* Standard 2011 Volvo V60 shown in photos
The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will host the world premiere of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, a near production-ready model that is said to return a very impressive 125 mpg US (1.9 lt/100 km), with CO2 emissions under 50 g/km. In order to achieve this, engineers entered a new variable into the plug-in hybrid equation: a diesel engine.
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According to the promo event's organizers, it took Reid more than one try but in the end, he managed to return a lap time of 1:28 with a top speed of 193km/h (119 mph). "He was guided only by the feel of the car, his knowledge of the track, and co-driver Earl Bamber's voice," said Volvo. Pretty neat, though we're not sure who was the bravest of the two; the driver or the co-driver... Scroll down to watch the clips.
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Remember blind Turkish artist Esref Armagan who was invited by Volvo to the company's headquarters in Sweden back in October to paint the, as yet unseen by the public, 2011 S60 executive sedan? Well, Volvo has now decided to auction off Armagan's painting of the car on eBay with all proceeds going to support the World Blind Union which is a non political, non-religious, non-governmental and non-profit-making organization, representing more than 160 million blind and partially sighted persons in 177 member countries.
"It was an amazing experience to work together with Esref Armagan. He truly embraces life and we think that his approach matches exactly how we at Volvo embrace life. Through this auction and the donation to World Blind Union we will take this rewarding corporation even one step further", says Lukas Dohle, director of Live Communication and Social Media at Volvo Cars.
Volvo said that the auction of the painting will take place on eBay Canada but will be accessible globally on www.ebay.com/volvo. The auction starts on December 7 at 8pm and will run for ten days until December 17.
Swedish carmaker Volvo has popped the covers off its new S60 sedan that will make its first public outing at the Geneva Salon in March 2010 with production and sales set to start in early summer of the same year. Albeit toned down a notch, the exterior design of the production model has remained incredibly close to the concept model that appeared at this January's Detroit Show retaining its sloping, coupe-like roofline and curvy waistline as well as the distinct front-end styling.While Volvo has yet to release any photos of the interior, it is believed that the styling will again be influenced, though to a much less degree, by the concept model's cabin featuring a same shape dashboard.
Contrary to its predecessor that was awkwardly positioned between the BMW 3- and 5-Series, the new S60 is sized and designed to compete directly against the smaller bimmer and the Audi A4 in the small executive sedan segment.
Underneath the sheetmetal, the 2011 S60 uses a variation of Ford's EUCD platform that underpins cars like Volvo's own S80 and the European Mondeo and S-MAX / Galaxy.
No technical details were disclosed, but Volvo promises that the new S60 will be more driver orientated that its predecessor.
"The all-new Volvo S60 is sculpted to move you. It looks and drives like no other Volvo before and the car's technology will help you to be safer and more confident behind the wheel," says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.
The new sedan is expected to be offered with a variety of gasoline and diesel engines including Ford's new EcoBoost 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine featuring turbocharging, direct injection and outputs ranging from 150 to 180 horsepower.
Among other highlights will be a new Pedestrian Detection system that can detect pedestrians in front of the car and brake automatically if the driver does not react in time.
Automakers and their respective marketing departments / advertising agencies come up with all sorts of ideas to generate interest in their current or future products - some successful, others not so much. For the promotion of its new 2011 S60 sedan that will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010, Volvo's Live Communication and Social Media decided to take a rather unconventional approach by calling in a blind Turkish artist named Esref Armagan to 'sample' the finished model and draw a picture of the car."Since the car itself is not being launched until the Geneva Motor Show next year, this is a unique way for us to show an extraordinary artist's rendition of the forthcoming model," commented Lukas Dohle, director of Live Communication and Social Media at Volvo Cars.
As you may suspect, Armagan, who is said to have painted everything from historic buildings, seascapes, flowers and forests to a portrait of former US President Bill Clinton, uses his hands and the rest of his senses to recognize the shape of the object he is painting.
This however, was the first time that the talented Turkish artist attempted to draw a car. "It was an honour for me to be asked to do this and I take it as a confirmation of my ability as an artist," said Esref Armagan.
The next-generation Volvo S60, which is based on the 2009 Detroit Show concept, won't be launched onto the market until summer of 2010, but the folks over at Sweden's Teknikensvarld magazine were invited by Volvo to Copenhagen, Denmark to check out a prototype version fitted with firm's new "Automatic Braking System". As you may have already guessed, the test vehicle was slathered in cladding, so don't expect to get a preview of the car.What we do get to see are some details of the interior and of course, a taste of the "Automatic Braking System" - Volvo's next generation of preventive safety technology that detects pedestrians who have walked into the roadway and automatically avoid collisions at speeds under 25 km/h (16mph) if the driver does not react in time.
