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Volvo adds 48V hybrid system to a bunch of 2022 models

In 2019, Volvo announced an updated powertrain fitted with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. The integrated starter-generator and regenerative brake-by-wire refilling a small battery could increase fuel economy by up to 15% in real-world driving. There are three layouts, dubbed B4, B5, and B6 that the Swedish automaker's already been rolling out globally. Next year two of them, the B5 and B6, come to the U.S. for the first time under the 2022 Volvo S60, S90, V90 XC, and XC60. The EPA's fuel economy site shows all of those models making small fuel economy gains, too. The B4 and B5 powertrains contain both gas and diesel mild-hybrids, the B6 is gas-only. All of the gas options (Volvo doesn't offer diesels here) will start with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, the B5 adding a turbocharger, the B6 adding a turbocharger and a supercharger.  Per the EPA, the front-wheel drive 2021 Volvo S60 returns 23 miles per gallon in the city, 34 on the highway, and 27 combined. The new 2022 Volvo S60 B5 betters that with 26 city, 35 highway, and 30 combined. The 2022 S60 B5 AWD bests the 2021 model with the both versions of the non-hybrid 2.0-liter engine by one to three miles per gallon in nearly every category. The only model that does better, for obvious reasons, is the 2021 S60 AWD PHEV, which has been renamed S60 T8 AWD Recharge. The 2022 Volvo XC60 comes in AWD B5 spec with the turbocharged 2.0-liter, and AWD B6 spec with the turbo- and supercharged 2.0-liter. Gains are smaller here, the EPA showing a one-mpg increase in the city when comparing the 2021 XC60 to the 2022 B5 model. With the B6 powertrain, the 2022 XC60 improves by one mpg in the city and combined compared to the 2021 model. The EPA site doesn't show a front-drive XC60 for next year, and the XC60 AWD PHEV is already referred to as the XC60 T8 AWD Recharge. It's possible horsepower ratings will change slightly for the mild-hybrid rigs next year, but not enough to change the driving experience. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvo XC90 R-Design adds a dash of sport

The 2015 Volvo XC90 is a huge leap forward for the Swedish automaker as its first all-new model since leaving Ford ownership. There's a lot riding on the crossover's success, too, because its platform is supposed to underpin Volvo vehicles for years to come. The latest move for the new CUV is adding a little aggressiveness to the look with the R-Design trim for buyers desiring a sportier-looking Swede.
The R-Design joins the already announced Momentum and Inscription trims. Mechanically it doesn't change anything, but ticking the box for the R-Design adds a slightly different grille with horizontal slats, a redesigned lower air dam, new window trim, matte silver side-mirror covers and rectangular exhaust nestled in an altered lower rear bumper. The sportier XC90 comes standard with 20-inch wheels, but a 22-inch design is optional, as well.
The meaner look is carried inside with sport seats covered in Nubuck and Nappa leather, a perforated leather steering wheel and R-Design trim for the gearshift, pedals, floor mats and illuminated tread plates. The touchscreen infotainment system also gets an R-Design theme.

Volvo building new AstaZero safety proving ground in Sweden

Volvo is an automaker committed to vehicle safety, setting an ambitious target for itself: by 2020, the Swedish automaker envisions that no one will be killed or seriously injured in one of its cars. In order to achieve that goal, Volvo has announced a new proving ground designed specifically to test safety solutions.
Called AstaZero, the new facility near the company's headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, is the result of a $70 million investment. It will cover some 500 acres, with over 60 acres of pavement, four city blocks and three and a half miles of highway. The Active Safety Test Area (the ASTA in AstaZero) will enable Volvo and its partners (including Scania trucks as well as government bodies and university development programs) to simulate city streets, highways, rural roads, roundabouts, T-junctions and more, combining traffic from cars, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, buses, trucks and even animals in order to account for all manner of potential hazards.
The facility will enable Volvo to test active safety systems and autonomous vehicle operations, and even allow robots to test its prototypes in an adaptive environment that aims to be more flexible than existing proving grounds. Read more about Volvo's commitment to safety in the press release below.