Heico Sportiv Redoes the Volvo XC90 SUV, Launches New Styling Package

Seeing that Volvo will be holding on to the XC90, which has been in production since 2002, for a few more years, tuning firm Heico Sportiv decided to update its styling offerings for the crossover model.

The newly developed bodykit is made from PUR-R-RIM plastic and consists of six parts. These include new front apron that replaces the series-produced central and side panels and has a stainless steel stay located in front of the cooling air outlet, side skirts that are mounted on top of the original parts and a new rear apron that accommodates the four-pipe sports exhaust system with oval chrome end tips.

"Our new bodykit intends to give dealerships an attractive opportunity to offer additional buying incentives," said Heico Sportiv CEO, Holger Hedtke. "Around the globe, the Volvo XC90 has an unwavering fan club that will certainly applaud the modern, self-assured design from Heico Sportiv."

The tuning firm’s body kit is available for all XC90s made from 2007 and onwards and will be available for order from May 2011.

The aero parts can be complemented by a set of 20-inch alloy wheels shod in beefier tires.

Source: Heico Sportiv via Worldcarfans

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Volvo C30 Electric Undergoes Harsh Winter Testing in the Extreme North

One of the major fears consumers have regarding electric vehicles, besides range anxiety, is how these cars are going to function in rough weather conditions. We all know batteries are sensitive to extreme temperatures, which can affect their capacity of storing electricity.

This is why Volvo is trying out its C30 Electric model in the north of Sweden, inside the Arctic Circle. Temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius are something normal in this part of the world, so Volvo engineers want to ensure the battery-powered car runs smoothly even in harsh environments.

Volvo has developed several new test methods for its electric vehicles, with the C30 Electric having to undergo over 200 different tests. "We must ensure that the C30 Electric performs as intended when driving, parking and charging in a variety of conditions, from normal to very cold or hot. Northern Sweden is the perfect place to do sub-zero temperature testing," says Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars' Special Vehicles.

To cope with freezing temperatures, the C30 Electric is equipped with three different climate systems: one for the passenger cabin, one for the battery pack and one for the electric motor and power electronics (with the latter being water-cooled). Since there is no conventional combustion engine aboard, the C30 Electric is fitted with a bio-ethanol powered heater that takes care of passenger cabin heating. The car comes equipped with a tank that can carry 14.5 liters of bio-ethanol.

This solution is used in order to save energy from the batteries for driving range. However, on short distances it is also possible to heat or cool the cabin with electricity from the battery-pack.

Under normal driving conditions, maximum range is estimated at 150 km (93 miles) on a single battery charge. However, at temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius, Volvo says the C30 Electric will cover up to 90 km (56 miles) or 80 km (49.7 miles) at -33 degrees Celsius. The car is powered by an 82kW electric motor (110HP) linked to a lithium-ion battery, which takes up to eight hours to charge completely.

The car can reach a top speed of 130 km/h (80.7 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds. Scroll down to watch the Volvo C30 Electric during cold weather testing.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Volvo Recalling Seven 2011MY S40 Sedans Over Production Error, May Replace Vehicles

In what could be one of the smallest recalls of the year, Volvo has issued a recall for seven S40 sedans from the 2011 model year in the U.S. over a production error. In a recent filling, Volvo told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] that a crack may have formed on the top side of the passenger side support member in the engine compartment during the component production. Volvo said that the crack could have an effect on the front structure and may reduce the crash performance of the vehicle.

According to the recall notice, Volvo’s dealers will inspect the top side of the passenger side support member in the engine compartment for cracks. The automaker said that if no crack is found, no further action is needed.

However, if the inspection reveals a crack in the side support member, given that this is a structural damage, the vehicle will immediately be taken out of service and the company will offer the owner a new replacement vehicle of equal specification.

The safety recall is expected to begin on or before April 15, 2011 For more information, U.S. owners can contact Volvo’s customer care center at 1-800-458-1552.

According to Volvo, aside from the seven S40s in the U.S., 4 vehicles from Canada and 2 from Puerto Rico are also subject to the same recall. You can check out the VIN numbers of the affected models in the list below.

