2001 Volvo S40 Base Sedan 4-door 1.9l on 2040-cars

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Volvo brings a whole new 2014 showroom for Geneva's approval

Sometimes it takes smaller automakers a bit longer than the industry average to rotate and freshen their product lineups. Volvo has taken a big swing for the 2014 model year in that regard, and has brought along a full product portfolio of new cars.
In the main, this means that the Swedish brand has fast-tracked facelifts for its already-attractive assemblage of sedans, wagons and crossovers. Volvo mainstays S60 and S80 have both gotten appearance modifications to freshen them for dealer lots, as well as added features inside the car. We're particularly happy to report that the spirited "60 cluster" models - S60, V60, XC60 - can now be had with optional paddle shifters on new, three-spoke steering wheels.
Below you'll find a whole bunch of image galleries of the revised Volvos, live and in person from the show floor in Geneva. For a bit more background on the Volvo updates, feel free to read our original announcement of the news or scroll down to catch the press release.

Volvo updates XC60 and adds Android-based infotainment to more models

The 2022 Volvo XC60 is getting a number of minor updates, plus Volvo is rolling out its Android-based infotainment system to more of its lineup. Starting with the XC60 news, Volvo is subtly adapting the front and rear bumper styling. It gets new front side intakes and a massaged lower bumper opening. Neither of those nearly unnoticeable changes do much to influence our opinion of the car. The new rear bumper design reveals a slight character adjustment, though. Like other recently-updated Volvos, the exhaust exit is made invisible under the car — there are no longer any exhaust pipes exiting from the rear. The dual exhaust seen on the regular XC60 was a nice touch, but this is simply more of Volvo preparing us for the electric future to come. As for tech, Volvo says that the XC60 will be one of the models to get the Android-based infotainment for 2022. The 2022 S90, V90 and V90 Cross Country will be adding this infotainment system, too. It comes with something Volvo is calling the “Digital Services Package” for four years at no cost. This package includes the Google Assistant, Google Maps, access to Google Play apps, the Volvo On Call app, a data/internet connection and access to the wireless phone charger. After four years, Volvo says that “customers can continue to use the package by opting for an extension.” The “extension” will certainly involve paying Volvo for continued access to the programs (though Volvo hasn't said how much yet), similar to BMW and its proposed subscription-based vehicle feature model. Seeing what you get with the package, itÂ’s made such that you need the package to make the infotainment system useful. Losing access to Google services with a Google-based infotainment system seems crippling on the surface, and VolvoÂ’s tying of the wireless phone charger functionality to this subscription service is also irksome.  Volvo is just introducing this package, and weÂ’re sure it will change over time as it matures, so this likely isnÂ’t the last weÂ’ll hear of the “Digital Services Package” story. ChargePoint in-car app View 5 Photos Lastly, Volvo is adding a new in-car ChargePoint app to its Android infotainment system that should simplify the charging process. It eliminates any need for you to get your phone or credit card out when you pull up to a charging station, assuming you're using a ChargePoint charger.

Geely chairman is now the single biggest investor in Daimler

Li Shufu, the chairman and main owner of Chinese carmaker Geely, has built a stake of 9.69 percent in Daimler AG, the German carmaker said in a regulatory filing on Friday. The stake, worth nearly $9 billion at the current valuation for Daimler shares, makes Li the biggest single shareholder in the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, trucks and vans headquartered in the German city of Stuttgart. A Daimler spokesman called the stake purchase a private investment by Li. "We are delighted, with Li Shufu, to have won over another long-term investor who is convinced of Daimler's innovative prowess, strategy and future potential," the spokesman said in response to a request for comment. "Daimler knows and respects Li Shufu as a Chinese entrepreneur of particular competence and forward thinking." Li's stake purchase makes him the top shareholder in Daimler ahead of the Kuwait Investment Authority, which owned 6.8 percent as of Sept. 30, according to Thomson Reuters data. Earlier this month, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that the Chinese industry giant was seeking to become Daimler's biggest shareholder, likely exceeding the 6.8-percent stake of the Kuwait Investment Authority. The paper said Daimler had reportedly turned down Geely's $4.5 billion offer for a 5-percent stake via a discounted share placement, saying that Geely could buy shares in the open market. Institutional investors currently own 70.7 percent of Daimler, and the company already has strong ties to Chinese automakers BAIC and BYD. Bild am Sonntag said the move was intended as a strategic alliance against Apple, Google and Amazon on autonomous and connected cars. And Reuters reported that Daimler wants to have bespoke "robo taxis" on the road quicker than Google's Waymo, and views Geely as a strong partner for that. Geely conversely is interested in Daimler's electric car battery technology, and sources quoted by the German paper say there are plans to establish joint electric car manufacturing in Wuhan, China, to meet China's smog-reducing quotas. Geely is developing the Lynk & Co. brand of electric and hybrid cars. Geely owns Volvo, which has enjoyed a renaissance under the arrangement, as well as the maker of London's black cabs. In December, it bought a stake in AB Volvo, the maker of Volvo trucks.