications now fully colour-coordinated.

At the back, there are new tail lamps, with dual light guides, LED brake lights and silver turn indicator bulbs (offering an amber light). Also on the exterior treatment list is a new six-spoke 18-inch wheel, done in a silver matt finish.

Inside, the veritable fave gets a number of refinements to give the interior an even more luxurious feel – aside from revisions to the three-spoke steering wheel, there’s aluminium décor as standard and watch dial-inspired instrument design with white lighting, among others. The tailgate now comes with a new, colour-coordinated leather grab handle, and the load cover has also been redesigned.

Meanwhile, the Volvo On Call system can now be combined with Bluetooth mobile phone connection, and the system has been upgraded to be able to do music streaming from a preferred Bluetooth-enabled portable music player. New too is a mobile app that makes sure that the driver can stay in touch with the parked car via an iPhone or Android smartphone.

Along with the new dress-up comes two exclusive version forms, the Executive and R-Design. Going the Executive route bags one a number of exclusive options, such as soft leather seats with ventilation and massage, as well as a number of details with a more exclusive finish. Opting for the R-Design version gets the buyer a more driver-focused character. On top of the special chassis, the new R-design version also features redesigned upholstery, inlays, door panels and new Ixion 19-inch wheels.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo Car Malaysia officially launched the locally assembled Volvo S60 this evening. The CKD S60 comes in two engine variants, a T5 and the new T4. When the S60 was launched back in April, there were two CBU variants offered – the 3.0 T6 AWD and the 2.0 T5. With the new CKD lineup, the range topping (and expensive) T6 is no more.

Both the T4 and T5 powerplants are from Volvo’s latest Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDi) four-cylinder engine family, and are part of the European downsizing movement, which can be summed up as: smaller cc + DI + turbo = more go and better FC.

The unit in the T5 is a 2.0-litre with 240 hp and 320 Nm of torque, pretty impressive figures that trump even Volkswagen’s TSI engine in the Golf GTI. The S60 T5 does 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 230 km/h.

The T4 may be just a 1.6-litre unit, but with a turbo bolted on, it makes 180 hp and 240 Nm of twist from 1,600 to 5,000 rpm. An overboost function raises max torque to 270 Nm in spurts. That should mean that it will be fast enough for most (0-100 in 9.0s top speed 225 km/h), while costing just RM90 in road tax. Combined consumption is 7.4 litres per 100 km. Both engines are mated to a six-speed Powershift gearbox, so it’s all the latest tech in one.

Volvo bills the S60 as its “naughtiest car ever”, so it comes with “improved steering, stiffer springs and bushes as well as more damping than any previous model”. The mid sized exec also comes with Advanced Stability Control and Corner Traction Control, which is a form of torque vectoring. By the way, our market gets the ‘Dynamic’ spec instead of ‘Comfort’. Find out what we think – read the full test drive report here.

It ain’t a Volvo if it doesn’t come with a full house of safety kit. The T5 features Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake, which detects pedestrians in front of the car and automatically applies full braking power if the driver does not respond in time after being warned with light and sound.

‘Njord’ wheels for the T5 (left) and ‘Balder’ rims for the T4, both are 17in items

Full braking works at speeds of up to 35 km/h. Above that, it slows down the car as much as possible, which could mean less serious injury, or surviving the crash. Collision Warning with full auto brake does the same, but for cars in front.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist maintains a set gap to the vehicle in front and works from 0 to 200 km/h. This means that technically, the S60 T5 can “drive itself” in a traffic jam. City Safety and the blind spot warning BLIS are standard on the T4.

The S60 also comes with the new Volvo Sensus infotainment system, displayed on a 5-inch colour screen and accessible via steering wheel controls.

Five colours available, but signature Vibrant Copper has been dropped from CKD range

The S60 T4 is priced at RM220,000, while the T5 costs RM255,000 OTR without insurance. An accessory package worth RM10,000 will be thrown in the mix for the first 60 customers.

Live gallery after the jump. More pics from our test drive report can be viewed here.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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1. CKD Volvo S60 announced: T4 RM220k, T5 RM255k
2. 2011 Isuzu D-Max launched – more bling on the muscle
3. Proton Saga FLX 1.3L launched – CVT, ABS and EBD on
4. Volvo S80 T5 launched – two versions, RM268k and RM295k
5. Facelifted Inokom i10 launched, RM47,988 to RM53,988
6. Michelin Energy XM2 tyre launched in Malaysia
7. Kia Sportage launched in Malaysia, rolls in at RM138,888
8. Kia Sportage to be launched next week, estimated RM140k
9. Bentley Continental GT launched – from RM1.74 mil on

For those who have been dreaming of a Volvo S60 but found the current CBU prices a little too rich for their bank accounts, good news for you – locally assembled versions will be launched soon.

Two CKD versions will be on sale – the T4 and the T5. The Volvo S60 T4 will use a 1.6 litre inline-4 turbocharged direct injection engine making 180 horsepower and 270Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed Powershift gearbox. It is rated to consume only 7 litres per 100km on a combined cycle. The estimated selling price for the CKD Volvo S60 T4 is RM220,000.

For an estimated price tag of RM255,000 you can get the CKD Volvo S60 T5 (down from RM288k for the CBU T5), powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged direct injection inline-4 engine mated to a 6-speed Powershift gearbox. This engine makes 240 horsepower and 320Nm of torque. The T5 also includes the Pedestrian Detection. feature, which detects pedestrians who walk onto the road in front of the car and will warn the driver, and if necessary, apply full braking power if the driver does not respond in time.

Volvo Car Malaysia also says the first 60 customers who book their CKD S60 T4 and T5 from today will receive a special surprise. According to Volvo Car Malaysia president Goran Larsson, it will make the S60 look more stunning, so we’re guessing some exterior aesthetic enhancements like a bodykit or something.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Volvo sets out to grow, and get rid of its dowdy, safe image
2. Volvo S80 T5 launched – two versions, RM268k and RM295k
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The shift, the company says, is needed as it seeks to climb back up the ladder in terms of market share globally. It says that it should comfortably meet its target of delivering 425,000 vehicles this year, and growth projections could see an expected increase of 140,000 units through 2014, though even with this gain it’s likely to lag behind its German competitors, namely Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, which are all set to make a significant jump in sales figures too.

Still, that’s no reason not to try, and the company says that it will be focusing strongly on the Chinese market, in the process adding significant infrastructure there. New models will undoubtedly help in its quest, and it is already planning to come up with a new car designed for China in 2013. Earlier in the year, Volvo announced that it would be building a new plant in Chengdu and is mulling over a second factory as well as an engine plant that will have a build capacity of 200,000 to 300,000 engines.

China looks set to overtake the US as Volvo’s largest market, and this could come as early as 2012, hence the view of establishing the country as its second home market, the company states.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo Car Malaysia today introduced the Volvo S80 T5, which replaces the S80 2.5T as the flagship model in the country. Two variants of the form are available, these being the S80 T5 Powershift and the T5 Exclusive Powershift.

Both are powered by a four-cylinder 2.0 litre turbocharged mill making 240 hp at 5,500 rpm and 320 Nm of torque at 1,800-5,000 rpm, and the engine – which features direct injection and twin variable camshafts – is mated to a six-speed Powershift transmission.

Performance specs include a 0-100 kph sprint time of 7.7 seconds and a 230 kph top speed. Essentially, this is the same lump as found on the Ford Mondeo EcoBoost, with a higher state of tune (that’s available in other markets).

As befits the suffix (and additional price), the T5 Exclusive gets more in the way of kit and features. There’s Pedestrian Detection as well as new Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake, features that were unavailable in the previous variant.

The T5 Exclusive also features Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which activates at speeds above 30 kph to automatically adjust the car’s distance to vehicles ahead. The system is adjustable to five different time intervals to the vehicle ahead.

The variant also has Driver Alert Control and Lane Departure Warning as well as Active Bending Lights and Personal Car Communicator with keyless drive as standard items.

Safety features on both variants include Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and a host of other acronyms, from ABS, EBD, EBA, SIPS, WHIPS, IDIS and DSTC right into RAB (ready alert brake) and FBS (fading brake support).

Inside, the T5 – which now comes wearing the Dynamic chassis – gets new design features, with the S80 T5′s leather interior being in grey with cross brushed aluminium inlays and the the T5 Exclusive’s in a grey/beige mix, with classic wood decor inlays, the last also to be found on the gearshift and steering wheel.

The car comes with an eight-speaker audio system, and additional features on the T5 Exclusive are a six-CD in-dash changer, Bluetooth connectivity and two rear sockets for headsets.

As for wheels, the S80 T5 runs with 16-inch Oden alloys and 225/55 series tyres, while the T5 Exclusive comes shod with 17-inch Cassini-design wheels and correspondingly-sized 225/50 rubbers. Price-wise, the S80 T5 goes for RM268,000 while the T5 Exclusive is priced at RM295,000, both on-the-road, without insurance.

Gallery after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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6. Kia Sportage to be launched next week, estimated RM140k
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Volvo has been dabbling with electric cars for quite some time now, but now they’re further developing the idea with the addition of combustion engines to serve as range extenders for their electric vehicles, increasing the amount of distance that an electric vehicle can cover.

Like hybrid cars, range extender electric vehicles have both an engine and an electric motor. Unlike hybrid cars, in range extender electric vehicles the combustion engine does not drive the wheels directly, instead it starts up only to generate electricity to recharge the vehicle’s battery. This is known as a series connected setup.

Examples of range extender electric vehicles that you may have heard of are the Chevrolet Volt, and in concept form, our very own Proton EMAS Concept.

Click for enlarged image

Volvo has produced a number of range extender concepts. They not only use a series setup but a parallel setup as well. The first one called Technical Concept I is based on a Volvo C30. It has a 3 cylinder engine producing 60 horsepower (45kW) installed under the rear boot. This engine is fueled by a 40 litre fuel tank. This 45kW engine is hooked up to a 40kW generator, which can either power the car’s 82kW electric motor, or recharge the car’s battery. According to Volvo, this allows the C30′s electric range to be boosted from the original 110km up to over 1,000km.

Click for enlarged image

Technical Concept II is also based on a Volvo C30. This isn’t a regular range extender vehicle as there is a combustion engine installed in the rear that directly drives the rear wheels, thus it is a parallel setup instead of a series setup. And it’s quite a powerful engine as well – a three cylinder that makes 190 horsepower thanks to a turbocharger, driving the rear wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. This engine can also be used to charge a battery via a 40kW generator, which powers a 82kW electric motor. The two combined power sources puts out over 300hp, taking the C30 Technical Concept II up to 100km/h in under 6 seconds.

Click for enlarged image

The Technical Concept III is based on a Volvo V60. It’s similar to Technical Concept II where both the electric motor and engine drive the wheels, but in this setup the entire drivetrain is installed under the bonnet in the front. Up to 50km/h, the car runs on its 111hp (80kW) electric motor, but after that the 190hp kicks in. The engine is also hooked up to a 40kW generator so it can be used to charge the battery as well. The car can run 50km on the battery alone, but its 45 litre tank of petrol extends it up to over 1,000km.

“This is an exciting expansion of our increasing focus on electrification. Battery cost and size mean that all-electric cars still have a relatively limited operating range. With the Range Extender, the electric car has its effective range increased by a thousand kilometres – yet with carbon dioxide emissions below or way below 50 g/km,” says Derek Crabb, Vice President Powertrain Engineering at the Volvo Car Corporation.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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More news on the collision avoidance assistance front, but this time, it has to do with animals – Volvo is developing a system that alerts and automatically brakes for animals on the road.

With thousands of motorists across the globe killed in accidents caused by collisions with wild animals each year, the aim of the project is to develop a safety system that reduces the risk of collisions with said wild animals. The new system is based on technologies from Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake and will be launched on the market in a few years’ time, Volvo says.

The system consists of two parts – a radar sensor and an infra-red camera that can register the traffic situation. The camera monitors the road ahead and if an animal is within range the system alerts the driver with an audible signal. If the driver doesn’t react, the brakes are automatically applied.

As the majority of accidents with animals occur at dusk or after nightfall, it’s essential for the system to function in the dark. The goal, of course, is for the system to function at the normal rural highway speeds, as opposed to the current pedestrian detection system which operates at low speeds, specifically for city usage.

The challenge being faced by the engineers is how to ‘teach’ the system to recognise different animals. A development team from Volvo spent time at a safari park digitally logging film sequences of animals and their various behavioral patterns, focusing on moose, red deer and fallow deer. By driving very slowly along a trail where fodder had been laid out to attract the animals, data was recorded and this will be used to evaluate and develop the sensor system.

