08 Volvo S80 T6 Awd Nav No Reserve on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volvo shows inflatable child seat concept [w/video]

Volvo is bringing its emphasis on safety and design to the littlest members of the family with its concept for an inflatable, rearward facing child safety seat. The design is meant to help traveling families by offering a lighter and less bulky alternative to traditional car seats.
The design is quite ingenious. The seat is covered in drop-stitched fabric, which fills with air to create the form of the seat. An electric motor in it allows inflation and deflation in less than 40 seconds, according to Volvo. It weighs less than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and folds small enough when collapsed to fit into a bag. It even has a Bluetooth connection, so parents can begin expanding it remotely.
The inflatable seat in the brainchild of Lawrence Abele, Volvo's design manager at its Monitoring and Concept Center in Los Angeles, CA. "For many, travelling with young children is a challenge; any assistance to simplify the parents' life with young children is a great thing," he said in a statement released by Volvo. The chair remains a concept for now, and the automaker isn't saying whether it's going to put it into production, but it's a clever solution to a common problem. Scroll down for a video showing it in action and to read the release.

2021 Volvo XC60 Review | Swedish design; no assembly required

The 2021 Volvo XC60 may not be the first car to spring to mind when considering European luxury crossovers, but despite lacking the cachet of tier-one manufacturers, it is a solid, safety-first offering with attractive styling and excellent interior design, rising above the mainstream market and rivaling some of the continent’s best. The XC60Â’s cabin is uniquely Swedish: clean, modern and at its tastefully adorned best when done up in earth tones and natural wood trim. You won't confuse it for something from Germany or Japan. Its seats are among the most comfortable and supportive of any luxury car under $100,000, and its Sensus infotainment system is capable and flexible. No Volvo is perfect. Wheel size upgrades tend to disproportionately impact ride comfort, and Sensus can be slow to boot up and respond to inputs. Its powertrains are also lacking in refinement, with even the 400-horsepower plug-in hybrid model (Formerly the T8; now dubbed “Recharge”) lacks polish despite its robust performance. But the XC60 is nonetheless impressive, and thanks to its diverse array of powertrain options and versatile tech suite, this luxury crossover offers something for everybody. WhatÂ’s new for 2021? For 2021, the XC60 is largely carry-over. Models with the T8 powertrain are now referred to as “Recharge,” which is VolvoÂ’s new universal name for its plug-in hybrids. Keyless entry is now standard, along with illuminated door handles. WhatÂ’s the interior and in-car technology like? VolvoÂ’s attractive and refined shape is mirrored in its stylish, welcoming interiors. With premium materials and beautiful design from top to bottom, itÂ’s difficult to find anything negative to say about the XC60Â’s interior. Open-pore wood and real metal are both available depending on trim, and Recharge Inscription models even get an Orrefors crystal gear selector. VolvoÂ’s Sensus infotainment suite is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and also offers robust integration with phones via Bluetooth, including speech-to-text, allowing it to read and compose text messages without outside assistance. Sensus lacks polish in some areas, offering slow boot-up times and menus that can be difficult to navigate on the road. Still, several of our editors appreciate its touchscreen layout and find it less overwhelming than admittedly quicker and flashier systems like Mercedes' MBUX and BMW's iDrive.

Daimler and Geely collaborate to develop 'a highly efficient modular engine'

BERLIN — German car maker Daimler said on Tuesday it will cooperate with China's Geely to build next-generation combustion engines for use in hybrid vehicles. Efforts to share development costs come as the growth potential for combustion engines faces the twin threat of the COVID-19 crisis and stricter fuel-efficiency and emission rules. "The companies plan to develop a highly efficient modular engine," a spokesman for Daimler said, adding that it would be used in hybrid drivetrains and manufactured in Europe and China. Geely declined to comment. The modular engine will be used in cars under different marques at Geely and Daimler, a person familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity as the companies are still in the early stages of developing the engine. News of the alliance was a surprise to Daimler's works council at its factory in Untertuerkheim, which specializes in electric and gasoline powertrain assembly. "We are speechless. There was not even a discussion about potential alternative manufacturing locations," said Michael Haeberle, the works council chief for Untertuerkheim. "We have the ability to build four-cylinder engines in Untertuerkheim, but there were no talks about it." Daimler said German factories will be retooled gradually to add electric drivetrains production. Most of the next-generation combustion engines will be made in China, business daily Handelsblatt reported. The alliance with Geely, which owns a 9.69% stake in Stuttgart-based Daimler, means that parts of Daimler's existing partnership with Renault could be pared back. A Renault source told Reuters that the Daimler-Geely project does not mean an end of cooperation between Daimler and Renault. Citing Daimler sources, Handelsblatt said the Daimler-Geely pact would save the German carmaker a "triple-digit million sum" — implying an amount above 100 million euros ($119 million) and less than 1 billion euros. Green Mercedes-Benz Volvo Hybrid Daimler Geely