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  • Geely targets Volvo annual sales up to 1 million by 2013 – possible?

    In Cars, China, International News, Volvo / By / / 28 comments

    Geely already has some grand plans for Volvo when it finally takes over the Swedish brand known for safety. It’s a twist of irony for many as Chinese car companies are rather infamous for their iffy crash safety, thanks to the widespread publicity of how badly their dirty cheap models perform in crashes.

    A new Volvo factory in China built by Geely will churn out about 300,000 cars per year for the Chinese market, while other Volvo factories around the world will help bring up the total annual output to a whopping 1 million cars! Yes, you can produce all you want but will you be able to sell all the cars you produce? Apparently this is their aim, to sell a million cars a year by 2013, up from 458,323 they recorded in 2008. That’s an increase of about double.

    Our very own Volvo assembly plant in Malaysia produces the S40, V50 and the 2.5T variant of the S80 for the local market. The Malaysian plant exports the S40 and the V50 for sale in Thailand. Hopefully Volvo is being rewarded in terms of various incentives appropriately by our government, otherwise there’s just no point for manufacturers to come in and do anything here if the case studies all go wrong.

    The other thing that’s bugging people is of course the possibility of Volvo just going down the drain after Chinese ownership. That seems to be what happened to Ssangyong, look where it is now post-SAIC ownership? On the verge of bankruptcy, recovery plan rejected by creditors, and there is even a lawsuit going on now involving Ssangyong hybrid technology being leaked and transferred illegally to SAIC.

    Despite Ssangyong being owned by SAIC, as the Ssangyong hybrid tech was developed using some Korean state grants, the tech is registered as state-owned in Korea and cannot be shared without government approval.

    Will something similiar happen to Volvo? Will it be siphoned dry and then left to rot, or does Geely have an actual plan to bring Volvo to new heights? A Geely spokesperson today assured that Volvo would be keeping the rights to its technologies but did say Geely would get the right to use those technologies.

     

  • First official images of new Volvo S60

    In Cars, Local News, Volvo / By / / 73 comments

    volvo-s60-2
    volvo-s60-1
    Click the images above for larger hi-res view

    These are the first few product photos of the new Volvo S60 officially released by the Volvo PR team as a preview to a full-fledged unveiling soon. The car will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2010 in early March next year, and production will begin early summer 2010 at Volvo’s Belgian plant.

    No other details or specifications have been revealed other than the fact that you can specify an optional feature called Pedestrian Detection that can detect pedestrians in front of the car and brake automatically if the driver doesn’t react in time.

    Looking pretty good I must say, though I would prefer if the front end were to be a little sharper. It’s a little soft now, especially with the big soft ‘eyes’ (headlamps) and all. What do you think, do you like it?

     

  • Malaysian Volvo S40 updated with 2.0 liter engine and Powershift twin clutch transmission!

    In Cars, Local News, Volvo / By / / 79 comments

    Volvo S40 2.0 Powershift Malaysia

    Volvo has updated the specifications for the Volvo S40 here in Malaysia. The 2.4 litre engine has been replaced by a 2.0 litre unit which is essentially the Duratec unit found in the Ford Focus and the Mazda 3 here in Malaysia. It makes 145 PS at 6,000rpm and 185Nm of torque at 4,500rpm.

    But what’s most interesting is the fact that the engine is now mated to a Ford Powershift transmission, which is basically a 6-speed twin clutch transmission. This makes it the first locally assembled (CKD) twin clutch car in the country. Powershift is a development of Getrag Ford Transmissions GmbH, a 50:50 Ford and Getrag JV.

    Like VW’s DSG, there are two versions of the Powershift transmission out there – one with wet clutches and another with dry clutches. The unit installed in the S40 is the wet clutch version. Generally dry clutch versions like Volkswagen’s 7-speed DSG (the 6-speed used a wet clutch) are more efficient and lighter because an oil bath is not necessary, Ford/Volvo says wet versions have reduced wear and tear and thus last longer. Ford will use its dry clutch version on smaller cars like the Fiesta.

    Ford Powershift

    A twin-clutch transmission basically means the gearbox works like a manual transmission but it has two clutches, one for the odd gears and one for the even gears. While the odd clutch is in 3rd gear and is currently the active gear selected, the even clutch pre-selects 4th gear, so that when the time comes to shift, the switchover is much faster and smoother – an almost continuous flow of power.

