2003 Volvo Xc70 Turbo All Wheel Drive Wagon on 2040-cars

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Future Polestar Volvo models could feature diesel, EV tech

Volvo's Polestar sub-brand has made the transition nicely from being the company's racing arm to building some seriously cool, Swedish cars. Now that it has a few models under its belt, it plans to grow larger and greener. The next-generation of Polestar-tuned vehicles are rumored to include high-performance hybrid and diesel powertrains.
While it still doesn't have the brand recognition of BMW M or Mercedes-Benz AMG, Polestar is on the growth path. It's representatives recently told Autoblog that its latest, tuned S60 and V60 models "mark the start of an extended production car model range." In addition to that expansion, Volvo has given its performance division a greater responsibility for engineering future vehicles, according to Autocar. It even helped develop the new Drive-E engine, which we quite liked when we took it for a spin in an S60.
Polestar's boss hinted at a hybrid model to Autocar, a move that seems obvious once you think about it. The Drive-E engine was designed from the beginning to accept hybrid layouts. The division's plan is to put and electric motor on the rear axle to both increase torque off the line and provide all-wheel drive. As Drive-E also offers diesel variants, that is in the cards as well for the future, but the company didn't go into much detail. Polestar appears to be the upcoming shooting star of the performance car world.

Junkyard Gem: 1982 Volvo 244 DL

Because it was sold in the United States for so many years — 19 model years, to be exact — and won the hearts of so many American drivers with its reliability and safety, sufficient examples of the Volvo 200 Series remain in service that they continue to show up in self-service car graveyards nearly 30 years after the last ones left the showroom. We saw a low-mile Richelieu Red 1983 Volvo 244 DL in a Denver-area yard last year, and now I've found a near-identical 1982 244 DL in another yard located between Denver and Cheyenne. Volvo went through several variations in the naming scheme for these cars between 1975 and 1993; during the first half of the 1980s, the 240 was badged using just the trim level. That makes this car a 1982 Volvo DL, the cheapest trim level available at the time. By now, though, everyone who knows old Volvos uses the three-number system of the 1970s, with the second digit indicating the number of engine cylinders and the third digit representing the number of doors. I'll be using the 244 designation here. This car came from the factory with a fuel-injected 2.1-liter SOHC straight-four rated at 112 horsepower. This car has the base four-on-the-floor manual transmission with an overdrive selected via the switch on the shift knob. If you wanted an automatic transmission, you had to pay an extra $325 (just over a thousand bucks in 2022 money). Later in the decade, a five-speed manual became available on the 240. Most 240s rack up better than 200,000 miles during their careers (and I've seen quite a few that made it past 300,000), but this car didn't reach that figure. This car still has its original AM/FM/cassette radio, which would have cost serious money in 1982. The MSRP on this car was $10,260, or about $31,800 in 2022 dollars. The two-door version went for $9,785 ($30,330 now). You could get a new 1982 Buick LeSabre Limited sedan for $9,331, and it was much roomier and more powerful than the VolvoÂ… but not as good in a crash. There's very little rust on this car, and the only serious body damage is this dented passenger-side door. The rodent nesting detritus under the hood and the lack of wear on the seat fabric suggests that it got parked for good a decade or three back. Perhaps it would have been rescued and revived in the rustier parts of the continent, but there's a glut of restorable 244s and a shortage of Volvo enthusiasts in the Denver area. This content is hosted by a third party.

Next-generation Volvo XC90 could wear the Embla nameplate

Volvo's next-generation XC90 will have a lot of firsts on its resume. It will inaugurate an evolution of the modular SPA2 platform that underpins the current model, it will be available with a new suite of driver assistance features, and it will reportedly adopt the Embla name. Citing a trademark application filed in Europe in 2021, British magazine Autocar believes it has uncovered the big SUV's new name. While a trademark or a patent filing is never a guarantee that a feature, a name or a car is right around the corner, we know that Volvo plans to ditch its alphanumerical naming system in the near future to start giving its cars real names. "We're going to give cars a name as you give a newborn child," explained outgoing company boss Hakan Samuelsson. He also confirmed the next XC90's name will start with a vowel. Embla, your author just learned, is the first woman created by the gods according to Norse mythology. Its etymology is seemingly lost to history. It appears that Volvo wants to build on the Thor's Hammer lights and continue putting its Swedish heritage front and center. Viewed in that light, Embla is a relatively good choice. It's reasonably easy to pronounce, even for folks outside of Scandinavia, and it's original; it's likely not a name that you hear on a daily basis. It's also relatively soft — Volvo Yggdrasil Recharge arguably has less of a ring to it.  Unofficial morsels of information allow us to piece together a vague idea of what to expect from the Embla. We hear the SUV will be loosely related to the Concept Recharge design study (pictured) that Volvo introduced in November 2021. If that's accurate, it won't look anything like the model that's currently in showrooms. It will be longer, higher off the ground, and built on a much longer wheelbase. Details about the powertrain are conflicting: some sources say the Embla will be entirely electric, while others believe it will also be available as a hybrid. Volvo is expected to unveil the Embla before the end of 2022, and the crossover will arrive in showrooms as either a 2023 or a 2024 model. An earlier report claims that production will take place near Charleston, South Carolina, where the firm currently builds the S60 sedan. And, to complete the history lesson: the first man created by the gods in Norse mythology was named Ask.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.