2000 Volvo V40 Base Wagon 4-door 1.9l on 2040-cars

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Apple CarPlay drawing early safety concerns [w/video]

Apple's CarPlay infotainment system hasn't made it into a single vehicle yet, and it's already drawing criticism for distracting drivers among safety advocates. The new tech unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show pairs users' iPhones with the car's dashboard display to make calls, dictate messages and listen to music. Some automakers, like Volvo, also let users interact with the HVAC system from the screen.
"The idea that people want to be on their phones, and therefore let's give them a way to do that -- that's not putting safety first, that's putting convenience and the desire to be in touch first," said Bruce Hamilton, manager of research and communications at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, to CNN Money.
Distracted driving is a huge concern on modern roads with more vehicles allowing drivers to use their smartphones through Bluetooth and infotainment systems. A Texas A&M study found that drivers' reaction time doubled while dictating text messages, according to CNN Money. The new tech is certainly not making drivers pay more attention.

Volvo's product road map includes five EVs and two PHEVs

Volvo recently hosted a gathering in Miami for North and South American retailers. A few attendees, perhaps proud of what Volvo had to say, shared some details on the proceedings with Automotive News. Volvo's pledge to become an all-EV brand by 2030 will commence with five new electric vehicles and two plug-in hybrids in the coming years. First up is a full-sized, three-row crossover said to get its vibe from the Concept Recharge. We figure this will be the long-rumored and occasionally canceled XC100, but that's only an educated guess. We've seen no spy shots of such a vehicle yet, but AN reports sales aspirations for the full-sizer are about 20,000 units for next year. If that's the case, something should appear soon. Around two years after the potential XC100 comes an EV codenamed V546 that AN reported on earlier this month. Said to slot in between the 185-inch-long XC60 and 195-inch-long XC90, this tweener could be about the length of the 189-inch Ford Edge. The sources claim it will ride on a new electric platform, which could be the SPA2 bones that will support the coming electric XC90 and that the Concept Recharge electric crossover study (pictured) sits on. This one goes into production in the U.S., at Volvos' Ridgeville, South Carolina plant, and in China. The plan is to sell 100,000 units annually. At some point, the XC60 small midsize crossover gets a battery-electric variant. The fourth EV will be a dinky silent runner that slides in under the XC40 Recharge. Referred to in the past as the XC10, XC20 and XC30, previous reportage claims this will ride on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) sourced from parent company Geely. The fifth EV was only mentioned as being a sedan, which is another mysterious entry. The S90 and XC90 are getting new PHEV generations, the crossover still expected to inaugurate proper names to the Swedish automaker's lineup. Volvo's planning a hiring spree for the South Carolina plant that only makes the S60 sedan at the moment. One of the new EV crossovers will start down lines there later this year, along with Polestar's middleweight performance crossover, then the potential XC100 (or whatever its proper name is) begins assembly there in 2023.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvo's pedestrian airbags may already be on their way out

As proof of just how quickly automotive technology can advance, just check out the Volvo V40. Developed with an external airbag aimed at better protecting pedestrians in the event of a collision, this innovative safety device could be phased out soon in place of more advanced active safety technologies like pedestrian detection and auto braking.
Go Auto had a chance to talk to Volvo senior VP Lex Kerssmakers at the Tokyo Motor Show, and he suggested that the V40's under-hood airbag will not be used on the next-gen XC90 and might not even be continued on non-SUV models. The passive airbag was designed to deploy at speeds of less than 31 miles per hour to help limit head injuries to pedestrians, but new active technologies are designed to prevent collisions in the first place.
The interview also reveals some details about the new XC90, such as the inclusion of a plug-in hybrid system and the debut of a new safety technology. Kerssmakers told Go Auto that a new Volvo concept will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but it won't be for the XC90.