In the first stage, the system will respond to large animals that risk injuring the driver or passengers in an impact, such as moose, deer and reindeer. There’s good reason for going with the trio – in Sweden alone, more than 47,000 accidents involving wild animals took place in 2010, 7,000 of them with moose.

The company says that the greatest danger is from collisions with a moose, or Eurasian elk, if you prefer. In an impact with an Alces alces, there’s a relatively high risk of personal injury, since it’s common for the animal to end up on or roll across the front of the car and its windscreen.

The project has been under way for just over a year, though a lot of work still remains to be done. Various technologies are currently being evaluated and software is being developed. And while the system “learns” to recognise various animals, development is also under way on the necessary decision-making mechanisms, which is how and when the protective system is activated to respond.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

Related posts:

1. Volvo C30 Electric production begins – first deliveries to leasing customers start in August
2. New Volvo app allows remote checking and commands
3. Volvo Flywheel KERS system – significant performance gains, with up to 20% less fuel consumption

Volvo has begun production of its C30 Electric, and initial deliveries to leasing customers, mainly companies, authorities and governmental bodies is expected to begin from August.

The car, which will be delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe including those in Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway – is built on the regular assembly line in the Ghent factory and then transported to Goteborg for installation of the motor, batteries and other model specific electronics.

The C30 Electric has an operating range of up to 150 kilometres per full charge – charging can be done via a regular household power socket, with a full recharge taking about seven hours. The car has a 130 kph top speed and does the 0-100 kph sprint in 10.9 seconds.

Tests on a fleet of about 50 cars have been conducted since September 2010, mainly internally at the Volvo Car Corporation. In terms of production, about 250 cars will be built by end 2012, possibly more if market interest takes off, the company says.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Functions include a car locator (with digital compass, car horn/indicators can be used to help search), remote door lock, vehicle dashboard (with info such as fuel level, range, average fuel consumption, etc), car health check and driving journal. The latter includes data of each trip during the last 40 days can be downloaded and stored.

Besides the above, vehicle information such as model, registration number and VIN number can be displayed on the phone. If the car alarm is triggered, the driver is alerted via the mobile app as well. These are all in addition to the original Volvo On Call features.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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1. Volvo Flywheel KERS system – significant performance gains, with up to 20% less fuel consumption

Volvo is set to test a new system called Flywheel KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which it claims will make a four-cylinder engine feel like a six-cylinder and at the same time reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%. The company has received a 6.57 million Swedish kronor grant from the Swedish Energy Agency for development, in a joint project together with Volvo Powertrain and SKF.

The Flywheel KERS is fitted to the rear axle – during retardation, the braking energy causes the flywheel to spin at up to 60,000 revs per minute, and when the car starts moving off again, the flywheel’s rotation is transferred to the rear wheels via a specially designed transmission.

The combustion engine that drives the front wheels is switched off as soon as the braking begins – the energy in the flywheel can be used to accelerate the vehicle or to power the vehicle once it reaches cruising speed.

The flywheel’s stored energy is sufficient to power the car for short periods. How it will have a major impact on fuel consumption is this: based on calculations, the combustion engine will be able to be turned off about half the time when driving in a New European Driving Cycle mode.

Since the flywheel is activated by braking, and the duration of the energy storage (the length of time the flywheel spins) is limited, the technology is at its most effective during driving featuring repeated stops and starts, which means busy urban traffic.

Combining the flywheel’s energy with the combustion engine’s full capacity promises a significant boost in horsepower, and with swift torque build-up in attendance, this translates into rapid acceleration.

The flywheel – which spins in a vacuum to minimise frictional losses – that Volvo will use in its test car is made of carbon fibre, and weighs about 6 kg with a diameter of 20 cm. It’s not the first time flywheel propulsion assistance has been tested by the company – a Volvo 240 also did so back in the 1980s, but the heavy steel-based flywheel wasn’t very efficient.

Volvo also isn’t the first manufacturer to test flywheel technology, but it is in applying it to the rear axle of a car fitted with a combustion engine driving the front wheels. If the tests and technical development go as planned, expect cars with flywheel technology to reach the showrooms within a few years, the company says.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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In November 2010, Volvo Car Malaysia introduced the first locally assembled XC60, the 2.0T Powershift.

Now Volvo has replaced the 2.0T with a more powerful variant with more features, the XC60 T5 Powershift, priced at RM289,950 OTR without insurance, which is RM8,000 costlier than the 2.0T. For that, one gets more power and more kit.

