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Volvo S80 nip/tuck spotted in China

An early look at the new face of the Volvo S80 has made its way to the web. The Chinese site Auto Sina spotted a revised version of the country's S80L out in public and in plain view. Not too long ago, Doug Speck, the global head of marketing and sales for Volvo, said designers were working on a mild facelift for the S60 and S80, and while it is possible the Swedish manufacturer will roll out a different front fascia for the US market, the move seems unlikely.
The S80L seen here boats a tweaked grille and a Passat-inspired lower valance. New wheels and side-view mirrors also appear to be part of the update, as does a modified rear bumper and exhaust outlets. Volvo is set to debut the facelifed S80 next year, and while the manufacturer hasn't delivered an exact time frame, good money is on the vehicle showing up at the Detroit Auto Show in January or the Geneva Motor Show in March. Stay tuned for more information.

Ford, Volvo, Google, Uber and Lyft form self-driving alliance

Five companies arguably leading the worldwide effort to develop autonomous cars said Tuesday they're forming an organization to lobby the federal government to better prepare America's roads for self-driving technology. The founding members include some of the biggest companies in the automotive, autonomous, and ride-sharing realms – Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber and Volvo. Operating as the "Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets," they aim to work with lawmakers and regulators to clarify a disparate set of rules and regulations at both the state and federal levels that could hinder the deployment of autonomous cars. "The U.S. risks losing its leading position due to the lack of federal guidelines for the testing and certification of autonomous vehicles." – Hakan Samuelsson David Strickland, a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who issued the first set of autonomous-related policies in that role (pictured below), will serve as the group's counsel and spokesperson. "The best path for this innovation is to have one clear set of federal standards, and the Coalition will work with policymakers to find the right solutions that will facilitate the deployment of self-driving vehicles," he said in a written statement. In January, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said his department would accelerate efforts to craft such federal standards. Those efforts include holding two public hearings on standards, the second of which is scheduled to be held Wednesday in Palo Alto, California. Foxx signaled the intent to deliver them by June. Google has been leading the efforts to ensure such standards are national in scope, warning their cars could run afoul of state-specific laws should they cross state borders or if standards varies between the federal efforts and regional ones. The complexity of such efforts was underscored recently, when NHTSA agreed that Google's software could be considered the driver of a vehicle for the purpose of meeting federal motor vehicle standards, an interpretation that would conflict with preliminary California rules that mandate a licensed driver operate a self-driving car that comes equipped with human controls like a steering wheel and brakes. At South By Southwest last month, Jennifer Haroon, Google's self-driving car business leader, said the company couldn't accomplish its goals under those regulations.

Volvo won't entirely give up on sedans and station wagons

Volvo, like an overwhelming majority of its peers and rivals, sells more SUVs and crossovers than sedans and station wagons. It confirmed plans to pivot away from low-riding models in 2021, but it stressed that it's not ready to throw in the towel in either segment quite yet. "Yes, the [V and S lines] will be replaced with something even more attractive to customers," affirmed company boss Hakan Samuelsson in an interview with British magazine Autocar. His comments come as a relief for Volvo wagon fans around the world, given that in 2021 he had said that the company needs "to move [on] from wagons and sedans." There's a catch, though: Future V and S models will look quite different than today's. Samuelsson (who will step down from his position in March 2022) acknowledged that Volvo needs lower-riding cars but noted that their design will evolve and become "maybe a little less square." It's not just about style, either. "Cars will be less boxy in the future, when we need to have lower air resistance. You could call it coupe-ish. We talk a lot about range in electric cars, but I think we will start looking at energy efficiency, and of course air resistance will be very central to that," he said. It helps that sleeker designs help keep buyers interested in sedans. Volvo's S90 and V90 were introduced and 2015 and 2016, respectively, so they're expected to be replaced in the not-too-distant future. One point that's still up in the air is what they'll be called. The Swedish company is preparing to ditch its alphanumerical naming system in order to give its cars an actual name, so both nameplates will die with the current-generation models. We'll have a better idea of what the future has in store when the XC90's replacement arrives later in 2022 with a new name, a new architecture, and a large serving of new technology. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.