Nik J Miles

Posts Tagged ‘Volvo’

 Volvo C30  R-Design

By Barbara & Bill Schaffer

Of the three Polestar modified cars, the C30 feels the most dramatic on the road and much of that is due to its smaller size.  Already one of our favorites for its sporty handling and the styling, which resembles a contemporary version of the P1800ES from the early 1970s.  Powered by a 227-hp, 236-lb.ft. of torque turbocharged five-cylinder engine, the 3,200-pound vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 in 6.8-seconds and has a track top speed electronically limited to 149 mph.

Shifting is handled by a six-speed manual transmission or the five-speed Geartronic with the manual shifting “auto stick.”   Read the rest of this entry »

Volvo XC60 R-Design

By Barbara & Bill Schaffer

Now in its third year the Volvo XC60 is one of our favorite premium compact crossovers.  From the dramatic styling to the world-class safety systems to the strong performance, the XC60 stands out in the crowded category.

For 2012, major changes include a new R-Design engine, new trim level and more features.  Adding more bite to the latest model, the 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine gets the Polestar software treatment, and like the S60 version, horsepower and torque receive a nice bump to 325-hp and 354-lb.ft. of torque.  Essentially the same drivetrain as the S60 and about 400 pounds heavier, the XC60 can produce a 6.9-second 0 to 60 mph time and the same top speed electronically limited to 130 mph. The weight and less aerodynamic body drops the fuel economy numbers to 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. Read the rest of this entry »

Volvo S60 R-Design AWD

By Barbara and Bill Schaffer

One year after the introduction of the S60 T6, which could best be called the brand’s performance leader, the sport sedan gets a boost from the Polestar treatment.  Boasting 25 more horsepower and 29-lb.ft. of torque, the new R-Design version drops the 0 to 60 mph acceleration time to 5.3 seconds while the top speed is electronically limited to 130.

As the best performing Volvo ever, the S60 R-Design is a product of software tuning where the alterations are made electronically in a method similar to the chips used by some aftermarket tuners.  Software modifications are an easy way to improve performance without modifying hardware, so the original warranty is still in affect and the fuel economy is the same as the T6 version – 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.  Read the rest of this entry »

By Barbara & Bill Schaffer

After more than 20 years of reviewing new cars, we know we can always count on a new Volvo to have several distinctive characteristics.

• It will be one of the safest cars on the road
• The seats will be the most comfortable
• The styling will be unique

Along with these givens, various models have other characteristics that may set them apart from the maddening crowd.  Nevertheless, with a few exceptions, Volvos have not been cars we would consider as high performance. Read the rest of this entry »

 “Volvo’s C30 T5 R-Design Platinum Polestar”

 Volvo’s 2012 C30 is the smallest vehicle in the Swedish carmaker’s lineup. But don’t let its diminutive stature fool you – it also may well be the most expressive car in the Volvo stable. Power is courtesy of a 2.5-liter DOHC, 20-valve Turbocharged inline 5-cylinder engine with Variable Valve Timing.  The transversely mounted front engine produces 227 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm, and 236 pound feet of torque @ 1,500-5,000 rpm. It mates to either a standard 6-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed “Geartronic” microprocessor-controlled automatic with “Auto-stick” function. Both transmissions meter power to the front drive wheels.

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Yountville, Calif. — Since we started reviewing cars more than 20 years ago, we’ve watched Volvo go through an interesting metamorphosis.  During that time, Volvo has continued to be the undisputed safety leader with a steady flow of innovations.   Fortunately, for consumers, other manufacturers have embraced much of the new technology with their own applications in something of a ‘follow-the-leader’ response. 

Unfortunately, for Volvo, being the safest car on the lot doesn’t always trump sexy styling, performance and gadgetry for most people.  Volvo understands that, so during that same period we’ve seen an increased emphasis on styling, performance and innovation, in addition to still leading the safety parade. Read the rest of this entry »

“Volvo’s S60 – all new last year, offers three performance levels for 2012”

Yountville, CA –  Volvo just introduced the S60 T6 R-Design for 2012 – the latest of three performance levels for the venerable S60, which begs to be “rode hard and put away wet”. The T6 R-Design AWD delivers more horsepower along with an increase in torque. It sits lower and sports a firmed up suspension for enhanced driving dynamics.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bill, the Volvo XC70 and Team Gunnar

            Of the hundreds of cars I get to drive, I probably have more personal attachment to the Volvo XC70 than any other car.  A big part of this is because the XC70 and I have had some great adventures together, for example driving from Anchorage, Alaska to Prudhoe Bay in the middle of the winter and bouncing up the Mexican Baja peninsula on the trails and sections of the Baja 500 race course in the middle of the summer.  Ahhh, those were incredible trips, especially for a car that is more associated with soccer moms than challenging cross country drives.

When the email invitation to the Volvo XC Adventure, came, I was packing my bag and loading my radar detector even before I pushed “send” on the email reply accepting the invitation. Read the rest of this entry »

Barbara, the Volvo XC60 and Team Hord

            I don’t tweet or post on Facebook, but I do occasionally Google, but not from my flip phone.  To be honest, I even have trouble finding messages on my phone sometimes.  I have to confess, however, I now have a Facebook account since my grandson came to visit and signed me up.

My driving partner, Mary, is newbie to the smart phone world and her social media skills were more limited to texting a friend, about what we were doing, rather than blogging or posting.  So, we probably didn’t score too well on that section of the challenge that awarded points for social networking. Read the rest of this entry »

In many parts of the country, deer and other large wild animals pose a great danger to themselves and to vehicle occupants traveling through their habitat.

As part of Volvo’s quest to keep anyone from suffering a serious injury while riding in a new Volvo, engineers have developed a new way to help prevent animal/vehicle collisions by adapting technologies created for the Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake system, introduced in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »