Volvo Teases New V40

Volvo's resurrecting the V40 name for its new car. In anticipation of the vehicle's reveal next month at March's Geneva Motor Show, the automaker released a picture of its new compact.

The V40 is slated to replace the S40 sedan and V50 wagon, which were discontinued for the 2012 model year in the U.S. The V40 wagon was dropped after model-year 2004.

Though we can't glean too much from the shadowy image, it looks like V40 is a compact hatchback. Based on its size, it'll likely slot above the C30 two-door hatchback in Volvo's lineup.

Follow the reveal on Volvo’s FaceBook page.

2012 Volvo S60 Earns Five-Star NHTSA Rating

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced that the 2012 Volvo S60 earned the organization's top crash rating: a five star combined crash score. Last year, NHTSA adopted more stringent guidelines and rigorous testing practices, making it tougher for vehicles to garner the five-star designation. 

The Volvo S60's composite score was composed of five stars across the board: It earned a five in frontal, rollover, side pole and side barrier crashes. Volvo's midsize sedan is the eighth vehicle to be awarded NHTSA's highest combined star rating for the 2012 model year. Other five-star vehicles include the Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Sonic, Saab 9-4X, Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat. 

The organization plans to test 74 vehicles for the 2012 model year, including 22 SUVs, eight pickup trucks and two minivans.

Volvo XC60 Plug-In Hybrid: A Plug-in With a Plug You Can Handle

I've driven several groundbreaking plug-in vehicles lately, namely the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt. The Volt is an electric car with a range-extending gas engine. It uses a bulky, electrical charging cord that winds around an electric panel contraption that my 9-year-old daughter said looks like a "man tool" (whatever that means). It's laden with “Danger! Risk of Electric Shock” stickers that can be a little, well, shocking at first.

My $19 hairdryer from Target has a cute electrical cord that retracts with the push of a button. My vacuum cleaner has simple, short arms that I wind the cord around to keep it neat and tidy. And my Apple computer has a cord that connects to the computer via a magnet.

Perhaps the emergence of plug-in cars should give rise to charging cords that are more manageable for the everyday family to use. Volvo seems to offer a solution with its XC60 plug-in hybrid concept. Volvo isn't rushing to market with a plug-in, so perhaps the company is taking extra time to Scandanavianize — or simplify — the actual cord itself.

Volvo XC60 Plug-In Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

• Looks like: XC60 with some "green" badging
• Drivetrain: 280-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack
• Defining characteristics: Driver chooses between pure electric and gas/electric modes
• Chances of being mass-produced: Volvo says the technology will hit showrooms in a couple of years

Volvo’s smallest SUV might be jumping on the alternative-fuel bandwagon. The XC60 — the brand's most popular model — was chosen for a plug-in version in concept form here. It might not look as revolutionary as a Chevy Volt, but Volvo buyers can afford to go green and they have few options within the brand.

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

The XC60 Plug-In Concept is powered by a 280-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor good for an extra 70 hp. The motor uses a 12-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. An eight-speed automatic is the sole transmission.

Revealing Volvo Crossover Illustrations Uncovered

Volvo is still searching for its place in the automotive landscape. Will it compete with premium vehicles from Buick or Volkswagen, or with luxury vehicles from Audi and BMW? While the marketing department continues its eternal debate, we’re at least starting to get a pretty good understanding of what future Volvos will look like.

The illustrations here show off a potential look for the 2015 Volvo XC90. Notice that the crossover looks a lot like the Volvo Concept You, which we saw at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show.

Recall Alert: 2006-2012 Volvo C70, 2011-2012 Volvo S60

Volvo is recalling about 7,000 2006-12 C70 convertibles and roughly 12,600 2011-12 S60 midsize sedans — the recently redesigned model — because the optional spare tire kit has incorrect label information, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected cars, there are incorrect tire and loading information labels, according to Volvo. The misinformation can lead to improper tire inflation and result in a tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will install a correct label, when necessary. For more info, owners can call Volvo at 201-768-7300 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Volvo Concept You at 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

• Looks like: Volvo is already giving up on sexy designs
• Defining characteristics: A four-way, adaptable multimedia system
• Ridiculous features: Rear-seat upholstery made out of tailored suits
• Chances of being mass-produced: Volvo could be considering a four-door luxury  coupe

The handcrafted walnut wood, real aluminum details, Bridge of Weir leathers and fabrics designed by Oscar Jacobson in the Volvo Concept You are a clear indication that the Swedish automaker has its eyes set on the upper-level luxury category for its next-generation full-size sedan. There are also some Swedish eccentricities here that’ll be welcome to anyone accustomed to Scandinavian products.

The front face is where Volvo has gotten truly creative. While the classic Volvo grille remains with its diagonal bright bar over egg-crate look, it has been stretched and narrowed. The large almond-shaped quad-beamed headlights have been replaced with thin kidney-shaped LEDs. Overall, the face has been diminished to put greater emphasis on the front end’s wide clamshell hood, which is raised above the front fenders and grille. This is the second concept showing these attributes, so we might see a few elements soon on a production car. However, it's a departure from the current styling that has been so successful for the brand on the XC60 and others.

Recall Alert: 2007 Volvo S80

Volvo is recalling 8,406 S80 sedans from the 2007 model year because of an improperly installed steering hose that could burst, leading to a loss of power steering, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

S80s involved in the recall were manufactured between March 8, 2006 and May 16, 2007. You can check to see when your car was made on a label affixed to the driver-side doorjamb.

Volvo says the recall will begin in August. Dealers will inspect the hose and make the necessary repairs free of charge. Concerned owners can call Volvo at 201-768-7300 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

Volvo Collision Prevention Found Effective

Volvo’s City Safety, a collision-avoidance feature standard on the XC60 SUV, aims to prevent low-speed collisions in bumper-to-bumper traffic. There’s now measurable proof that these types of systems can be effective, according to a study by the Highway Data Loss Institute, a division of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Insurance claim data show the XC60 is far less likely to be involved in a low-speed collision compared with competing models without such a system, the study says.

Claims paid out for at-fault collisions fell by as much as 27% in the XC60 compared with similar luxury SUVs, according to the study. These types of claims were down by 19 percent compared with Volvos without the feature, so you can eliminate safety-conscious Volvo drivers as a possible explanation for the data. The institute monitored claim frequency and costs, and it reported XC60 owners weren’t filing claims of less than $1,500 — claims commonly associated with fender benders in congested traffic.

City Safety works at speeds below 19 mph. It uses an infrared laser to monitor approaching speeds, and when it senses a driver not taking action, the system automatically brakes to avoid a collision. The feature is also standard on the 2012 S60, S80 and XC70 wagon.

2012 Volvo Lineup: Ch-Ch-Changes

For the 2012 model year, Volvo has discontinued the S40 and V50, which reported in an earlier post. The Swedish automaker is also no longer offering any V-8s across its lineup after the company axed its sole V-8 engine in the XC90 for 2012. V-8s were once offered in the S80 and XC90.

Overall, most models get more standard features and new trim offerings while maintaining similar prices to last year’s models.