As the first used example of the Volvo XC40 arrives on CarGurus, we thought it was worth reflecting on just why this SUV has created such a buzz. After all, not so long ago the arrival of a new Volvo was greeted with all the anticipation of the opening of a bank statement, and yet here we all are seriously contemplating the switch to a Swedish motor not only for its sensible safety credentials, but because it’s – dare we say it? – one of the coolest cars around.
Well, they did it.
Written off as a doomed automaker when Ford unloaded it to Geely Automotive in 2010, Volvo has defied the odds and roared back to life while keeping its Swedish charm under Chinese ownership.
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
While execs at Volvo remained confident through the transition that they’d bring the company back to life, we have to take a moment and point out that Saab’s executives once thought the same thing.
Sinking automakers rarely can find the cash—or the buyers—to become relevant again and—like Saab—tend to disappear into the night.
Ask anyone who’s driven a new XC90, though, if Volvo shows any signs of disappearing. Continue reading >>>
While they’re far from obsolete, sedans are still old news. Today, crossovers are king; after the requisite Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado, and Ram Pickups, the best-selling vehicle in America is the Nissan Rogue, dusting the Honda Civic by nearly 12,000 units through February 2017. Continue reading >>>
Growing up, Legos held a special place in my heart and a special corner in the toy closet. I kept them in one large, white-topped Rubbermaid storage bin (lest my parents find one underfoot at the wrong hour of the morning) and can’t fully fathom how many hours I spent digging through piece after piece to find a color-matching, 2×1-size brick. I took great pride in my creations, but even greater satisfaction in dismantling each, pouring the bricks back into my big rubber container, and starting the process all over again.
From the first press release outlining Tesla’s Autopilot technology, potential customers have wondered how the system works, what its limitations are, and whether it will be welcomed or shunned. Since Joshua Brown’s fatal crash while using Autopilot in a Tesla Model S, these questions have grown larger and more pointed. Without a doubt, popular opinion has shifted toward negativity. But should it?
Volvo is about to become more popular than ever.
The Swedish automaker gained a reputation for safety as early as the 1920s, when Managing Director Assar Gabrielsson said,
Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety.
That’s a sentiment that remains with the company to this day. More recently, the principles of design, comfort, and performance have also played a large part in the company’s strategy.
With new models on the way, Volvo is evolving from the old days of “boxy-but-good” to a new era of innovation in technology and design.
The 2016 XC90 is a bit of an oxymoron because it’s the first all-new vehicle the company has introduced since being sold by Ford and picked up China’s Geely Automotive. Even under Chinese ownership, the XC90 is the most Swedish Volvo the company has built in decades.
2016 Volvo XC90
When my 2008 Audi Q7 needed to go in for repairs, the shop was nice enough to loan me a car for a couple of days. At first glance I thought it was nice, but once I sat behind the wheel, I knew I’d miss the comfort and luxury of my car.
The loaner 2004 Volvo S40 drove like a 1984 Honda Accord and put a bad taste in my mouth for all things Volvo.
Maybe it’ll take a Polestar to make things better.
By trying to be different, Volvo is enacting a plan that many have already tried.
In the past I’ve been in full agreement with the concept behind Volvo’s plan. It probably is time that the way we purchase cars begins to change. The thing is, the change suggested could actually end up hurting consumers financially.
News is making the rounds this week about Volvo’s new marketing plan, which cuts out most auto-show participation and introduces online car buying to customers. The theory of shoppers being able to build their ideal cars online, then order with the push of a button, makes sense. But is the convenience really a good thing?
I thought I had it good with my Q7.
I’ve embarked on road trips with 4 kids, I’ve taken it on a trip with 5 other full-grown adults, I’ve used it to pull trailer-loads of trash to the dump, I’ve hauled a 600-pound concrete fountain, and just this weekend I brought home 425 masonry bricks in the back.
The big Audi has done all this for me without a single complaint and in extreme comfort. I thought I had it good. Until, that is, I read about the interior of the all-new Volvo XC90.
I must have one.
Some see autonomous cars. I see hoverboards.
One way to deal with the problem of cars driving themselves is to use GPS and radar to manage traffic and avoid collisions. That technology has started to prove itself with Google’s self-driving cars, but obviously not to the point of massive testing on regular city streets and interstate highways.
I still fail to see the point of cars that drive themselves, as I’d much rather take the wheel and steer. For those few times I don’t want to drive, I prefer to take public transportation or bum a ride from a friend. That aside, though, autonomous cars are quickly becoming a thing, and now Volvo is testing an even more advanced way to handle driver-less traffic.
The Swedes’ answer?
Magnets.
