Autoblog

Volvo XC90 gets modest tweaks for 2012

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

The Volvo XC90 has always been a strong seller, and apparently the Swedish automaker sees no reason to rock the boat with a full-scale retooling of the luxury crossover. Still, that doesn't mean an update wouldn't breathe a bit of fresh air into the XC90 - and by our clock, it's (over)due for a freshening, as the segment stalwart is entering its ninth year of production. Volvo has done just that for the 2012 model, and both the exterior and interior get a few tweaks to bring the styling up to par with the rest of the market.

Like the rest of the automotive world, Volvo has decided to add LED daytime running lamps to the front of the XC90. The lower silver trim on the bumper helps add a touch of masculinity, and it blends nicely with the silver-clad roof rails. The LED upgrades make their way to the rear of the car in the form of bright taillamps, and the exterior upgrades are literally rounded out by the new 18-inch wheels that wear a silver-matte finish. Inside, the 2012 XC90 features new gauge faces inspired by watch dials, a new three-spoke wheel, aluminum trim and Bluetooth streaming audio.

In addition to standard trims, Volvo will continue to offer the racier-looking R-Design model. Customers jumping into the XC90 R-Design will get more aggressive styling that's set off from the outside by Ixion 19-inch wheels.

You can check out the 2012 Volvo XC90 by clicking through the gallery. Be sure to click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Volvo XC90 gets modest tweaks for 2012

Volvo XC90 gets modest tweaks for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legoland California staff pranks their Volvo-driving general manager

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Hatchback, Volvo, Humor

Full-size Lego Volvo XC90 prank - Click above to watch video after the jump

Peter Ronchetti is the general manager of Legoland in California. He drives a Volvo XC60, but the Legoland staff decided he should jump up to the XC90. Seeing as the Legoland staff is rather skilled at turning interlocking plastic bricks into art, they decided to give Ronchetti a full-size Volvo. Sort of...

The result is one amazing, and lighthearted, prank. See the team's hard work by watching the clip posted after the jump.

Continue reading Legoland California staff pranks their Volvo-driving general manager

Legoland California staff pranks their Volvo-driving general manager originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo confirms all-new XC90 for U.S.

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Volvo

Volvo has confirmed that the U.S. market is primed to receive a redesigned XC90. Automotive News had the chance to sit down with Doug Speck, CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, and suss out the automaker's plans for the future. While pushing for increased sales of the new S60 is part of Volvo's short-term strategy, bringing in a replacement for its aging XC90 is certainly a key component to the marque's long-term success.

There is no talk yet of a timetable or just what's in store for the next generation XC90. Now that the S60 sedan has been given a well-conceived makeover, we have to assume that Volvo's dealers are chomping at the bit for the strong-selling XC60 to get a new-and-improved big brother.

Volvo confirms all-new XC90 for U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo XC90 reportedly under NHTSA investigation for intermittent lighting failures

Zach Bowman — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Safety, Volvo, Luxury

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. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo recalls over 140K 2001-2005 and 2010 MY vehicles over fuel system issues

Michael Harley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety

2010 Volvo XC60 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Vehicles manufactured by Volvo are the subject of two different recalls newly announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). The recalls, both involving problems with fuel systems, cover more than 140,000 vehicles manufactured within the past decade.

The first recall is directed at 136,100 2001-2005 model year S60, S80, V70, XC70, and XC90 vehicles sold and operated in warmer climates. According to NHTSA, the fuel pump can develop cracks in its flange when exposed to hot temperatures (and thermal cycling) combined with varying fuel quality. A compromised flange may leak fuel and/or result in a fire. Owners are instructed to bring their vehicles into the dealer for inspection. If the part is defective, Volvo will replaced it with modified flange at no charge. The recall campaign is scheduled to begin in January 2010.

The second recall is directed at 5,253 2010 model year XC60 vehicles. According to NHTSA, a fuel line rail cover designed to protect the fuel lines on the XC60 may be improperly attached, thus exposing the lines to damage. The damaged pieces may leak, possibly resulting in a fire. Owners of the affected models are asked to bring their vehicles to the dealer for inspection and/or a repair at no charge. The recall campaign is scheduled to begin in January 2010.

Owners are asked to contact NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov for more information. The full text from both recall notices is after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Volvo XC60

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Volvo recalls over 140K 2001-2005 and 2010 MY vehicles over fuel system issues

Volvo recalls over 140K 2001-2005 and 2010 MY vehicles over fuel system issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Bulk Store Buying: Costco and Volvo team up to sell cars

Chris Shunk — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Volvo

2010 Volvo XC60 - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's the holiday season and that means shopping and deal-finding is at a premium. A trip to warehouse stores Costco or Sam's Club will likely net you some tidy deals on anything from eggs and Hot Pockets to a Jacuzzi or even a casket. Even carmakers are getting in on the dealmaking, as a recent promotion with Mitsubishi and Sam's can attest. Not to be outdone, Costco is also getting in on the act.

