Any automaker – besides Little Tikes or Hotwheels – that tries to market to kids may find itself wasting precious advertising dollars. But as far as family cars go, Volvo seems to have made a name for itself making the safest vehicles in which parents – you know, the ones actually paying for and driving the car – can shuttle their kids around from school to karate class. Just ask any of the mothers sitting sideline at soccer practice and they'll tell you as much. That may go some way towards explaining why the Swedish automaker has taken such care in releasing the latest addition to its merchandise line.

While Volvo is hardly the first automaker to merchandise its brand image or even the first to create children's clothing, it's the first we've seen to launch one single kids t-shirt by itself. The Volvo Manager T-shirt for children bears the colors – namely green, to go with the earth-friendly DRIVe program – of the company's Swedish Touring Car Championship team on a tee made especially for the little guy, letting him (or her) in on the action while letting everyone know who's the boss: it's written there right on the back, printed on, like the rest of the badges, instead of embroidered to optimize the kid's comfort. Of course, Volvo Motorsport has a full line of gear for mom and dad as well, available on the company's website, but this piece itself is so simple that it's just, well... child's play. Details in the press release after the jump and images in the gallery below.



[Source: Volvo]

From the "You knew it was coming" file is word that Volvo is readying an R-Design variant of their new XC60 crossover. With the company's sporty trim designation finding its way into nearly every product in the fold (C30, S40, V50, S80, V70, and XC90), the move may be an expected one, but it is pleasant nonetheless.

Given that it features stiffer damping (Volvo doesn't specify how much firmer), a more robust chassis (Volvo doesn't specify how it's reinforced) and improved steering (thanks to a new, "direct steering gear") than its more prosaic counterparts, the R-Design isn't purely an appearance package, but with no underhood work, it isn't far off. That's in keeping with the brand, though, as Volvos aren't traditionally the most sporting offerings in their segment.

In the case of the XC60, the R-Design is distinguished by its color-keyed lower body (standard XC60s are matte black), "matte silk metal finish" flourishes (grille, mirror caps, trim moldings), unique 18-inch "Cratus" pattern alloys (20-inch pieces are optional) as well as skid plates and a pair of chromed exhaust outlets.

The interior also gets some new trimmings, including aluminum steering wheel inserts, door moldings, and a darker finish floating center stack that features "a circular pattern that expands outwards in a dynamic way" – a pattern that is replicated in the striping of the two-toned seating surfaces. The pedals gain aluminum surfaces with grippy rubber inserts, and there's the requisite complement of R-Design badges as well.

As shown in the images, Passion Red is an R-Design-specific available color, but there are six other colors to choose from.

No word yet on model cost or availability, but we expect to see the the XC60 R-Design hitting dealers soon. For now, however, check out the gallery of high-res exterior photos below and the press release after the jump.

Any talk of brands for sale in the auto industry invariably includes a Chinese automaker as one potential bidder. As such, it's not surprising to hear that Chinese automaker Geely is reportedly in the running to buy Volvo from Ford. Chinese media, however, have begun reporting that Geely has actually signed a deal with the Dearborn-based automaker to buy the last remaining brand from Ford's now-defunct Premium Auto Group.

Has it actually happened? Both Ford and Volvo have made no official statements that would confirm what's being reported in the Chinese media. Official confirmations usually come after a deal has been widely reported in the media, though. However, the only outlets reporting this rumor are from China. We haven't heard a peep from any Swedish-based news organizations, which is surprising considering they were on the ball last week reporting that Koenigsegg had struck a deal with General Motors to buy Sweden's other big auto brand, Saab.

Swedespeed.com actually asked Volvo if the reports of a sale to Geely were true. James Hope, Volvo's US Product Communications Manager, had this to say.

"An announcement related to the sale of Volvo Car Corp. would only come from Ford Motor Company. As of today [Wednesday, June 17, 2009], neither Ford Motor Company nor Volvo Car Corporation in Sweden has made any announcement regarding the sale of Volvo. Reports of such a sale by any media outlet are speculative and, therefore, are not accurate."

There you have it. If an agreement has been struck by Geely and Volvo's parent company Ford, nobody's except the Chinese are talking about it.

[Source: Autocar.uk, Swedespeed]

In a weird twist of fate, if Koenigsegg completes the purchase of Saab from General Motors, Volvo will also become a small stakeholder in its native rival. Koenigsegg, which has reportedly signed a letter of intent with GM to acquire Saab, gave Volvo 3,750 shares back in 2000 to pay for the use of its wind tunnel.

Volvo's stake in the exotic carmaker is very small, worth only about 8,000 Swedish kronor (€760 or $1,022 USD according to current exchange rates). Nevertheless, Volvo is on the books as part owner of Koenigsegg, and if the sale of Saab goes through, it will become a stakeholder by association – unless it divests itself of its Koenigsegg stock.

All of this must mean very little to Volvo, as a spokesperson for the company was completely unaware of his employer's holdings in Koenigsegg when asked about it by the Swedish business daily Dagens Industri.