    0 to 100km/h with manual transmission takes about 9.5 seconds in a 2.0 litre Volvo S40 which is really quite far from blazing. The Powershift model is rated at 9.8 seconds, just fractions of a second slower than a true blue manual. As for fuel consumption, the car is rated for 11.3 litre per 100km in the city, 6.4 litres per 100km on the highway, and 8.1 litres per 100km on combined usage.

    Other than the engine change, this new S40 specification also adds dual xenon headlamps and the Blind-Spot Info System that notifies the driver (with a blinking light) of objects in the car’s blindspot zone, which personally I feel is a little too sensitive.

    The new Volvo S40 2.0 Powershift retails for RM169,950.00 OTR without insurance, which just happens to be the exact same figure as the 2.4 litre model. But what you’re paying for the Powershift is actually just slightly more than the 2.4 by a couple of hundreds of ringgit. This is because the OTR without insurance price includes road tax, and the 2.0 model naturally has cheaper road tax at RM379.50 as opposed to the 2.4 litre model’s RM815.

    Look after the jump for a PDF brochure and pricelist of the new car.
    Read more ›

     

  • Ex-Ford man to lead new Volvo takeover bid

    In Cars, International News, Volvo / By / / 14 comments

    Things have looked like Volvo was going to fall into the hands of a Chinese auto group for a few months now but here’s some good news for those who for some reason have been opposing such a takeover, mainly due to intellectual property and ‘brand bastardisation’ issues.

    There is a new interested party that will be bidding for a Volvo takeover – a new consortium called Crown led by ex-Ford man Michael Dingman. Dingman was a Ford board member for 21 years until he left in 2002. He has partnered up with engineering man Shamel Rushwin, who is both ex-Ford and ex-Chrysler.

    So far the Crown offer is reported to be lower than Geely’s US$2.2 billion bid but Crown says they intend to invest another US$3 billion in Volvo if it succeeds in taking over the company. Talk is cheap of course – I hope this is written down in black and white somewhere. Crown is backed by some US investors currently and are looking for some Swedish investors and partners – Volvo being Swedish and all.

     

  • Volvo C30 hatchback receives facelift

    In Cars, International News, Videos, Volvo / By / / 30 comments

    Volvo C30

    The C30 hatchback has been updated to feature Volvo’s new front-end look, as per the convertible C70 recently. Most of the changes are aesthetic and also include new colour choices for the exterior and interior – total configurations thanks to the various options results in 2,561,328 possible combinations.

    Other than the looks, the other most significant change to me is the new ‘sports chassis’ option which basically means stiffer bushes, a 10% lower steering ratio, and suspension parts (these include new monotube stiffer dampers, stiffer springs and stiffer roll stabilizers) that are stiffer by 30%.

    Volvo C30

    The star engines of the range are the T5 and D5 models. The petrol T5 puts out 230 horses and 320Nm of torque from its 2.5 litre inline-5 while the D5′s 2.4 litre turbodiesel makes 180hp and 400Nm of torque, yet consumes only 6.2 litres per 100km.

    Look after the jump for photos and videos of the C30.
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  • Volvo C70 Hard-top Convertible gets facelifted!

    In Cars, International News, Volvo / By / / 9 comments

    Volvo C70

    The Volvo C70 coupe-cabriolet has received a facelift, giving it a new front end inspired by the S60 Concept Car unveiled earlier this year. This design update brings the marque closer to consistent family-look similiar to the XC60′s face. At the rear, the C70 gets new LED lamps. Other than that, there are not much changes. Being a CBU model, it should be easy for Volvo Cars Malaysia to bring this new facelit in. It only has to wait for the current stock of C70 to finish, if any. The C70 currently goes for about RM346k for the sedate 2.4i up to RM400k for the turbocharged T5 version – prices without insurance.
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  • New R-Design bodykit for the Volvo XC60

    In Cars, Volvo / By / / 16 comments

    Volvo XC60 R-Design

    The XC60 does look good but despite the hot turbocharged engine under the hood, the owner may feel a little jealous of his peer with an Audi Q5′s numerous bodykit and tuning options. No worries, Volvo’s new R-Design package for the Volvo XC60 will help buyers of Volvo’s sporty SUV spice it up a little. The changes are actually really really subtle though. Look after the jump for a gallery of the XC60 R-Design as well as another of a normal XC60 so you can “spot the difference”.
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  • The Volvo XC60 is now here in Malaysia!