The ‘T5′ moniker may lead many to believe that it’s powered by a five-cylinder turbo, but these days the number in the name no longer denotes the cylinder count. So the XC60 T5 comes with a turbocharged four-pot from Volvo’s GTDI (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) range. It makes 240 hp and 320 Nm of torque, which is quite a jump from the 2.0T’s 203 hp/300 Nm.

It’s also good enough to haul the XC60 from 0-100 km/h in 8.1 seconds, eight tenths faster than the 2.0T. The engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch Powershift gearbox.

The equipment that the T5 gets over the 2.0T include Pedestrian Detection, Collision Warning now with Full Auto Brake, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist and a new Volvo Sensus infotainment system with a 7-inch colour screen.

The 2.0T’s CD player is upgraded to a DVD player with a MP3 decoder here, while the Bluetooth hands-free system now comes with audio streaming. This is in addition to City Safety, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Roll Stability Control.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Right, here’s the deal – Volvo Car Malaysia has a bargain in store for you if you’ve been eyeing the top-of-the-range S80 2.5T.

For a limited time only, Volvo’s authorised dealers are offering limited units of the 231 hp, 340 Nm beast at a special price. The company isn’t divulging what the price is, so you’ll have to find out more by heading over to the showroom. Do polish your negotiating skills – no two deals are going to be quite alike, given the fact that you’ll probably be trading in your old car for the purchase, that sort of thing.

To find out more, call or visit the participating authorised dealers, which are:

• Swedish Marque’s showroom in KL (1800-88 2222 / 03-9236 2822),
• Federal Auto showrooms in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Ipoh, Malacca and Johor Baru (03-2274 9300).
• In Sabah, contact the Volvo Gallery in Kota Kinabalu (088-485 544).

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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The S80 Executive mentioned previously is one of two special versions Volvo has just come up with, and here’s the other – the V70 R-Design, which has been developed for buyers who want an extra sporty look.

No change in the mechanicals or running gear with this one, but there are a number of specially-developed exterior and interior design details. The exterior features unique design cues in the front, and comes equipped with LED turn indicators integrated into the door mirrors with silk metal covers as well as a unique, diamond-cut 18-inch wheel called Ixion.

Inside, the car gets leather upholstery trimmed completely in off-black, with leather around the gear selector and black floor-mats with contrasting stitching being associated elements. The vehicle also features the Volvo Sensus infotainment system, which comes with a five-inch or seven-inch colour screen located in the upper part of the centre stack.

The R-Design package is available across all V70 drivelines, including the newly-launched 1.6 litre DRIVe diesel version.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo has come up with two new variants, designed for buyers who want a car with that extra exclusive look and individual touch. The S80 Executive is the first of the two new takes, and there’s plenty of plush in this one.

Refinement is the word that comes with the Executive badging – the car is the first Volvo model with an instrument panel top in leather, available in espresso brown or off black. Other interior details include ventilated soft leather seats with massage function, leather door panels, an integrated analogue clock on the instrument panel and an aluminium centre console storage.

It also features specially designed, extra thick carpets, and there’s even an option to install a fridge in the rear seat, combined with a set of Swedish crystal glasses, all in the name of luxury.

The S80 Executive comes replete with the company’s latest Sensus infotainment system, which presents all information on a five-inch or seven-inch colour screen in the upper part of the centre stack, positioned high up to make it easy for the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

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The 2012 Volvo S60 R-Design will get a significant horsepower and torque increase when it goes on sale later this year. Volvo’s T6 engine, a turbocharged inline six, will now produce 325 hp and 480 Nm, up from the standard 304 hp/440 Nm.

Volvo’s most dynamic model ever will also get a strut brace under the hood to stiffen up the body structure and improve steering response. At the rear, the R-Design features monotube dampers. Unlike the twin-tube dampers used in the T6, the monotube system features compression and return damping via the same valve, giving shorter and faster fluid flow. This translates to quicker response.

Click to enlarge

The springs have been shortened by 15 mm to give the car more visual attitude. Spring stiffness is 15% higher compared to the dynamic chassis in the S60 T6, while the bushings with which the rear dampers are attached to the body are 20% stiffer. The front tie-blade bushing is a massive 400% stiffer than before to counteract wheel bouncing and shaking.

