Cars Lab

Archive for December, 2010

Xc60 The Future Design Direction Of Volvo

Volvo Fords Swedish luxury brand has earlier introduced a new sport utility vehicle that marks the beginning of a new design concept that would be employed for future Volvo cars. Steve Mattin Volvo Cars Design Director said that the car represent the DNA of future Volvos. He further stated Were about to elevate Volvos DNA to new levels by pumping up the volume. It takes the emotion of the C30 a step further.”

The XC60 that made its debut at the recently held North American International Auto Show in Detroit was said to exude brand new styling and design that reflects the forthcoming lineup of the automaker.

The XC60 is an addition to the SUV lineup of Volvo. Its features include a glass roof mechanical tailgate 20inch rims new shifting mechanism and newly styled grille. Its large Volvo logo has also made it look bolder and meaner. As an added feature it was given a distinct rear end to further emphasize the tailgate and the Volvo logo.

This is precisely what Steve Mattin meant when he said If you can recognize a Volvo from 50 meters today I want to get to the point where people will be able to spot one from twice the distance in the future. We need to be recognizable as Volvo. We’re still about Scandinavian simplicity; we can’t be playful or do styling for the sake of styling. Volvos last a long time so our design must have legs. But we can’t be too simple or we’d edge toward blandness. And we can’t just change; we must be fresh. I want to broaden our design and have more variation between car lines.”

Volvo Car President Fredrik Arp has also added that the XC60 is likely to become the C30 owners next car. Arp also added that the production version of the SUV would be very much identical to the concept. Mattin said that XC60 was designed like a giant iPod.

The vehicle has undergone meticulous engineering so as not to compromise the traditional Volvo safety features. Volvo enthusiasts could still get to see the Volvo auto care feature that the loved like the lowspeed adaptive braking system called the City Safety. This safety feature prevents the XC60 from running and crashing into the car in front that is running at low speed. The SUV is also given Volvos 3liter 6cylinder flexfuel engine which allows the used of ethanol instead of the petrol. The new engine also reduces emissions by up to eighty percent.

Our V8 package feels immensely solid. When it comes to power and performance were in the same class as the very best in the segment. Whats more were sure that a large proportion of these customers will appreciate the fact that the power and driveability can be combined with high safety and good environmental properties. Its important that we can launch a V8 without compromising on our core values said HansOlov Olsson Volvo Cars President and CEO.

The XC60 is Volvos entry to the fastestgrowing sector of the automotive market. The automaker is also expecting for its XC60 to boost sales by seventyfive percent or 443000 units of vehicles sold expected in the next couple of years. Volvo is also expecting that a great number of its buyers will come from the young and active urbanities. Arp also added that the XC60 will be as important as the C30 in expanding the brands sales. He further stated that the concept is a good indicator of what the production model will look like. It should be noted that Arp has previously made a statement confirming that the production will be identical to the concept.

Volvo has high hopes for its XC60 same as its other models. The XC60 SUV just like the other Volvo models are equipped with topoftheline auto parts from its most complicated parts down to bitsy parts like the Volvo ignition coil. This simply goes to show that the automaker is really serious when it comes to their cars.

About Volvo
Volvo is a medium size premier car maker in Sweden with a production of around 400000 cars per year. It has been able to topple down Saab which was then the largest Swedish car maker. Unfortunately the volume of its manufactured cars was not enough to support the company and that was when Volvo industrial group the mother company decided to sell the car division to Ford in 1998 for 6.42 Billion USD. Volvo industrial has used the money in financing further its truck business.

Volvo Cars was then integrated into Fords premier Automotive Group PAG which consists of Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin which Ford will also sell. Volvo has always kept its distinct design and RD independent from the rest of other PAG members but shares platforms and components with Ford Europe and Mazda.

Volvo is recognized for producing the safest cars in the world and to keep up with this image the automaker has always made research and development its top most priority. The S40 and S80 manufactured by Volvo have scored the highest marks in the European NCAP crash test. Many innovations on car safety were also developed by Volvo such as the SIPS Side Impact Protection System inflatable curtain air bag WHIPS Whiplash Protection System and the City Safety. Volvo is also the very first automaker to really take pedestrian protection seriously.

