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Volvo S60 Polestar Concept finally spotted in the flesh

The Volvo S60 Polestar Concept has graced the pages of Autoblog numerous times in recent memory, but we've never actually seen it in person. That is, until now.
We caught up with the blazing blue sedan sitting on the floor of the LA Auto Show, and it looks even better up close. As a refresher, the four-door is fitted with a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine (3.0-liter) generating an impressive 508 horsepower. Its close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox sends power to all four wheels through a fourth-generation Haldex XWD system. With a decent driver behind the steering wheel, the Polestar can crack the 60 mph benchmark in about 3.7 seconds as it rushes towards a top speed in excess of 186 mph.
Volvo has said that this Polestar-modified S60 was built for a specific client who paid upwards of $300,000 for the pleasure of owning it. But as they say, if there is market demand for more...

Vehicles awarded IIHS Top Safety Pick awards skyrockets for 2015 [w/video]

By practically every measure, passenger vehicles in the US are continuing to get safer. With the year rapidly coming to an end, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing its annual list tallying of the scores for the latest vehicles to see how they compare to last year. Judging by the agency's evaluations, the numbers look quite positive. According to the institute, 71 vehicles earned either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating so far in its testing for 2015. Among the latest winners, there have been 33 TSP+ awards and 38 TSP medalists. That's a healthy increase over the 22 TSP+ and 17 TSP grades in 2014. The figures appear even more impressive when you consider that it keeps getting harder to earn the + designation. In the latest round of testing, a vehicle must offer some form of front crash prevention automatic braking to get the mark. Previously, just a warning to drivers was necessary. This list also illustrates the ways that automakers adapt to new testing procedures. In 2013 there were 117 TSP ratings and 13 TSP+ awards. Then, the IIHS mandated that to be a safety pick, a model had to score Good in the institute's four crash tests, plus a Good or Acceptable in the small overlap front test. That brought a plunge in 2014 to just 17 TSP grades. With the numbers climbing again, companies apparently have deciphered how to perform better. Some brands especially stood out on this year's list. The IIHS praised Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Acura for offering standard front crash prevention systems on some models. Subaru received at least one of the awards for all seven of its models. Toyota also had seven, and the Honda brand did too – though the institute counts the two- and four-door versions of the Civic and Accord separately. Check out the full announcement below and a video about this year's winners. The full list can be viewed, here. Safety gains ground: More vehicles earn top honors from IIHS The number of vehicles earning either of the Institute's two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier - TOP SAFETY PICK+ - has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. "This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet," says IIHS President Adrian Lund.

Volvo recalls another 195,000 vehicles for airbags after a death

Volvo has recalled 194,546 vehicles built between 2001 and 2007 due to airbag inflators that "may explode during deployment, due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling." The vehicles included in this recall are V70 and XC70 models that were built from Feb. 22, 2000 through May 4, 2007, but similar recalls have included other Volvo models for the same issue. In total, Volvo has recalled more than half a million vehicles worldwide to replace faulty inflators. To find out if your vehicle has been recalled in the United States, visit the official site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Owners can also contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. The number for this particular recall is R10136. According to the recall notice, Volvo is aware of one incident in which an inflator ruptured, killing the driver. While these airbag recalls may sound familiar due to the massive number of inflators that were made by Takata and were recalled and replaced, the inflators used by Volvo were manufactured by supplier ZF/TRW. Takata's faulty airbag inflators have been blamed for at least 19 deaths in the United States and 28 worldwide, along with more than 400 injuries in the U.S. alone. Volvo will replace the driver-side airbag of affected vehicles at no charge "with a modern state-of-the-art propellant/inflator." Owners of affected vehicles should expect to receive a notice in the mail after December 14, 2021. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.