It's good to schedule things ahead of time, which is why we've made it easy to schedule your next service appointment. Just click the link and pick the time that works best for you: http://bit.ly/wCqdaV
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Volvo Car Corporation presents the all-new Volvo V40
Volvo Car Corporation will reveal the all-new Volvo V40 at a press conference at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show on March 6.
The all-new V40 is ready to overtake the competition in the Premium Hatchback class with sharpened features and characteristics from larger Volvos wrapped in a sleek, compact package.
"The all-new V40 is the first new model that is fully developed according to our human-centric, Designed Around You strategy. Charged with an outstanding set of high-tech features it definitely will give our toughest competitors a headache," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.
The all-new Volvo V40 is a modern, expressive car with a Scandinavian luxury look and feel, a high-quality aura and meticulous attention to detail. The new, fully graphic instrument cluster with personalised layout and information enhances the intuitive and uncomplicated driver experience.
"Thanks to input from customers all over the world our most compact V-range model features an outstanding blend of design, safety and versatility. The car is loaded with features that buyers of modern luxury cars want," explains Stefan Jacoby.
Class-leading driving dynamics
The all-new V40 boasts class-leading driving dynamics thanks to focused attention to a number of vital areas. The chassis is designed to offer the agile, connected experience that creates true driving pleasure.
The engine range spans everything from Volvo Car Corporation's first diesel with CO2 emissions of just 94 g/km to the turbocharged T5 petrol engine with 254 hp and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. All engine versions feature start-stop and braking energy regeneration, no matter whether they are fitted with a manual or automatic gearbox.
"The all-new V40 wraps you in a super-comfortable cockpit with outstanding ergonomics and technology that make you feel informed, focused and relaxed. This driver-centric approach is what modern Volvos are all about," says Stefan Jacoby.
Outstanding safety and support package
The all-new Volvo V40 features a class-leading safety and driver support package, including Volvo Car Corporation's groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake and several other new features.
Among the new features are a world-first pedestrian airbag, Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering, and an ingenious Park Assist Pilot that makes parallel parking easy.
The City Safety low-speed collision avoidance system has been further developed and it now operates at speeds up to 50 km/h.
"The all-new V40 is the most intelligent and safe Volvo model so far. All its features are designed around the driver, helping him or her stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations," says Håkan Abrahamsson, Vehicle Line Director C Cars & V40 Vehicle Programme Manager. He adds:
"With this class-leading safety package, including enhanced focus on pedestrian protection, the all-new V40 aims for a full star rating in the new, sharpened 2012 Euro NCAP safety tests."
Sales target 90,000 units
Volvo Car Corporation expects to sell 90,000 units per year of the all-new Volvo V40. A massive 85 percent of the total volume will go to European customers.
The car will be revealed at a press conference at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. Production of the all-new Volvo V40 starts in May 2012. The car will be built in Volvo Car Corporation's plant in Ghent, Belgium.
"The all-new V40 makes an instant impression with a dramatic design that stands out from the crowd. And what you see is what you get. The car boasts sharpened features and characteristics from larger Volvos - wrapped in a sleek, compact package. The car also has so many new features that it has an exceptional "density". It has pretty much everything," says Håkan Abrahamsson.
** Courtesy of Volvo Cars Newsroom
Monday, February 27, 2012
We Have Special Coupons for our Facebook Fans
Want to get access to exclusive coupons from our service and sales departments? All you have to do is follow this link (http://on.fb.me/xSAKlV) and 'like' our page!
Friday, February 24, 2012
We're Putting the XC90 in the Spotlight
Our vehicle spotlight for the weekend is shining on the adventurous, multipurpose Volvo XC90. Few SUVs can emulate the fusion of luxury and utility that the XC90 embodies. Check out our available models by clicking the link: http://bit.ly/z0qvfq
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
We've Made Financing Easy
Nobody wants their car-buying process to be a burdensome hassle. That's why we make it easy to buy the car you want. Find out more about our financing options by clicking on the link: http://bit.ly/uXJPHm
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The work horse becomes lounge lion - The Volvo Amazon estate turns 50
The quote is from a press release published on February 15 1962 and issued by AB Volvo. Two days later, on February 17, the Stockholm Motor Show opened. With the new car, Volvo made its work horse into a lounge lion; a comfortable and elegant five-door sedan with extra load capacity and many more practical features.
