Autoblog

Volvo has announced a recall of 82,000 vehicles due to a rust problem that can lead to engine stall. The recall affects My 2004 through 2006 5-cylinder gasoline-powered S40 and V50 models. The majority of the problem cars are roaming the streets of the United States, Sweden and Germany as they are countries considered to be "corrosion markets". The issue stems from fuel pump electronics being exposed to rain, snow and road salt leading to their degradation. If excessive rust occurs it can lead to fuel starvation of the engine and thus, stalling. While markets with volatile climates get the fix, vehicles in more arid countries will receive an extended guarantee.

[Source: CNNMoney.com]

Automotive News is dishing on Volvo's product lineup plans between now and 2010. The newly released second-generation S80 won't see any major changes, nor will the new 70-series wagons, the C70, or the C30. The S40's going to bid us adieu, as there's price overlap with the S60, and the S60's not much larger than the S40. The C30's going to serve as the entry-level Volvo, while also angling at MINI's territory of cutieified premium small cars. The S60, while handsomely drawn, is becoming long in the tooth. A redesigned S60 will bow in 2010, and it will be smaller than the current model in an effort to differentiate it from the S80, as well as still serve those customers who would have gone for the S40.

While Gothenburg's losing a sedan offering, it'll be adding a CUV in early 2009 when the XC60 hits the streets. With the CUV market currently on fire, a smaller Volvo 'ute to go after X3 shoppers is a shrewd move. The basic hardware's already been piled together as the Land Rover LR2, which we suspect offers a decent preview of the XC60 experience. Basically, what we see happening is the phasing out of the P2 platform that Volvo developed in the '90s for the original S80, and a migration of all vehicles to some flavor of the EUCD platform.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub Req'd]

As long as BMW doesn't own Volvo, then the Swede is allowed to target the roundel's cars as competitors. Autocar reports that Volvo is shaking up the lowest two rungs on its sedan line to put more space between them, and to better compete with the 3 Series.

The smallest sedan, the S40, will be be made over from a 4-door sedan into a 5-door hatchback along the lines of the A3 and BMW 1-series. The very name S40 might also be sacrificed, changed instead to V40. The S60, instead of disappearing entirely, will get a longer wheelbase, a better interior, shared tech from the S80 and Mondeo, and a chassis that does a better job at challenging 3 Series dynamics. Part of that redesign, if the renderings are accurate, will be a flared three-section front bumper that is the new hotness in car design. Regarding the car's sporting aspirations, engineers are said to be battling accountants for funds to design a more sporting chassis. Engines for the S60 will include a 2-liter and 2.2-liter 4-cylinder diesels, the D5 5-cylinder diesels, as well as a 2-liter gas turbo.

It is claimed also that the Volvo logo will also be altered, losing the diagonal bar that spans the grill. Only the circle and arrow -- a stylization of the chemical symbol for iron -- will remain. All of these changes are slated to appear in 2009-10.

[Source: Autocar]

For any self-respecting driver that has a car with a manual transmission, there are two things that cast shame; stalling and grinding. It doesn't matter if you're the only one in the car or if there are no other motorists on the road, the embarrassment associated with these gaffes is omnipresent. To save myself from shame and for fear of wrecking my transmission, I hadn't tried clutchless shifting (also called powershifting) until very recently, after I saw it done on YouTube. I knew this was something that could damage my synchros (it's my personal car), so I figured I'd do it once and record it, so you don't have to do it yourself.

A friendly Autoblog warning from our own Dan Roth: Trying this out a couple times probably isn't going to grenade any gearbox that's in good shape, but you really shouldn't make clutchless shifts a regular part of your repertoire. While fine for a racing-duty "dog" gearbox, it's torture on the synchros in your street transmission. The inevitable grinding you'll perpetrate on the transmission while practicing clutchless shifting also means more particulate matter floating around inside your tranny. Think of it as a neat parlor trick, maybe try it out in case you should ever have a problem with your clutch actuation system, but otherwise, treat your gearbox with love.

Hit the jump to watch the video.

It looks like the dual-clutch preselector transmission is emerging as the leader in automated manuals. Volkswagen's DSG has been around a while and offers fewer compromises than less purpose-built manuals. Ford's champing at the bit to get their own trick DSG-like transmission into production, and it looks like we'll see such a unit drop soon with the PowerShift moniker. Gearbox maker Getrag has several different variations on the theme, and word is they'll start off in PAG brand like Volvo first and then trickle down to other Fords as a premium option. Volvo is a logical entry point, as the marque's S40 T5 can be mentioned in the same breath as the A3 without the entire room snickering.