[Source: SwedishWire.com]

In addition to the turbocharged 3.0-liter T6 model, Volvo has introduced a new, less expensive 3.2-liter variant of the 2010 XC60, with pricing starting at $32,395 for the front-wheel drive model and $34,395 for the AWD version (*plus $850 in destination charges). The inline six is the same mill that motivates the S80, putting out 235 hp and 236 lb-ft through a six-speed automatic gearbox, and returning a claimed 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, Bluetooth integration, dual-zone climate control, eight speaker stereo, HD radio and a six month subscription to Sirius. Billed as the safest Volvo ever to roll out of Sweden, the XC60 is available equipped with "City Safety" automatic braking, anti-rollover control and a host of other features. All of the options are posted below the fold broken down by price and equipment along with Volvo's press release.

Lost in the bevy of numbers that is the Autoblog monthly sales report is the fact that Volvo just isn't selling very many cars in the U.S. any more. The Swedish automaker only sold 5577 units in May, and the downward trend started way before the automotive market hit the crapper. Given the sad state of Volvo of late, it's little wonder that Ford is desperately trying to sell the once profitable automaker.

Just because times are tough at Volvo doesn't mean it's time to give up. Volvo's new marketing initiative for the month of June addresses cost of ownership head-on. The Safe + Sound coverage plan is one of the most comprehensive warranty programs ever offered by any automaker. It includes 5 year/60,000 mile warranty coverage plus 5/60,000 free scheduled maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance, and – get this – wear and tear coverage that includes everything from wipers to brakes and rotors. Hit the jump to view the details on Volvo's Safe + Sound plan.

[Source: Volvo]

Episode #130 of the Autoblog Podcast sees Chris, Sam, and Dan kibbitzing over the obvious news, but it's not an All-GM-Bankruptcy show. Starting with General Motors (after all, it's a huge event) we move on to Magna's deal with Opel (and GM, coincidentally). Volvo's clever implementation of a diesel hybrid in its wagon comes next before talk turns to Fiat-based Chryslers. It all wraps up at about an hour and a half after we polish off some of your questions. Thanks for listening, hit us up at Podcast at autoblog dot com with questions/comments/praise/scorn.

Follow the jump to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, add the show to your RSS aggregator... or listen to it right now!

Starting grids, chicanes, kerbs and locking up the brakes diving into hairpins make you think of what car brand? Of course, Volvo. As promised, Volvo - The Game has been released today for free download for PC only - sorry Mac lovers (a group that probably includes a lot of Volvo owners...). Developed by SimBin, the game offers six Volvo models for turns on two tracks: the Eco Drive Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden and the Chayka track in Kiev, Ukraine.

When you're good enough to p0wn both those tracks and you tire of beating yourself, you can enter the Global Competition and go against Mad Swedish Maxes from around the world. But you better hurry - the first global competition begins today and runs until June 9 on the Eco Arena. The next one goes from June 10 to June 24. First prize for winning the global comp is a set of Pirelli tires up to 18 inches.

You can check out two gameplay videos and a development video after the jump, and download it yourself at the link below.

[Source: Volvo]

Land Rovers have always gone their own way – often literally. While off-roading demands a low center of gravity and muddy trails would seem to warrant hose-out interiors and body-on-frame-construction, the British automaker has long contented itself building tippy-looking unibody boxes with tall greenhouses and opulent cabins – the anti-Humvee, as it were. Further, in recent iterations, they've packed their products with immense electronic systems, air suspensions, dial-a-topography Terrain Response controller, and so on... the very sort of complexity that ought to be enough to send English sports car enthusiasts running back to their therapists' offices.

And yet, the formula has always worked – vehicles like the Range Rover and Discovery (now LR3) have somehow managed to earn both Kalahari-traversing credentials and valet stand privileges. Other companies have attempted the leather-lined off-roader thing before (Lamborghini, Lexus, Hummer, Porsche, and LaForza come to mind), but while some have added the trappings of luxury to their SUVs, exactly no one has been as successful in marrying their vehicles to the notion of aristocracy – the sort of "Lord and Master of All That I Survey" quality that has remained Solihull's historic preserve. In short, Land Rovers have always been a gloriously and uniquely British contradiction on wheels – a fact that goes some way toward explaining why your author remains more than a little conflicted when it comes to this LR2.

Click through to the jump to find how it all shakes out.



Photos copyright ©2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, General Motors is working on a deal with Renault to hand over Saturn, providing the French automaker with a "launching pad" to expand into North America. The WSJ's sources say that the deal with GM would allow Renault and its South Korean subsidiary, Samsung Motors, to sell its wares in the States though the existing retailers, possibly marketing the new vehicles as Saturns and building some of the vehicles using the General's underutilized plants. How the deal would flesh out financially remains to be seen, but there's a chance that Renault would acquire Saturn for no cash down – not surprising considering GM said it essentially plans to cancel the brand – but the French automaker would need to take on Saturn's liabilities and production costs. We're not entirely sure how acquiring a brand that could compete with Renault-owned Nissan in the U.S. would be in the best interests of the company overall, not to mention Saturn's track-record of marketing "European" vehicles in North America.

On the Geely front, the Chinese automaker is one of "three to four" serious bidders for Saab (as opposed to the ten reported yesterday), and comes a few weeks after Geely's bid for Volvo. Geely execs traveled to Trollhatten in the last few weeks, joined by nine other suitors, and the WSJ hypothesizes that Geely could be pushing for a deal with Saab as a way to put pressure on FoMoCo to get serious about the Chinese automaker's bid for Volvo. Regardless of Geely's apparent love of Sweden, expect a deal to be inked on Saab's future owners early this summer. Top tip throwback.

[Source: WSJ]