In parallel to the new car, the popular Volvo Duett continued to be offered for another seven years which gave the Volvo customers with larger transport needs than average more to choose from. For the family with children, the more modern Amazon made life much easier, the travelling salesman could travel in more style and the craftsman got much better access to the luggage compartment through the rear doors and the split tailgate.
"The new estate is a new Volvo model, for which the existing components of the Amazon have been used to the largest possible degree. The result is a fast and roomy passenger car with an extremely good load capacity. Four doors and a split tailgate enhance the positive character just as the design, the quality, the road manners and the overall economy. The aim has been to create a spacious family car for long-distance travelling and leisure needs - a functional car which can also be used professionally. It is called the Volvo 221 Amazon."
This is a description which - except for the tailgate - also characterises a Volvo V line car of 2012. The price for the new car when launched was SEK 14,475 plus tax with a 75 hp engine; about SEK 1,000 more than the corresponding sedan version. If converted into today's money value it would be approximately SEK 160,000.
Comfort a key property
In true Volvo fashion the fact that the passenger compartment could be turned into a sleeping compartment was also highlighted. But the word comfort was mentioned before the word luggage compartment since the Amazon was the first Volvo estate based on a passenger car rather than a delivery van with a separate frame like the Duett.
The Volvo team had worked both cleverly and cost-effectively. The elegant lines of the Amazon sedan had been retained and transferred in an elegant and efficient way to the estate, The roomy rear section of the body had been done without altering the exterior dimensions, largely thanks to Jan Wilsgaard who had designed the Amazon in the first place.
Halfway along the long roof, at B-pillar height, there was a reinforcement pressing to maintain rigidity. The upper sections of the rear doors were straight and followed the roof line, only the window frames had been re-designed. The doors themselves were the same as those on the four-door version. The rear section of the body was supported by a box-section sub frame and the rear suspension had been modified and lowered in order to make the luggage compartment floor as low as possible.
Clever solutions
The tailgate was horizontally split in two. In the lower half, the number plate holder rested on hinges which meant that it folded down and became visible from behind when the lower part was open. In this folded position, the gate was supported by the flat and rubber-clad upper parts of the bumper over riders which also served as footsteps when reaching up to the roof rack - a popular standard accessory - or something inside the car with the lower tail gate section closed. Practical and clever.
The luggage compartment was 183 cm long and 126 cm across with the rear seat folded down. Load capacity was 490 kg, only ten kilos less than the Duett. Performance, drive and ride properties were equal to those of the sedan version and that the estate body was efficient in terms of drag was illustrated by the fact that it topped over 140 kph with a 75 hp single-carburettor engine and a weight of 1250 kg.
The introduction colour mist green - with upholstery in a combination of brown fabric and vinyl - was only available during the first year and it was much more common to see the cars in white, beige or blue. The sportiness was later underlined with the letter 'S' for cars with twin-carburettor engines.
Just like other Amazons, the estate remained virtually unchanged design wise except for minor trim details over the years, but technically it benefitted from Volvo developments. In 1964, the front wheel drum brakes were replaced with power assisted disc brakes and the seats were vastly improved. 1968 saw the introduction of a collapsible steering column and engine power rose to 115 hp in the most powerful version. Furthermore, the first exhaust emission control system was introduced on US market cars.
In 1969 the B20 engine replaced the faithful B180 wonder and during the same year, the model went out of production after just over 73,000 cars had been produced. The Duett also ceased production that same year but the Volvo customers who needed and wanted space did not have to worry. The Volvo 145 had been introduced the year before and was offered in two versions. It was yet another step forward: more modern, more comfortable and even safer.
The Amazon estate was a car that found customers in all parts of society. As opposed to many other cars on the market, it did not reveal anything about its owner's social status or prestige, just that he or she was very sensible and practical when it came to the choice of car. An early life style attribute indeed, and years before this was formulated by market analysts and expert demographers in the business.
A collector's car today
Mint condition Amazon estates from the first mist green model year can unfortunately not be found anymore but several cars with very low chassis numbers have in fact survived in spite of the fact that estate cars in general lead a harder life than sedans. Most frequent are cars from 1965 to 1967, but they are still uncommon since relatively few were built. Real fine examples are rarely sold and always fetch more than the sedans, except for the 123 GT. In the Volvo Museum the last estate built, chassis number 73220, is displayed. It is dark blue and left the factory on October 15, 1969.
** Courtesy of Volvo Cars U.S. Newsroom
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