As with the T6, the R-Design will have Volvo’s electronically controlled AWD system with Instant Traction and Corner Traction Control with torque vectoring, as well as safety highlights such as Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake.

Click to enlarge

Looks wise, the R-Design will get a redesigned lower front fascia with a grille painted in glossy black, 90 mm twin pipes, exclusive 18-inch diamond cut wheels, rear trunk spoiler, standard Dual Xenons with Active Bending Lights and a special colour – Passion Red.

Inside, a number of new features help to further differentiate the R-Design. The front sports seats get new seat cushion with deeper side bolsters. The upholstery will be offered in off-black leather with contrasting stitch and a textured leather accent with embossed R-Design logo across the backrests. The dash also features a sport steering wheel with R-Design logo, gear selector, sports pedals, floor mats and a blue instruments.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Here is Volvo’s definition of what a uber-luxury sedan should be – it’s called the Concept Universe, and the large and lush vehicle is supposed to offer a preview of what to expect from the firm’s next top-of-the line sedan. It’s all rather removed from the current S80, which suddenly looks quite dowdy.

The company says that the Concept Universe – which was unveiled in Shanghai – has been designed to spark a subconscious desire and a feeling of eternal beauty, with a form exhibiting a new human-centric design language.

The shape is very much geared towards the future, with a coupe-like roofline and contemporary, solid rear defining things, but Volvo says it also echoes the company’s proud heritage by borrowing design cues from classic models of the past.

No specific technical details with this one, so it’s left to the imagination and visuals to hold court. There’s no shortage of Scandinavian design cues on parade though, especially in the cabin.

The interior has been designed to be user-focused but refreshingly uncomplicated, being driver-orientated in the front and comfortably relaxed in the rear, Volvo says. Features available to the driver are intuitive controls and a touch-screen that approaches the hand when the driver reaches towards it.

The seating on this one is inspired by ultra-comfortable chairs. Passengers at the back – enveloped by an interior that moulds into the rear seat and becomes part of the seating environment – are embraced by light-coloured seats offering pure comfort.

Displaying classic forms, materials and textures, all used with a twist to create a special contemporary luxury experience, the Concept Universe is very much a style-sampling exercise – the company is eager to hear what the most demanding Chinese customers think of this luxurious concept, ahead of taking notes from its European and American customer base. Well, China is very much the “home” market now, so it’s no surprise potential customers there get first dibs on exploring the new bits being bandied with this one.

In Shanghai, Volvo also announced that it is developing an all-new platform architecture called SPA (Scaled Platform Architecture) for its next generation of cars. When the next luxury sedan arrives in a few years, it will be among the first Volvos built on the SPA; the platform will eventually find its way on to all the company’s large and mid-size cars.

Gallery after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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It’s already comprehensively equipped, the just launched second-generation Volvo S60 is, but if you think you’d like to personalise it further, well, here’s some lovely news – there’s a host of accessory packages you can strap on to it to make it even Sweder (okay, that’s a bad one).

There’s a skid plate for the front bumper to be had, as well as a deco frame. You can have a skid plate too at the back, and replace the standard exhaust tip with a rectangular end pipe.

Click to enlarge

Elsewhere, there are optional sports pedals, side scuff plates and a boot lid spoiler in the dress up list, and for infotainment and electronic assist gadgetry the list is made up of a multimedia RSE system and RTI navigation system in addition to a rear park assist camera and front blind view camera, the last only able to be installed to the car with 7-inch screen already fitted.

Update:The pricing list for the accessories package as issued originally by Volvo Car Malaysia has been revised (April 25), as in the graphic above – there were some errors in the initial list released, which have been corrected. The offer still runs until May 15; do check with your local Volvo dealer for more details.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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It’s tagged as the sportiest Volvo ever launched in Malaysia, and it’s here – Volvo Car Malaysia today introduced the all-new second-generation S60, and to get things going the model is available in two CBU variant forms, these being the 3.0 T6 AWD (all-wheel drive) and 2.0 T5.

The T6 AWD is equipped with a 3.0 litre inline six-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged engine that offers 304 hp at 5,400 rpm and 440 Nm of torque from 2,100 to 4,200 rpm. Volvo’s most powerful six-cylinder is coupled with Instant Traction AWD and mated to a second-generation six-speed automatic Geartronic transmission, and performance specs include a 0-100 kph sprint time of 6.5 seconds and a 250 kph top speed.