RECALL 241 ELIGIBLE VEHICLE LIST – VIN NUMBER

Eligible U.S. Vehicles

YV1672MS4B2541597

YV1672MS9B2541675

YV1672MSXB2541684

YV1672MS7B2541691

YV1672MS6B2541701

YV1672MS6B2542198

YV1672MS0B2542214

Eligible Canadian Vehicles

YV1672MK6B2237574

YV1672MK9B2237584

YV1672MS7B2541688

YV1672MSXB2541958

Eligible Puerto Rico Vehicles

YV1672MSXB2542513

YV1672MS2B2542523

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Watch a Volvo S60 Being Sprayed with Graffiti by Street Artists

Volvo Art Session is the name of an experiment done by Volvo Cars Switzerland, in which ten street artists were provided with an S60 sedan that they could use as a canvas to create different designs.

The snow-white Volvo S60 was painted, sprayed and designed during five days in Zurich's main railway station. The live art happening took place in front of a white dropback canvas and attracted the attention of more than 35,000 commuters, who stopped by to see the unusual art show. "Our intention with this art project was to express and emphasize in a creative and innovative way the design of the Volvo S60", says Anouk Poelmann, President of Volvo Cars Switzerland.

While the S60 was being given ten different personalities, a high-end camera took one shot of the artwork every 10 seconds. The result is a 3-minute film you can check out below.

By Dan Mihalascu

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WTCC Debut in Brazil for Polestar Racing’s Volvo C30 DRIVe

The Polestar Racing prepared Volvo C30 DRIVe will make its premiere at the FIA World Touring Car Championship [WTCC] in the opening round of the 2011 season at Curitiba in Brazil this weekend. Polestar’s factory-backed C30 has already competed in the Swedish and Scandinavian Touring Car Championships, but being that the WTCC is a different beast altogether, the company said that it will not race to win this year, but to further develop the car for the 2012 season.

"Volvo Cars has given us a sound mission to evaluate the championship, meaning that we are initially not focusing on results but rather on preparing a base that we could build upon for 2012. We have got an exciting and rewarding challenge ahead of us," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar Racing.

Among other changes, Polestar Racing is readying a new engine for its WTCC C30 DRIVe.

"We are starting the season with our current two liter engine, before later in the year switching to an all-new 1.6-liter turbo engine, based on a completely new Volvo engine family. We are currently working flat out with the new engine and we are confident of our progress," said Dahl.

The company added that the the first race of the year is also going to showcase a new livery of the Volvo C30 DRIVe racing car, which is painted in Polestar’s distinctive blue hue, also featured on the 405HP C30 Polestar concept prototype.

WTCC VOLVO C30 DRIVe SPECS

Bodywork
Original bodywork reinforced with roll cage and side impact protection on the driver's side, developed in collaboration with Semcon. Aerodynamics: front air splitter, wheel arch wideners and rear wings developed by Polestar in Volvo's wind tunnel.

Engine
4-cylinder transverse all-aluminium in-line engine 1600 cc direct injected turbo, with four valves per cylinder. Original cylinder blocks and cylinder heads modified while valves, camshafts, pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft replaced with racing-specific components. Designed and tested by Polestar.

Oil
Castrol 5W-30

Power/torque (estimated)
340hp at 6000 rpm and 450Nm at 5000 pm.

Exhaust system
Stainless steel, with catalytic converter.

Driveline
6-speed sequential gearbox with straight-cut gears. Front wheel drive. Mechanical differential with torque-controlled friction discs. 184 mm twin-disc carbon fibre clutch.

Oil Castrol
TWS 10W-60.

Weight
1 164 kg including driver (68-75 kg)

Front suspension
Öhlins MacPherson struts, developed in collaboration with Polestar. Racing-specific wishbones and adjustable anti-roll bar.

Rear suspension
Multi-link system with coil springs and Öhlins shock absorbers. Racing-specific wishbones and adjustable anti-roll bar.

Front brakes
Performance Friction 4-piston caliper with 332x32 mm radially ventilated discs.

Rear brakes
Alcon 2-piston caliper with 290x10 mm discs. Steering servo-assisted rack and pinion steering.

Wheel rims & Tyres
17x9", Yokohama, slicks (no tread) or rain tires (treaded)

Volvo Reduces Price of Entry-Level C30 to £15k in the UK

There’s less to pay for UK buyers looking to get into a Volvo C30 sport hatch as the Swedish automaker announced a significant £1,300 price cut to the entry-level model which now starts from £14,995 on the road. The C30 ES features a 2.0-liter petrol engine with 145HP and comes equipped with electronic climate control, 16-inch alloys, leather steering wheel and gearlever, a stability system (DSTC), power windows, information centre, and a CD player with auxiliary input.

In the UK, the C30 is available with a variety of petrol and diesel engines ranging from the 145HP 2.0-liter petrol to the 230HP T5 and 115HP D2 to the 177HP D4, as well as a choice of trim levels including the sporty R-Design.

