Category: Volvo

The Volvo XC70 is the top ranked Luxury XSUV in AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Research.  As the class winner, its owners identify few things they would want changed, but there are a few exceptions.  The XC70 has a fast, laid-back windshield that makes it look good, but hard to get into and out of.  Over 25% of XC70 owners want it to be easier to get into and out of.  About 20% want more infotainment technology and more roominess.  About 15% of XC70 owners would give up power and acceleration for better fuel economy.  XC70 owners are less likely to want to change its exterior size or have larger wheels or firmer seats.  Volvo swept the Luxury XSUV class with the Volvo XC60 positioned in 2nd place in the IVA rankings for the class.

Volvo hasn't been sitting on its hands while it was waiting for the sale of Volvo by Ford Motor Company to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in August, 2010. Development of the new S60 continued and the car will be introduced late in 2010 as a 2011 model year vehicle. Derived from the new S80/XC60 platform, the new S60 goes head-to-head with its European competitors in the Premium C/D Car Category

Think Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and Volvo C30 and you can better understand the competitive set Lexus is targeting with its all new CT200h 5-door hatchback to be launched in February 2011. Also think of the CT200h as a product really designed for the European market where it is right-sized and right-styled. The competitive set in the USA sells less than 1,500 units per month now - or about 18,000 per year - small potatoes in a 12,000,000 unit industry. Lexus is going after 1,000 units per month - immediately intending capturing 40% of this small segment. Can they do it?

Aspirational Luxury Car: In the Aspirational Luxury Car segment the Volvo V70 edged out the competition with high marks for seat firmness and interior lighting. A very high percentage of owners also said that they wanted the same vehicle ride and safety as they currently have.

Premium Luxury Car: The Volvo S80 won the AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award in the Premium Luxury Car segment. The S80 received particularly strong ratings from owners with respect to exterior size, handling, and cargo space. Seat firmness also received top marks from S80 owners.

Cadillac is adding standard scheduled maintenance - Premium Care - to its 2011 Model Year products. Providing scheduled maintenance is a way to demonstrate commitment to the customer, reduce ownership costs and increase customer loyalty. BMW has been offering scheduled maintenance for years and has effectively shed its "Break My Wallet" image that existed prior to the scheduled maintenance program.

Volvo’s mid-range sedan, the S60, shares a platform with the newly updated XC70 and V70 wagons, but the updated sedan won’t arrive until next year. In the meantime, Volvo is building anticipation with a wonderfully styled S60 Concept said to be very close to the production car, minus the concept’s crystal center stack.

More photos and a Volvo press release after the jump.

Purely from an aesthetic perspective, this C30 is a gorgeous thing. Its super-Scandinavian modernist contours, its low-slung profile, and distinctive rear styling are all very novel and very appealing. Still, sales are confirming what we long suspected – that it’s ultimately very much a niche product. We expect Volvo to sell about 4,000 examples of this Swedish hot hatch in 2008. Even if the economy hadn’t crashed this year, we doubt its sales would have been much higher.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced the winners of its 2009 Top Safety Picks. There are 72 winners in 2009; more than double in 2008 and more than 3 times as many as in 2007.

Hyundai's Genesis has the goods, but can they turn the heads of buyers looking to drop $35,000 to $42,000?