As for the T5, it wears a 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo mill, here mated to a six-speed Powershift gearbox. Figures include a 240 hp at 5,500 rpm output and 320 Nm of torque at 1,800 to 5,000 rpm as well as a 0-100 kph time of 7.5 seconds. We tested this one sometime back during a drive preview of the car, covered in Danny’s comprehensive report.

The S60 T6 comes with a self-adjusting Four-C (Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept) chassis with three settings – Comfort for cruising, Sport for those naughty moments and Advance to increase driving dynamics. At the heart of Four-C is Volvo’s semi-active suspension with continuously controlled Monroe-Öhlins shock absorbers.

The T5 has a Dynamic chassis as standard, but both variants boast improved steering, stiffer springs and bushes as well as more damping than any previous model. Both versions also feature brake energy regeneration.

The Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) now features Advanced Stability Control and Traction Torque Vectoring as part of the kit. The ASC anti-skid feature makes it possible to identify skidding tendencies at a very early stage, thus improving handling and allowing for rapid avoidance manoeuvres.

Meanwhile, Corner Traction Control by Torque Vectoring balances the torque between the front wheels during acceleration while cornering – the torque is distributed from a spinning inner wheel to reduce understeer and increase traction.

Safety-wise, the S60 is every inch a Volvo, with more safety components than any brand in its segment. The piece de resistance is the groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake feature.

A world’s first, the system detects pedestrians who walk onto the road in front of the car and warns the driver. If there’s no intervention from the driver, the system automatically applies full braking power. Pedestrian Detection – working in tandem with City Safety – can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds of up to 35 kph.

Now, Pedestrian Safety may be the cherry on the cake, but there’s the usual host of active preventive safety kit to be found on the new ‘un, and besides Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), there’s Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB), which warns and automatically brakes if the car risks hitting another vehicle from behind.

Then there’s Driver Alert Control (DAC), which detects and alerts tired and distracted drivers and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Queue Assist, a radar-based adaptive cruise control system which automatically maintains a set gap to the vehicle in front. It’s operable up to 200 kph with repeated speeding up or slowing down, including speeds below 30 kph.

The T6 gets an additional feature, Lane Departure Warning, which alerts the driver if the car runs across the lane markers without the turn indicator being used. As for wheels, the T5 comes with five-spoke 17-inch Balder design alloys, while the T6 wears 18-inch Sleipner seven-spoke ones.

Inside the new S60, you’ll find a new infotainment system called the Volvo Sensus, which allows the driver to get up close and personal with high-tech features without having to read the owner’s manual (always a welcome thing, no?). Sensus presents information from the audio unit, navigation system and other functions on a 7-inch colour screen installed high in the centre console and is accessible via steering-wheel controls.

The T6 also boasts a Premium Sound system, replete with a class-D digital 5 x 130 watt amplifier, Dolby Digital (in combination with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround), the award-winning MultEQ from Audyssey Laboratories and 12 loudspeakers.

A whole palette of exterior colours (15 in all, based on the listing) as well as seven leather interior combinations are available for the S60 T5 and T6, with two brand new shades, Vibrant Copper and Flamenco Red, in the mix. The T6 is priced at RM348,000 while the T5 sells for RM288,000 (both prices on-the-road, without insurance).

For more information, visit the Volvo Car Malaysia website.

Live gallery of launch pix after the jump.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo Cars Malaysia have uploaded a few teaser videos for the upcoming Volvo S60 onto their Youtube channel. The videos feature a hot red Volvo S60 in some pretty impressive precision driving. Enjoy the videos (1 above, the rest after the jump), and we’ll get back to you with a launch report from the Volvo S60′s launch happening tomorrow.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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Volvo produced this very cool video to promote the new Volvo S60 as part of the Volvo Art Session series. Basically, 10 street artists (C-line, Yummy Industries, Daim, Pius Portmann, Donovan & Onur, Blackyard, Nevercrew, Michel FR, Sukibamboo and Wes21) spent 5 days painting a few designs on a canvas made of a completely snow white Volvo S60 against a plain white background.

A few different designs were painted over the car, and the entire process over the whole 5 days is presented in this time lapse video. Enjoy!

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:14:44 +0000.

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