2005 Volvo Xc90 V8 Sport Utility 4-door 4.4l 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.

Sunday Drive: And now for something completely different

This past week played host to a wide assortment of automotive news, highlighted by our first drive of the 2018 Volvo XC40. The Swedish crossover is targeted at young, successful Millennials, but it offers cool styling, fun dynamics, and all of today's must-have technology, so we think it ought to appeal to a much wider swath of the automotive marketplace. From there we answer the question, "What are hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" as we take a look at the next Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. We expect the German automaker's flagship luxury SUV to remain boxy on the outside, but the interior is going to be soft, supple, and luxurious. And then there's the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, which starts at starts at $34,290 and boasts 212 total system horsepower, 232 pound-feet of torque, 47 miles of electric driving range, and a total range of 340 miles. EPA rates it at 110 MPGe in EV mode, and 44 city/40 highway/42 combined overall. We compare it to other plug-ins like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime. And finally we have some more spy photos of the 2019 Ram 1500. It doesn't have a traditional crosshair grille, but it's got plenty of chrome and an attractive upright stance that's sure to tempt future truck buyers looking for some sophistication to go with their work gloves. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week to see all the automotive news that's fit to print. 2018 Volvo XC40 First Drive Review | The Masspirational crossover Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets the luxe, high-tech treatment 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review | It's what's on the inside that counts 2019 Ram 1500 shows chrome grille and more production parts Green Honda Mercedes-Benz RAM Volvo Technology Truck Crossover SUV Luxury Performance Sedan volvo xc40 sunday drive

Aurora, Volvo partner on self-driving heavy trucks

Global heavy truck manufacturers are lining up technology partners to help build out self-driving systems for long-haul freight that could see widespread commercial service well before self-driving robotaxis. The latest alliance was announced Tuesday between Sweden's Volvo Group and California-based Aurora Innovation, building on a working relationship that dates back several years, the partners said. Analysts expect more such partnerships, as relatively young technology firms such as Aurora connect their autonomous vehicle systems knowledge with the deep manufacturing experience of legacy companies such as Volvo Trucks. “You can't go at it alone in autonomy," said Grayson Brulte, president consultancy Brulte & Company. "The trucking industry is a completely different personality" than the passenger vehicle business, with different requirements. Most of the larger truck manufacturers have turned to self-driving tech partners, driven in part by a chronic shortage of drivers and a boom in e-commerce, fueled by the global pandemic. In January, Aurora announced a strategic partnership with U.S. truckmaker PACCAR, whose brands include Peterbilt and Kenworth. Aurora's founders include self-driving veterans from Tesla and Alphabet's Waymo. Aurora last year said its first commercial product would be in trucking "where the market is largest (and) the unit economics are best." In 2020, Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik told Reuters that "goods delivery is a bigger market than moving people" as Waymo expanded its focus to include heavy trucks. Germany's Daimler has formed a self-driving truck alliance with Waymo, while China's largest heavy truck maker, FAW Jiefang, has partnered with Plus AI. Volkswagen's Traton truck group is an investor in TuSimple, as is U.S. truckmaker Navistar. In a January earnings call, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the long-delayed Semi electric truck is highly likely to be the first of the company's vehicles to achieve full self-driving capability. Green Volvo Truck Autonomous Vehicles Commercial Vehicles volvo trucks Aurora