In the early 90s the automaker has been building vehicles that are designed to lure younger buyers. It started by launching highperformance versions of the 850 sedan T5 and T5R. This was succeeded by the introduction of a new breed of vehicles which includes the S80 V70 and S60 said to reflect the automakers new design direction. Volvo under Ford was able to expand its range to five model lines which includes the trendsetting XC90.

About the writer:  Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit Mi. she is a native of the Motor City and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.

Wide Ranging Gas Prices Has Some Motorists Flummoxed

As autumn weather spreads across the lower fortyeight states gas prices and temperatures seem to be dropping in unison. After pushing above 4 per gallon early in the summer prices have been gradually retreating and have dropped to below 3 per gallon in some places. This is good news for drivers who have been especially squeezed at the pump all year.

But not all areas are feeling the effects of lower gas prices particularly in some parts of the Southeast which were hit hard by pipeline shutdowns due to Hurricane Ike in September. In Raleigh the average price of a gallon of regular gas is still about 3.89 while in Corpus Christi prices are now average a full dollar less at 2.89 per gallon. Indeed outside of Alaska and Hawaii two states which consistently charge the highest rates cities like Charlotte Atlanta and Durham are paying the most for gas.

Since peaking around 150 for a barrel of oil this past summer price have dropped below the 100 per barrel level and seem to be heading even lower. A recent spike in prices in late September due to the economic meltdown have eased suggesting that prices will eventually drop below 90 per barrel. With the meltdown US consumption continues to drop further pushing prices downward.

Yet it is the Southeast which is having the most difficult time seeing lower prices thanks in part to disruptions from Hurricane Ike which whacked the Texas coast in September. A major pipeline from Texas that serves the Carolinas and Georgia was cut off forcing gas stations to shut down or ration out what they had. To this day many independent gas stations are without fuel waiting for supplies to be restored which should happen later this week. Once gas has been made widely available then prices will begin to drop perhaps by 50 cents or more almost immediately before settling below 3 per gallon this winter.

Top and Bottom 5 Cities

The following lists supplied by information gleaned from GasBuddy.com reflects the top five and bottom five cities price wise:

Top 5

Corpus Christi 2.889

Oklahoma City 2.948

Kansas City 2.998

Des Moines 3.020

Tulsa 3.053

Bottom 5

Raleigh 3.891

Charlotte 3.902

Atlanta 3.945

Anchorage 3.994

Honolulu 4.007

Clearly the price advantage can be found in the middle of the country while the Southeast Hawaii and Alaska continue to pay the highest prices in the nation.

About the writer:  Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in Cary North Carolina. Matt provides magazine web content and article writing services to clients all over the world serving the automotive human interest and business communities. If you are looking for quality performance parts for your vehicles then consider Audi A3 mufflers and Audi A4 body kits products which are available to you at discount prices.

Why Do You Need Extended Auto Warranty?

Are you planning on getting a new car or maybe you just bought one? Do you have a car that has a warranty that is close to running out? If you said yes to either of these questions that you need to make sure that you take the time to get an extended auto warranty quote. This is will help you to keep better control over any auto repair expenses you may have.

No one can ever predict when you will have auto repairs that need to be done. This is something that usually happens when it is the worst possible time. With auto warranties for new cars the major car repair expenses will be covered. Once the coverage expires you will be left on your own for any major auto repair expenses. This is when the extended auto warranty will help you because the extended warranty will extend your protection for any major expenses for a longer time.

One thing that you want to remember if you get a new car is that you dont have to get the extended auto warranty from the dealership when you buy the car. You can always go back later and get it which is a good idea because this gives you time to do some research and compare auto warranties so that you get the right one at a price you can afford.

You definitely want to spend the money on an extended auto warranty because it will save you money in the future. Just dont rush into getting one without doing research. It is important that you compare a couple of different auto warranties before you decide. This will allow you to get the best deal for your car and for the money you spend. Look online to see what you can find about warranties. There is a lot of information online.

Extended auto warranty is a definite must if you dont have the money to fix your car all the time. Just remember that you can get it later if you cant afford it now. You just want to make sure you get it before your warranty that came with the car runs out. If you take time to do some research you can even find warranty for used cars. No matter what kind of car you have you definitely want as much warranty as you can get for as long as you can get it.

About the writer:  Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on an auto warranty and car care warranty at http://www.extendedautowarrantyadvice.com