Volvo to Build New Car Plant in China, Aims to Sell 200,000 Vehicles in the Chinese Market by 2015

At a press conference held earlier today in Beijing, Chinese-owned Volvo Cars announced plans to build a new plant in the city of Chengdu and continuing investigations for a second factory in Daqing, in north-eastern China. Volvo said that the deal is still pending approval from the Chinese government.

"We regard the Chinese market as the second home market for Volvo Car Corporation and a very important part of the plan to build a successful future for the company," said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.

The Chengdu assembly plant will only build Volvo cars and have an initial output of around 100,000 cars annually, with production estimated to start during 2013. Volvo said that the decision to expand in China will not affect operations and employment in Europe.

"We will build an entirely new plant in Chengdu and further investigate the opportunities for establishing an additional factory in Daqing," said Jacoby. "Our production in China will, however, not have any impact on decisions affecting capacity utilization of our plants in Sweden and Belgium" says Stefan Jacoby.

The Swedish automaker, which was acquired from Ford by China's Geely in 2010, also announced that Shanghai will serve as Volvo Car China's headquarters and centre for product development, design and sourcing. "Among other priorities, Volvo Car China will also support Volvo Corporation R&D in Sweden regarding the development of electric vehicles and hybrids," the company said in a statement.

"The Volvo Car China Technology Centre in Shanghai will develop into a complete product development organization on an international level," said Freeman Shen, Volvo Car Corporation SVP & China Operations Chairman. "It will have the competence and capacity to work together with the HQ in Sweden, participating in Volvo Car Corporation's work process for developing entirely new models."

Volvo said that it plans to increase its business presence in the China and aims to reach a sales volume of about 200,000 cars a year in the country by 2015. The company's global retail sales during 2010 reached 373,525 (an increase of 11.2 per cent compared to 2009), with only 30,000 of those sold in China.

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Volvo's Iconic P1800 Turns 50 This Year

Even if you are not a specialist in classic cars, you know you have seen this one before. And you're right, its fame came from being Roger Moore's ride in the TV series “The Saint”. In fact, the man who played Simon Templar liked the car so much that he bought one for himself.

Revealed at the 1960 Brussels Motor Show, the unmistakably-shaped Swedish coupe was not the first choice for the part in “The Saint”. The producers first asked Jaguar for the E-Type, but the British refused, arguing that the car didn't need more publicity. Volvo said yes and so the P1800 became known worldwide.

Production started in 1961 and almost 46,000 units of the model were made in various versions until production ended in 1973.

Probably the second most famous P1800 driver after "The Saint" is American Irv Gordon, who drove his Swedish coupe for 45 years, reaching more than 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) without changing the engine, the transmission or the axles. A statement for the durability and the quality of an outstanding vehicle.

To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the P1800, Volvo will participate at the TechnoClassica show in Essen (March 30 – April 3) with six special models: the X1 (the first prototype), a 1961 first series model assembled in the UK, a 1963 P1800S Rally, a 1966 1800S Volvoville (US-built convertible), a 1971 1800E and a 1971 1800ES.

Volvo P1800 timeline:

1959 – Volvo announces P1800 prototype built by Frua.

1960 – The car is showcased in Brussels, first pre-production cars tested.

1961 – Production car: 2-door coupe, steel body, 2+2 seating, 1.8-liter twin carburettor engine, 100 bhp/5,500 rpm. First 6,000 cars assembled in the UK by Jensen Motors.

1963 – P1800 is renamed 1800S to mark the start of Swedish assembly. Introduction of the 1964 model with improved 108 bhp engine, improved brakes and modified seats.

1964 – Revised interior, straight bumpers with rubber inserts.

1965 – Power increased to 115 bhp, diaphragm clutch, sealed greasing, improved brakes.

1966 – Modified front grille, chrome side trim introduced.

1967 – Three spoke steering wheel, minor interior changes.

1968 – 2.0-liter engine type B20, 118 bhp/5,800 rpm, fitted with emission equipment. Dual circuit braking system introduced.

1969 – 1800E model with Bosch electronic fuel injection developing 130 bhp at 6,000 rpm (B20E). ZF gearbox, disc brakes on all wheels, alloys, new dashboard.

1970 – Stronger Volvo-built manual gearbox or optional Borg-Warner 3 speed automatic introduced.

1971 – 1800ES estate car launched.

1972 – 112 bhp B20F engine USA-emissions compliant.

1973 – Production ends.

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