Video: Volvo crowns Paris 'naughtiest' city in Europe as part of experiments tied to bizarre S60 launch
Vovlo tests the world's naughtiness - Click above to watch video after the jump
Some habits die hard. Swedish manufacturer Volvo has always been one for extensive research. The company's reputation for safety is based largely on its understanding of the mechanics of a collision thanks to impossibly thorough field studies. So it should come as no surprise that when we all thought Volvo was putting down the clipboard in favor of a cocktail glass by throwing a slew of parties in some of the world's most iconic cities, the carmaker was actually studying human behavior. Go figure. Why? The move was part of the quest to unearth the Naughty Capitol of Europe as part of the S60 marketing campaign.
Each of the company's parties included a few clandestine experiments designed to test participants' naughtiness, including seeing how many people would try to talk their way into a fake VIP room, hit on an actress who was pretending to be married or sprint through a well-manicured flower bed. Volvo held the same experiments in Berlin, London, Milan, Paris and Madrid. Not surprisingly, the City of Light took the crown by a wide, wide margin. Hit the jump for a look at a video of Swedish sins.
[Source: Volvo]
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is investigating older Volvo XC90 models for potential faulty electronics that could cause the headlights and turn signals to fail. So far, the government isn't aware of any crashes resulting from the fault, but 21 owners have filed a complaint. The defect manifests itself on 2004-2005 XC90 SUVs, and NHTSA says that 93,487 vehicles are potentially impacted by the problem.
Fortunately, should the NHTSA issue a recall, the problem is a relatively easy fix. Regulators say that simply replacing a bad control module is enough to set everything working again. So far, there are no reports of similar problems occurring in any other Volvo models of similar vintage, but you can bet your eyes that the NHTSA will be taking a closer look at the company's line up from four years ago just to make sure.
[Source: Bloomberg via San Francisco Chronicle]Volvo XC90 reportedly under NHTSA investigation for intermittent lighting failures originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:33:00 EST. .
2011 Volvo V60 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Volvo has just sauntered into the battle to convince the world that wagons are as cool as they are functional with a new launch video for the company's very sexy V60 long-roof. The car's hobbies appear to be rocking out across the open desert and hustling family and cargo across town in a hurry. Globally, the company is offering a number of engines in the V60, including a new 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo-diesel with around 203 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, we wouldn't exactly hold your breath waiting for that one to show up on this side of the world.
But all may not yet be lost - Volvo has been kind enough to supply the car with a turbo 3.0-liter T6 with 304 Swedish ponies and 324 lb-ft of torque - a powertrain that sounds more like what the automaker might consider for North America (if indeed it gets the nod at all). In either case, the blown six-pot would would no doubt have us double-checking to make sure our groceries are secured. With that kind of grunt, Volvo says the wagon will scoot up to 60 mph in a scant 6.6 seconds. All-wheel drive is standard, and the only gearbox available on the T6 is the company's six-speed automatic. Volvo will offer no less than eight different engines in the V60, so it's hard telling exactly which will show up here in the States should the time come.
Until then, the company has given us one sweet launch video and a bevy of images to drool over. Be sure to hit the jump for the press release and to check out the short flick after you roll through the high-res gallery.
Gallery: 2011 Volvo V60
[Source: Volvo]
Belgian Touring Car Championship Volvo S60 - Click above for high-res image
Volvo's taking its new naughty sedan to the track, with the S60 set to make its racing debut in the Belgian Touring Car Championship on April 11. The racer was whipped up by the Chinese-owned Swedish automaker's Belgian S60 racing team, and should campaign throughout this year's season.
The liveried wonder you see above shares very little DNA with the car Volvo dealers will be hawking in the next few months. The Belgian Touring Car Championship is highly-regulated and as such, there's very little deviation between each racer. Each car shares a tube chassis, aerodynamic work and front and rear suspension. The S60 racer gets its power from a standardized V6 that puts out 410 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox that sends all that muscle to the rear wheels.
The S60 will be competing in two 90-minute heats per race, with one 12-hour enduro thrown in for good measure. Stay tuned for results from the season opener this weekend.
[Source: Volvo]
Looks like a few spies were able catch the upcoming Volvo V60 wagon in nothing but the bare sheet metal. The car shares plenty of DNA with the drop-dead sexy S60 sedan the company unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show, including the artfully-styled front fascia. Throw in an extra acre of roof metal, a set of familial brake lights and plenty of cargo room, and you've got a winner all the way around.
So far there's no word on what we can expect to find in the engine bay, but the same 300 horsepower, turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder found in the S60 sedan wouldn't be a bad guess. Odds are the company will offer both front and all-wheel drive versions of the long-roof whenever it hits the market, too. Expect the V60 to come loaded with plenty of the same safety tech, including the Swedish automaker's new Collision Warning system.