The warehouse store and Sweden's Volvo are collaborating on a promotion for the XC60, XC70 and XC90 that includes discounts and a $500 Costco card which comes six-to-eight weeks after purchase. Customers who purchase an XC60 from Costco also get Volvo employee pricing. Buyers of the XC70 and XC90 will receive an additional $500 off. The deals being offered through Costco are in addition to any dealer incentive programs that are currently available.

We find it rather amusing that the promotion is only for Volvo crossovers - and yet it makes complete sense at the same time. Shopping at Costco practically necessitates driving a large vehicle while a quick glance at any warehouse store parking lot reveals a sea of trucks, SUVs and minivans. At least Volvo appears to be properly targeting Costco's customer base.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Volvo XC60

Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Costco]

More Bulk Store Buying: Costco and Volvo team up to sell cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fido Approved: America's top ten pet-safe vehicles

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:41:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

America's Top 10 Pet Safe vehicles - Click above for high-res image gallery

Most people don't pay it any mind, but car accidents and pets don't mix. Just like with humans, wrapping your car around a telephone pole can kill Fido dead. Or really injure the cute little guy. To draw attention to this issue, a website called Bark Buckle Up has teamed up with Edmunds.com to bring us their Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles.

As Bark Buckle Up points out, "If you have an accident at 35 mph while toting your 60-pound unrestrained dog, your pet is capable of causing an impact of up to 2,700 pounds, slamming into the seat, the windshield, or even a passenger." Ouch. Now of course, if you have an eight pound pooch, that's only a 360 pound impact. We say "only" to illustrate how violent car crashes can be. And just imagine if you had a really big dog, like a Dogo Argentino. Assuming you got a big 160-pound satin-white boar hunter, the impact would be near the four ton range.

What do the following ten vehicles do to address pets flying through the windshield in a crash? Very little, and we don't want to get into the delusion that CUVs are somehow safer than cars. But they all offer nice amenities for pets -- stuff like room to stretch out, tri-zone climate control, fold flat rear seats, side impact airbags and rear back up cameras. As for an accident, you might want to invest in a doggy seat belt. Says Bark Buckle Up founder Christina Selter, "In the event of a sudden stop or accident, the animal can injure other passengers or be thrown through the windshield, then hinder the efforts of rescue workers or even cause another accident by escaping into the street." All ten vehicles are listed out in alphabetical order, so check 'em out in our gallery below.

Gallery: Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles

[Source: Bark Buckle Up]

Fido Approved: America's top ten pet-safe vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo XC90 Sport gets sportier with the R-treatment

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Crossover, Volvo

Volvo's limited presence in Detroit will be punctuated by the expansion of its in-house customization line with the release of the XC90 Sport R-Design. Volvo connoisseurs can R-ified their 'ute with either 19- or 20-inch matte wheels, dual exhaust pipes, brushed sill moldings and the removal of the CUV's roof rails. Inside, a blue-lit instrument cluster joins some additional badging, a leather wrapped steering wheel and an aluminum center stack to boost the premium feel of the XC90. They're all nice touches, but we still maintain that anything sporting the letter "R" should involve upgrades to both the visual appearance of the vehicle and its performance.

Volvo's press release is available after the jump.

Continue reading Volvo XC90 Sport gets sportier with the R-treatment

Volvo XC90 Sport gets sportier with the R-treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo responds: Next-gen XC90 not dead

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Volvo

Yesterday, the word from Auto Motor and Sport Sweden was that the next Volvo XC90 was stillborn due to a lack of hybrid drive trains and other fuel-saving technologies. Not so, according to Volvo, who responded to the pub's article by saying that a facelifted XC90 is in the works and that the XC90 replacement has not been cancelled.

How Volvo plans to get around new fuel economy regs and what Ford platform will be used to underpin the automaker's burly next-gen 'ute is still up in the air, but a clean-sheet rethink might be in order to address many of these environmental issues that will be plaguing Volvo in the upcoming years.

[Source: Auto Motor and Sport Sweden via World Car Fans]

Volvo responds: Next-gen XC90 not dead originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo recalling 42,000 XC90s

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Crossover, Volvo

Volvo has revealed that it's recalling 42,000 XC90 SUVs to inspect a suspect battery switch. Only North American vehicles had this switch, which apparently creates the risk of short circuits if the jack handle comes into contact with it. Volvo seems particularly concerned that this could happen on vehicles that were serviced by technicians in such a way that the potential for a short circuit was created. The recall is only for the 2005 Volvo XC90, though. Volvo dealers will check the recalled cars and slap a sticker on them somewhere to instruct future service technicians how to avoid the risk of a short circuit. Apparently it's a preemptive strike by Volvo, as there haven't been any reports of short circuiting so far.

[Source: Reuters]

Volvo recalling 42,000 XC90s originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Volvo Treasure Hunt set to start May 4th

John Neff — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, Etc., Volvo

We're fairly certain that the success of Volvo's first Treasure Hunt game, which was tied to the release of Disney's second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, took the swedish automaker by surprise. It certainly surprised us, as our initial post on the promotion racked up a record number of comments. Autoblog readers used the post as a common room to share tips and help others overcome the game's more difficult obstacles. All told, nearly 1,271 comments were left on that post.

