Volvo S60 T6 Review

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Volvo's been going out of its way to brand the new S60 as "The Naughty Volvo" (see video above). Guess it depends on your definition of  "naughty". The S60 is not for kids, it's fast and fun, it's shapely.....

                                   

    

The days of the boring Volvo are dead, let's give the marketing people that much.  And that's on looks alone. In a week at the wheel in an example provided by Sanderson Volvo in Phoenix, the S60 T6 AWD just got more and more desirable. The beauty here is more than skin-deep.

With 300 horsepower, the S60 is responsive and downright quick. Steering is direct and immediate. There is no tradeoff of ride versus handling...the balance is perfect.

And the interior is an exceptionally pleasant place to engage in all that pleasurable driving. A long way from the plain-jane interior of the old Volvo 240, the designers have managed to give the eye a constant level of stimulation without losing the functionality...everything is exactly where your brain and your hand expect it to be.

What about safety? Volvo's hallmark? Don't worry...it's there...from the basic stout structure of the car to the highest levels of technology that (unlike a lot of cars we've tested) manage to do their jobs without being intrusive.

And, unlike virtually every other car we've tried it in, the adaptive cruise control, which adjusts speed to maintain distance between you and the car in front of you, is flawless. It...and the other tech in the car...simply never put a foot wrong.

Price? The front wheel drive model (with 50 fewer horsepower) starts at $30.975...all-wheel drive at $37,700. Optioned like the one we drove...mid-40s and well worth it.

EPA mileage estimates: 20 city/30 highway for the FWD, 18/26 for the AWD.

So...go with "naughty" if you must. But we think the Volvo S60 T6 AWD is really @#$%! nice.

Did we just say that?

Post Title → Volvo S60 T6 Review

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Volvo Amazing Review

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Volvo autos bilder

Volvo V70 station kombi

Volvo Xc90

Volvo 740 turbo, station wagon (1983)

Volvo S80

Volvo S60

Volvo S40, Innenraum

Ein weiterer Volvo C70

Volvo C30

Volvo C70 wallpaper

Post Title → Volvo Amazing Review

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Chrysler and Volvo Recalls: Engine Fires, Airbag Non-Deployment

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No, it's not just Toyota....Chrysler and Volvo are announcing recalls too. In Chrysler's case, it's leaking brake fluid that could cause an engine fire. For Volvo, it's airbags that might not deploy as intended.


Full story from The Detroit News.

Post Title → Chrysler and Volvo Recalls: Engine Fires, Airbag Non-Deployment

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Volvo S60 Pedestrian Detection

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I have mixed feelings on this one....part of me thinking that the driver should determine when to brake (having assessed what's around him) and the other part acknowledging the intent and likely reduction of car-pedestrian accidents.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Volvo S60 Pedestrian Detection (1:57)

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V-O-L-V-O....V-O-L-V-O...My Volvo

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I love the 80s-era Volvo 240.

I don't love rap.

But.....this is pretty good. And very refreshing after the parade of Bentleys and Lambos in rap videos.

His name is Grynch.

(WARNING: Explicit lyrics. Hey, it's rap)

Post Title → V-O-L-V-O....V-O-L-V-O...My Volvo

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China's Geely To "Liberate" Volvo

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It's a done deal. Volvo is now the property of Chinese automaker Geely, whose founder says Volvo is a "tiger" that needs to be "liberated".

Part of that "liberation" is wider distribution, and the production of 300,000 units a year in a Chinese factory.

Full story from Automotive News.

Post Title → China's Geely To "Liberate" Volvo

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Volvo C70 Review

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They say the third time's a charm. Well, Volvo got it right in just two tries.

One of the first press events I attended as a professional TireKicker was 10 years ago and it was the launch of the first-generation Volvo C70 convertible. I was prepared to be impressed. A premium convertible with Volvo's legendary safety and structural integrity.

During the half-day drive through Central Arizona, I thought I must have gotten a bad one that slipped through. When we met for lunch at The Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix, 25 journalists compared notes on 25 identical test cars. Six words summed it up:

"It shakes like a wet dog."

Cowl shake is the common enemy of convertibles. Cut off the top of a car, and you give up a bunch of structural rigidity. It shows up in the cowl...the area where the windshield and the hood meet...and it telegraphs into the steering column. And the '99 C70, otherwise a very desirable car, had it bad.

Flash forward a decade and slide behind the wheel of the '09 C70. A lot of changes here. First of all, it's now a retractable hardtop, not a ragtop. Strong and shake-free. But the remarkable thing is how solid it is with the top down. Volvo knew what needed to be done and did it.

There's also ten years worth of tech improvements in this car, which goes faster, gets better mileage (18 city, 26 highway), possesses better-than-average handling and benefits from Volvo's huge leaps in interior design. Fine leather and real wood...Nordic Oak, no less.

The $39,240 base price gets you an exceptionally well-equipped vehicle, with a turbocharged 2.5 liter 5-cylinder engine good for 227 horsepower mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The test vehicle I drove stepped up the content with metallic paint ($475), the Dynaudio Package ($1,550 for 130 watts per channel of surround sound Dolby ProLogic II with subwoofer), an automatic transmission ($1,250, and given how good the manual was in the C30, I'd be temped to pass and shift it myself), and $750 worth of 18-inch alloy wheels.

Bottom line: $44,010. Not cheap, but in line for a premium convertible with style, substance and...solidity.

Post Title → Volvo C70 Review

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Volvo XC70 Review

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Timing is everything. Eight or nine years ago, Volvo took their V70 station wagon, added all-wheel drive and called it the "Cross Country". Sales were modest.

So about five years ago, Volvo whipped up a bigger crossover SUV on the S80 sedan platform and called it the XC90. Sales were much stronger, thank you.

Now, though, fluctuating gas prices have a lot of drivers thinking bigger is not necessarily better. Just in time, Volvo brings us...the Cross Country...but now it's called the XC70.

Frankly, it's a great move...bolstering a strong product with an association to the popular XC90. The XC70 is everything a Volvo wagon should be...strong, safe, rugged...and stylish inside. They haven't caught Audi yet, but Volvo interiors are among the best in the business.

Lower to the ground and lighter in weight, the XC70 handles better than the XC90 and gets better gas mileage, too (the EPA says 15 city, 22 highway). $36,775 is the base price. Our tester added metallic paint, a premium 12-speaker, Dolby ProLogic II surround sound system with AM, FM, CD and Sirius satellite radio, a Premium Package with a moonroof, leather, real wood inlays, a cold climate pakcage and alloy wheels, driving the bottom line up to $44,065.

Cheap? Only in comparison to a similarly loaded XC90 or other vehicle in its class. But if you don't need the extra weight and bulk of the XC90...the XC70 seems just right.

Post Title → Volvo XC70 Review

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