Cars.com Videos: 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid, 2008 Volvo V70 and More

2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid: This hybrid has a lot going for it, including great gas mileage, at 33/34 mpg city/highway, but Kelsey Mays says there’s a downside to this hybrid: its limited trunk space.

2008 Volvo V70: The redesigned V70’s interior has an upscale finish and lots of safety features, but Kelsey wonders if it’s enough to make you overlook the fact that it’s a station wagon.

2008 Infiniti QX56: This full-size luxury SUV’s 2008 redesign was a step in the right direction, but Mike Hanley says the QX56 still falls short of its main competition, the Cadillac Escalade.

2008 Land Rover LR3: The LR3 is great for off-roading, and its interior quality is good — except for one glaring problem, Joe Wiesenfelder says.

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Volvo Is Upscale Enough

Sometimes we sit around the Cars.com office and just scratch our heads when we hear what car companies are doing. In yesterday’s Detroit News came word that Ford is looking to make Volvo — Ford owns the Swedish automaker — more of an upscale luxury brand to better compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. If you thought Volvo was already a luxury car company, it’s technically considered a near-premium brand. The differences are hard to explain, but recent Volvos I’ve reviewed were roughly $10,000 less than their BMW and Audi counterparts despite having similar features and engines. Other near-premium brands are Saab, Cadillac, Lexus and Infiniti.

Now, Ford has the best of intentions … for it. The company needs to make more money off Volvo, which continues to be unprofitable despite an improved lineup. However, with Audi already making inroads into BMW and Mercedes-Benz territory, is there room for another company to do the same?

Volvo to Make HD Radio Standard for 2009 Models

In manufacturers’ constant arms race to include better perks for drivers, Volvo will make HD radio receivers standard in almost all of its models beginning in the second half of 2008.

Still in relative infancy, HD radio promises better sound quality than standard radio and offers vastly expanded programming. This includes access to news, weather, school closings and other emergency information right on the display screen.

Far from a monolithic set of stations with the same programming whether you’re driving in Seattle, Kansas City or New York, HD radio varies geographically, offering different stations in different locations that will remind listeners of the quaint ways of old-fashioned AM/FM radio. Across the country, radio stations are making the switch to HD broadcasting. Nearly 2,000 stations either broadcast in HD or offer HD2 multicasts on the FM dial with no subscription fee.

While reception may be spotty in certain areas, that won’t be so different from driving through west Texas trying to find a decent classic rock station.

Interestingly, there are a few exclusions in Volvo’s list of models that will have HD radio. Not listed are the base S40 or V50, nor is the S60. That makes us wonder whether the S60 will be around in 2009.

2008 Volvo V70 Gets Price

When Volvo rolls out the redesigned V70 at the end of this year, the wagon will have a base price of $32,465, Volvo has put a six-cylinder engine under the hood for the first time, specifically a 235-hp, 3.2-liter inline-six.

The 2008 V70 hopes to lure those moms and dads with a bevy of new safety features, including adaptive cruise control, collision warning, driver alert control and lane departure warning, which alerts tired or distracted drivers when the car begins to wander dangerously.

Volvo expects the V70 to hit dealerships by the end of November.

Volvo Tells You When You Need a Break

We’ve tested the latest Volvo safety innovations, like the company’s collision warning and blind-spot detection systems, but the company has a new one on the way for the S80, XC70 and V70 models later this year: Driver Alert Control. The system will monitor driving behavior and suggest when the driver should take a break to either rest or refuel on caffeinated beverages.

Volvo Adding New Safety Features to S80, XC70, and V70 Automobiles (Engadget)

Volvo Axes Performance Brand

Not many people even know Volvo offers them. They wear an R and have a bit more under their skin than just safety equipment. They’re Volvo’s performance cars, including models like the 2007 S60 R and V70 R. But it seems those two are the last of the breed: Volvo has said it will no longer offer high-performance variants of its models after the 2007 model year.

That means if you’re interested in the 300-hp S60 R or V70 R, you’d better start searching inventories. Both cost around $40,000 and hit 60 mph in 5.4 and 5.6 seconds, respectively, but Volvo feels they don’t speak well enough to the brand identity — safer is better — to warrant keeping them around. Besides, the company couldn’t warrant their cost, either.

Buyers will have to be satisfied with more sedate sport offerings, like the T5 trim level on most models. The recent addition of V-8 engines to the S80 and XC90 might also satiate go-fast Volvo fans. We don’t see the move as a real loss to the brand; Volvo’s time would be better spent adding a little more driving fun to every model.

[Sticking with Safety, AutoWeek]

All-New 2008 Volvo V70

Volvo’s all-new large wagon has a new inline six-cylinder engine, new interior and exterior designs, upgraded child booster seats and, like you would expect from Volvo, a lot of safety features. The new V70 should arrive later in 2007 and will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Like the new Volvo S80 sedan, the V70 gets improved interior materials. Under the bulging hood is a 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine rated at 235 hp, which the company says is “efficient,” though it hasn’t released mileage figures yet.

Volvo wagons aren’t about performance, though, they’re about safety. The V70 has dual, height-adjustable, child boosters in the second row and upgraded side-curtain airbags that extend lower to protect smaller children.

When needed, the rear seat splits and folds in 40/20/40 sections. There is also an optional power rear tailgate — a feature we see primarily in minivans and SUVs — and a sliding cargo floor.

There’s a slew of additional safety features, including multiple front crumple zones and a whiplash protection system, but we don’t want to bore you too much before showing you the rest of the photos below. Expect price and availability information to be announced in March.