    In Cars, Local News, Volvo / By / / 61 comments

    Volvo XC60

    The new Volvo XC60 is here, available in two variants but both with a 3.0 litre turbocharged six-cylinder T6 engine producing an exciting 285 horsepower and 400Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm, mated to a 6-speed Geartronic auto. The two variants are called the XC60 T6 LE and the XC60 T6 SE, and they retail for RM360k and RM330k respectively, OTR without insurance. It’s a rather handsome and dynamic looking car actually, a far departure from the Volvos of the past. Think of it as a smaller XC90 on steroids, buffed up and more toned.

    Volvo XC60

    The more expensive LE version is the one with all the goodies. For an additional 30k, you get a panoramic sunroof, a 12 speaker Dynaudio premium sound system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Warning with Auto Brake, Lane Departure Warning, and Drive Alert Control. Collision Warning with Autobrake actually alerts the driver if the distance to the car in front of you suddenly decreases. If the driver does not react in time, the system brakes at up to 50% maximum braking power automatically.

    The cheaper SE version gets an 8 speaker sound system. Both sound systems feature a 6-CD changer with AUX, USB, Bluetooth and iPod connectors. The interior leather can be had in either soft beige/espresso brown, or offblack. The trim inlays can be had in either a sporty brushed aluminium trim, or for something more classic, you have classic wood or Nordic light oak.

    Volvo XC60

    Here’s the rest of the equipment that comes with both LE and SE versions: dual stage driver and front airbags, dual chamber front SIPS (side impact protection system) airbags, Inflatable Curtain airbags, all-wheel drive, whiplash protection system, a 40:20:40 splitting rear seat, ABS, EBD, brake assist, ready alert brake, fading brake support, dynamic stability and traction control, roll stability control, rollover protection system, hill descent control, blindspot information system, rain sensor wipers, active bending lights, headlamp washers, ISOFIX points for the rear seats, speed sensitive power steering with 3 manual settings, electric seats for the front with memory for the driver, auto-dimming rear view mirror with integrated compass, powered tailgate, B-pillar ventilation vents, and a Personal Car Communicator for keyless entry and drive.

    Optional over the prices above are various styling accessories which consist of larger 19 inch wheels, front bumper bars in matte aluminium, running boards, side scuff plates, and a rear bumper skid plate.
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  • Chinese site claims Volvo and Geely purchase deal finalised?

    In Cars, China, Geely, International News, Volvo / By / / 25 comments

    There are no confirmed reports in the Western media yet, but Chinese website auto.sohu.com claims that Ford and Geely have already struck an agreement for the Swedish car company best known for their safety to be sold to the Chinese manufacturer. But it is the only news source that seems to be covering this story, so it either might only be a blown-up rumour or it might be so fresh that only the Chinese side want to talk about it at the moment.

    Nevertheless even that news report is skeptical about how such a deal can pull through successfully. Geely’s market value is over 30 billion yuan, which is about 4.3 billion USD, and a Volvo buy would also require several billion USD, claims the site. They are saying Geely might take government loans and other financial assistance. And given Ford’s improving financial health, it will be less desperate to sell Volvo, which might raise the Swedish manufacturer’s price.

    Elsewhere in media reports, people are still talking about another Chinese car company recently deciding to join the race to buy Volvo from Ford – Beijing Auto Industry Holdings. Beijing Auto currently has joint ventures in China with Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai. Other names mentioned before in the press said to be interested in Volvo include Renault, Chery, and Changan.

     

  • Volvo to introduce diesel-electric hybrid in 2012

    In Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Volvo / By / / 4 comments

    Volvo V70 Hybrid

    Volvo and Swedish energy company Vattenfall will be cooperating on producing plug-in diesel-electric hybrid Volvos that combine electric motors with high capacity lithium ion batteries and turbodiesel powertrains by 2012. Volvo will manufacture the cars and Vattenfall will develop the charging systems as well as supply the cars with electricity for plug-in charging.

    Three Volvo V70 demonstrator cars will be presented in summer this year by the joint venture. These demo 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.

    Volvo V70 Hybrid

    Vattenfall will be using these demo cars to test various concepts for high-speed home charging and also for charging stations in public places, where owners pay to charge up the car with electricity instead of refueling it with fossil fuels.

    Determining charging behaviour patterns are very important in order to plan and deploy a charging infrastructure that works. Conducting focus groups and verbally finding out what potential drivers may think they want is one thing but real life requirements may change once someone is actually driving a plug-in car, thus these demo cars are actually quite important.

    Look after the jump for some shots of the V70 demo car.
    Read more ›

     
 
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