The core engineering seems to be essentially the same, with the packaging, max ratio spread and durability of the innards varying among the different configurations. Applications cover the various vehicle architectures of FR, FF, and MR, plus AWD, though we're not sure if the center differential is a seperate unit or integral to the trans. They're mostly six-speeds, although there is a seven-speed version with triple cone synchronizers and a max torque capacity of 750Nm. The exciting thing is that these transmissions reportedly have Job 1 dates in 2007, so we should see the debut soon in something. Europe will likely get them first in the diesel S40/V50s. There's a version rumored to be destined for the Fiesta, which is destined here, so before long, we may all be revelling in the perfectly executed blip-blip downshift as we clip the apex and get back on the power to exit fast while behind the wheel of a Ford vehicle.

[Source: GM Inside News]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Arlington, Va. has just concluded testing on some 75 vehicles' head restraint systems and after performing a simulated rear-end impact of 20 MPH, only 22 of the systems received the top score of "good."

At the head of the class was Audi's A4, S4 and A6, along with the Chevy Cobalt, Ford Five Hundred (Taurus, whatever) and its Mercury counterpart, Honda's Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Jag S-Type, Kia Optima, Merc E-class, Nissan Sentra and its lesser sibling the Versa, Subaru's Impreza, Legacy and Outback, as well as Volvo's S40, S60 and S80 (no surprise).

The flunkees included the Acura TSX, BMW 5-series, Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne, Caddy CTS, DTS and STS, Chevy's Aveo, the Honda Fit and Accord, Infiniti's M35, the Jaguar X-Type, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Galant, Pontiac's Grand Prix, plus the Toyota Avalon and Corrolla.

Considering that the IIHS estimates that the injuries sustained to the back and neck in these types of collisions costs insurance companies around $8 mbillion dollars per year, their interest in the matter is obvious. Whether or not consumers will include this in their purchasing criteria is another matter however.

[Source: IIHS]

Volvo tuner Heico Sportiv is bringing a special HS4 ODIN to Germany's Nurburgring in June, but they're trying to leave excess CO2 behind. Fueled by bioethanol E85, a nearly carbon-neutral fuel, the special ODIN has been tuned specifically for the renewable fuel, and the car will be a testbed to further develop E85's potential.

Racing really will improve the breed, as whatever is learned by Heico, or any other racers entering the new alternative fuel class at the 'Ring, will be experienced under conditions that love to thwart you. The ODIN will also be shaking down a new set of 18" Toyo slicks, currently in the prototype stage. We'll see if this greener Volvo still has the hammer of Thor behind it to nab another victory at one of the toughest races in the world.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Heico Sportiv via Carscoop]

We're fans of the Volvo S40, as it's one of two ways to experience Ford's C1 chassis in the U.S. (the other being the Mazda3). Currently the S40 slots neatly at the bottom of Volvo's lineup, but word is that the next generation will grow substantially and replace both the current S40 and the S60 in Volvo's lineup. German site Autozeitung has whipped up this batch of renderings that preview what the next S40 may look like based on Volvo's current design language and cues previewed on the XC60 SUV concept. The rendering shows the S40 as about the size of an Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series, which means that Volvo may jettison the C1 chassis in favor of Ford's European C/D class platform, also known as the EUCD. Currently the EUCD underpins the Volvo S80, as well as a few European Ford people movers and the Land Rover LR2. It is also the underpinning for Bond's favorite rental car, the new Ford Mondeo. Regardless of whether the next-gen S40 replaces the aging S60, the prospect of Volvo producing a true 3-Series competitor is good news.

[Source: Autozeitung, Carscoop]

Heico Sportiv has unveiled their latest Volvo upgrades just prior to the Essen Motorshow with nary a chrome rim in sight. Heico covers the entire Volvo range, from C30 to a butching-up of the XC90 ute and finishing at the top of the range with a beautifully executed toning of the C70s lines. They've deftly modified the C30, creating the Heico HS3 D5 with a juiced diesel powertrain and upgrades to the chassis, interior and styling. The THOR_2 is a two wheel drive version of the Heico HS3 THOR that attended SEMA. When not attending auto shows, they've been out winning races in their HS4 ODIN, based on the S40 sedan, so they've got the underhood chops to back up the great job they did making these already stylish cars stand out.

(Gallery, press release after the jump)

[Source: Heico Sportiv via Swedespeed]

Volvo Cars has started European delivery of S40 sedans and V50 estates with its new and more powerful D5 diesel powerplant, aiming at Europe's premium diesel car market.

The S40 D5 and V50 D5 debuted at the Bologna Motor Show in December with the new 180 hp five-cylinder turbodiesel, a considerable step up from the two four-cylinder alternatives offering 109 and 136 hp. Currently, the D5 engine is available only with a five-speed automatic. The new models are expected to account for about 10 percent of S40 and V50 sales in Europe.

Volvo plans to roll out a C70 D5 model later this year, and the annual production target for the three D5 models is about 10,000 units.

[Sources: Volvo via What Car?]