Volvo

October 25, 2005 Volvo pioneered automotive safety long before it was fashionable and its stocks have risen in recent years as active safety has become non-daggy and the Volvo emblem is now synonymous with safety in the mind of the public. So it’s a logical time to extend the brand, and there’s no more compelling issue around safety than that of baby seats. Yes folks, if you want your pride and joy to be as safe, secure and comfortable as can be, Volvo has launched a new range of ISOFIX child seats! Read More

August 18 2005 Volvo Cars’ most recent contribution to road safety is an experimental car equipped with a breathalyser lock integrated into the driver's seat belt clasp. Volvo Cars is also experimenting with a special ignition key that regulates the car’s top speed. The experimental technology requires the driver to perform a two-step safety check before the engine will start. The driver must first blow into the built-in breathalyser lock and the driver must also fasten the seat belt. When the breathalyser detects alcohol or if the driver does not fasten the seat belt, the engine will not start. The breathalyser will illuminate red when it positively detects alcohol, and the breathalyser will illuminate green when it does not detect alcohol. Read More

July 26, 2005 Volvo’s Inflatable Curtain (IC), introduced in 1998, helps to protect the belted occupant’s head during a side impact or rollover scenario. IC has been developed for and is fitted as standard in Volvo’s sedans, wagons and XC models.

This essential safety technology has been specifically adapted for the unique use in a cabriolet. The Inflatable Curtain will be available on Volvo's C70 hardtop cabriolet – a world-first safety development. In a fixed roof vehicle, the IC is fitted in the inner roof edge and is activated downward between the side window and the occupant’s head. This location has thus far made it impossible to fit the IC system in a cabriolet since there is no fixed roof for its installation. Read More

July 19, 2005 The next generation Volvo C70 shown here for the first time, can be reasonably expected to grab a significant slice of upmarket consumer attention in that it converts from a hardtop coupe to an open air convertible at the press of a button. The second generation C70 has an innovative three-piece retractable hardtop and can hence offer two cars for the price of one. With the top up, it's an elegant coupe and with the top stowed below the rear deck, it offers wind-in-the-hair sports car fun with room for four people. The all-new Volvo C70 will be unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September, with sales beginning in the U.S. in the spring of 2006 – just in time for summer. Read More

May 6, 2005 The Volvo Cars' YCC team has received the Torsten och Wanja Soderbergs Pris (Torsten and Wanja Soderbergs Prize), one of Scandinavia's most prestigious design awards. The YCC is a Volvo concept car with unique features designed exclusively by women and it impressed the judging jury. "For their solutions for storage, accessibility, vision and the possibility to personalize the interior, the group has in a convincing way shown possible solutions for future cars," wrote the jury. Read More

November 5, 2004 Volvo has unveiled plans for an all new powerhouse model. The XC90 Power Utility Vehicle, is powered by the company's new V8 planned to produce 650 horsepower, sports a six-speed automatic "Geartronic" transmission and a computer-controlled all-wheel-drive system. Volvo once had a dowdy image thanks to championing safety long before it was fashionable. In recent times, a string of innovative and socially astute concept cars has done a lot to reinvigorate the company's brand. The introduction of the diabolically fast XC90 Power Utility Vehicle is no doubt designed to bolster the Swedish car manufacturer's image and attract new enthusiasts. Read More

Spurred by the growing need to tackle congestion and pollution issues, Volvo Car Corporation has developed a radically new approach to sustainable mobility with the striking 3CC concept. The futuristic Volvo 3CC personal transportation vehicle was unveiled today at the Shanghai Michelin Challenge Bibendum event.

The Volvo 3CC is a sleek, aerodynamic car designed to carry up to three adults, or two adults and two children, utilizing a unique two-plus-one seating arrangement which provides comfort and space comparable to a larger car. Read More

An entirely new Volvo powertrain featuring a V8 engine, six-speed automatic transmission and the latest-generation AWD system will make its debut at Paris motor show on 23 September. This leading-edge V8 engine marks a new turning-point in Volvo Cars' history. It is the first V8 the company has produced since it was founded in 1927, and the Volvo XC90 is the first model to be powered by the new engine. Read More

The origins of the soapbox derby or billykart race are not well documented, or so we thought. Volvo's press release on its Extreme Gravity car dates the first organised soapbox derby in 1933 at Dayton Ohio, USA. Regardless of the accuracy of that claim, the Volvo Extreme Gravity Racer is far removed from those original vehicles. Comprised of water-jet-cut high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber composite and fiberglass, the machine is a feast for the eyes of anyone who has ever built such a gravity machine. Read More