With the third installment of Disney's swashbuckling franchise on the horizon, Volvo's ready to send our readers on another global hunt for treasure and the keys to a new XC90 SUV. This time, however, the treasure has not been buried on a sandy beach, but sits right now on the ocean floor somewhere. That's right, Volvo has placed a chest filled with $50,000 worth of actual gold in the ocean somewhere. Ballsy, we say. On May 4th, the hunt to find it will begin. You can preregister for the game here, and keep up with news at these two unofficial sites: The Hunt 2007 and Volvo The Hunt - 2007, the latter of which already has shots of the map you'll need to retrieve at a local Volvo dealership to begin the game. Just don't forget to skewer the sales guy with your cutlass on the way out. It's the pirate's way, after all.

[Source: Volvo]

Second Volvo Treasure Hunt set to start May 4th originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo thinks it needs more crossovers and wagons

Chris Tutor — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:08:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Crossover, Volvo

And as a new father in need of a larger vehicle, I agree. Volvo has long been known for their safe, sensible wagons and last year almost half its total sales came from this class of vehicles.

Volvo Car Corp. COO Steven Armstrong tells Autoweek that his company sees plenty of wagon and crossover-type market gaps that need filling. Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo Car senior vice president of brand business and product strategy (we hope he gets paid by the syllable, btw) is a little more specific, saying that if the company were to target those gaps, it would likely be in the V or XC range.

Again, as the new daddy, I'd love to see Volvo reintroduce the V90 as an ultra luxury wagon to give the class a more upscale image. But as a practical new dad (hey, diapers ain't cheap) I say bring on a fuel-efficient 5-seater crossover simiilar to, but smaller and cheaper than, the upcoming XC60 (pictured above). But as the father who still craves some excitement now and then, I would, of course, opt for the European delivery with the Nurburgring package.

With so few automakers competing in the U.S. in the wagon segment, we see Volvo snagging lots of new customers. But the Swedes need to be quick before Honda and Toyota decide to re-enter with Accord and Camry wagons.

[Source: Autoweek]

Volvo thinks it needs more crossovers and wagons originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo names treasure hunt finalists

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, Etc., Volvo

Aar, maties! You can put yer pencils down, Volvo has named the finalists in the hunt for its buried "Pirates of the Caribbean"-themed XC90. The seven piratical finalists include four from the U.S. and one each from the U.K., Japan, Spain and Austria.

The four-week puzzle contest will wrap up in dramatic fashion August 6, when the finalists will be flown to an undisclosed location to compete face-to-face in the final leg of the treasure hunt, a two-day Survivor-like physical and mental test leading them to the Volvo's location. First to dig it up, keeps the car.

The winning pirate will be announced August 11, and Volvo will air a series of reality TV-style online broadcasts of the final competition starting August 24.

So, has the contest been a marketing success so far? Well, if the more than 1,200(!) comments to our original post about the contest are any indication, someone in Volvo's marketing department deserves a raise. In the U.S. alone, more than 52,000 wannabe pirates visited Volvo showrooms to pick up the contest treasure map. Yo-ho-ho!

[Source: Volvo]

Volvo names treasure hunt finalists originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London debut for Volvo's XC90 Sport SE

Alex Nunez — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Europe, Volvo, Misc. Auto Shows

According to Volvo, customers have been clamoring for a more dynamic take on their XC90 SUV. The automaker has complied.

Next week at London's British Motor Show, the public gets its first look at the Volvo XC90 SE Sport, a new take on the Swedish marque's SUV that applies suspension and appearance mods to give it a more dynamic attitude on-road. The suspension tuning was refined in Great Britain and consists of stiffer shocks and anti-roll bars to give the ute more bite when cornering. In addition, the speed-sensitive power steering is now more responsive. The XC90's self-leveling system also gets tweaked to complete the suite of handling upgrades.

(Read on for more after the jump)

Continue reading London debut for Volvo's XC90 Sport SE

London debut for Volvo's XC90 Sport SE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York Auto Show: Volvo launches 2007 XC90

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Crossover, Volvo

As we mentioned in our preview post earlier this month, it's a bit of a stretch to say that Volvo's mildly freshened 2007 XC90 merits a new model launch, but Volvo has made a number of noteworthy refinements to its successful SUV.

At the top of the list of new features is Volvo's new 3.2-liter inline 6-cylinder engine, which replaces the old turbo five-cylinder. The new six puts out a respectable 235 hp and 236 ft-lb of torque. Volvo's 311 hp V8 remains at the top of the option list for the new XC90.

The interior and exterior of the XC90 receive a number of detail refinements, including a new premium sound system which includes an Alpine power amp and Dynaudio speakers.

The new XC90 builds on Volvo's safety theme with a number of new features in the area of "preventative safety," including active headlights, a Blind Spot Information System built into the door mirrors, and a Park Assist Camera system integrated with the navigation system display. More pictures and the XC90 press release follow the jump.

Continue reading New York Auto Show: Volvo launches 2007 XC90

New York Auto Show: Volvo launches 2007 XC90 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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