2012 Volvo S60 Fwd 4dr Sdn T5 on 2040-cars

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Volvo's Geneva-bound concept wagon looks sexy in a raincoat

Volvo is set to complete its concept car trilogy at the next month's Geneva Motor Show with the debut of its Concept Estate, the followup to its Concept Coupe from the Frankfurt Motor Show and Concept XC Coupe from the Detroit Auto Show. We've been looking forward to its Swiss debut, and now some teaser images of the Concept Estate have been uncovered... on the website of a raincoat seller?
Yes, Swedish raincoat maker Stutterheim has apparently been commissioned by Volvo to build a high-quality car cover for its Geneva concept, and the fabricator's website shows off some of the details of the long-roofed design study. From what we can see, it looks like the Concept Estate is more shooting brake than traditional wagon. Also, it's brown. So basically, Volvo has built the ultimate car for auto journalists.
Joking aside, the images show off more than a few of the design traits we've seen on Volvo's two previous concept cars. A wide, rectangular grille and lowercase-B-shaped taillights are both noticeable in these teasers, but we can't see much more than that.

Volvo S60 Polestar concept plays in the snow with Mercedes C63 AMG

Chris Harris took to a snowy stretch of tarmac to get a fingertips-on-the-wheel feel of the Volvo S60 Polestar concept. Harris says the turbocharged sedan with 508 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque - and a manual transmission - is "a study to see if Volvo can get back into the fast-car market." The Polestar S60 concept, one of which was already purchased for $300,000 by a private buyer, is still making the publicity rounds because even Volvo's Chinese owners realize that, as Harris says, "Volvo sold more cars because it made fast cars" like the old 850 T5 Wagon that stormed the British Touring Car Championship in the 1990s.
For reference, Harris compares the blue wonder to the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and its 487 hp and 442 lb-ft. The question is, were Volvo to get the price of a production version of the S60 Polestar to climb way down from its 200,000-pound sticker, could it be worthy competition to the established giants?
You can watch Harris divine the answer via a lot of drifting through the snow and a drag race in the video below.

Volvo details new drive assist features for next XC90 and future models [w/video]

Volvo wants us to know what kinds of new technology will be under the sheetmetal of the offerings that will sit on its Scalable Platform Architecture, the first of which will be included on the 2015 Volvo XC90 arriving at the end of next year. The silicon-chip onslaught starts with detection and auto braking for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. The company's animal detection tech now works at night thanks to better cameras and exposure controls.
Also due for the high-riding wagon are road edge and barrier detection with steer assist, a setup that identifies the edge of the road - even ones without markings. The system can steer the car back into its lane if it detects the driver is about to leave the road or collide with a barrier. Adaptive cruise control with steer assist allows the car to not only follow the flow of traffic on a straight road, but steer itself automatically.
Beyond that, the company is planning on other safety advances, but these will rely on automaker cooperation and infrastructure upgrades. Volvo has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium on the subject of standards for communication between cars and wants to have it implemented by 2016. Sensors in traffic lights will enable Green Light Optimum Speed Advisory, which tells a driver how fast to go on a give stretch of road so as not to hit a red light. Weather, road condition, road works and emergency vehicle warnings will also inform drivers of new developments on the road. And autonomous parking, which Volvo has already demonstrated, stands to put a lot of valets out of work since it allows the car to find its own parking space without a driver inside.