Once the system detects the pedestrians, it warns the driver through a series of audio and visual alerts on the windscreen's head-up display. Volvo says that if the driver does not respond to the warnings and the system assesses that a collision is about to happen, then it automatically applies the car's brakes with full braking power.
Hat tip to Bobby from Bilfeber! Source: Teknikensvarld
In about a year's time, Swedish automaker Volvo will perform the market launch of the all new S60 premium sedan that will be heavily based on the stylish S60 Concept that made its global debut at the Detroit Show this past January. We've already seen static footage of the four-door coupe design study but now Sweden's Teknikens Varld magazine took the one-off concept car for a quick spin. Unfortunately, Google has yet to find a way to automatically translate audio from videos, so unless you happen to hook up with a bilingual Swedish gal, you're better off lowering the volume in order to enjoy to the ride.
Via: Teknikens
On Tuesday, March 31, the last S60 sedan rolled off Volvo's Ghent plant in Belgium as the automaker is getting ready to create space and capacity for the model's successor that is scheduled to be launched in 2010. Volvo's new executive sport sedan will be based on the S60 Concept shown in Detroit earlier this year. The first-generation S60 was introduced in 2000 and during its 9-year run, Volvo built 578,292 S60 units of the car, with the best year being 2001 with 108,906 units and the worst, 2008 when a mere 6,205 S60s were produced."The Volvo S60 was an important model for Volvo Cars Gent," said managing director of Volvo Cars Ghent Derek Jessiman. "Now we will focus on a flawless launch of the new S60."
Production of Volvo S60 at Volvo Cars Ghent:
Year - Volume / Units
2000 - 26 051
2001 - 108 906
2002 - 104 484
2003 - 84 908
2004 - 67 929
2005 - 61 838
2006 - 53 188
2007 - 39 347
2008 - 25 436
2008 - 6 205
One of the most exciting concept cars at the 2009 Detroit auto show which runs for two weeks from January 11, is the Volvo S60 Concept that provides a preview of the production model that will follow in 2010. If you hit the jump you can see the first official video of the compact sports sedan that includes the usual exterior shots as well as a short film of the S60's innovative crystal centre stack being created at Swedish glassworks Orrefors' workshop. For more details and high-resolution pictures of the Volvo S60 sport sedan concept click here to view our previous post.
These are the first images of the Volvo S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2009. According to the Swedish automaker, the concept gives an indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when it's launched in 2010. Even though the production model will be less dramatic than the prototype, it is clear that the S60 will be a distinct proposition in the compact executive sedan segment. The Swedes wisely opted for a four-door coupe look for the S60 as it differentiates their proposal from established rivals such as the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class.
"The concept car's exterior gives a clear indication of what customers can expect of the all-new S60. On the inside we've been even more daring," says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin. One of the concept's most prominent features but one that will not pass into production is the lack of a B-pillar and the rear parallelogram doors that open by pressing a button. The doors pop out and glide parallel with the side of the car until they reach their end position by the rear wheel.
Another interesting detail concerns the headlamps as the lights create a silhouette of two miniature Viking longboats sailing side by side, one for main beam and one for dipped beam.
With a four-seat layout, the S60 Concept's cabin features the firm's trademark floating center stack which was created out of handmade, solid Orrefors crystal. The speedometer is designed as a three-dimensional glass spiral with the low numbers appear closest to the eye and the figures appear to be increasingly distant as the driver accelerates. Overall, the interior boasts a fresh and relatively uncluttered styling.
The engine that Volvo has chosen for the S60 Concept is a new four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol unit which uses high-efficiency GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) technology producing an output of 180 HP. The Swedes claim that this engine in combination with a range of other technical measures makes it possible to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 119 g/km with an average consumption of just 5.0 l/100 km (47.0mpg US).
Volvo's first production car with GTDi technology will be introduced during the second half of 2009.
As a true Volvo, the S60 is also packed with several safety gadgets including a new technology that can detect a pedestrian who steps out into the path of the car automatically activating the car's full braking power if the driver does not respond to the danger. The technology, Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection, will be introduced in the production S60.
