Volvo may be pumping up performance in the S60 with the R-Design but that doesn’t mean that they’ve lost sight of their roots: safety. Case in point, the 2012 S60 has just earned perfect ratings in all categories including frontal, side and pole crash tests run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. The S60 aced the pole crash test in particular as no other vehicle’s occupants (read test dummies) has ever faired as well in that test.

The S60 is just the second vehicle to ever ace all of the NHTSA tests. It joins only the Chevrolet Camaro for perfect marks.

So, we have a stylish, fun to drive Swedish sports sedan that will likely keep you together in one piece if you wrap accidentally wrap it around a tree. What’s not to like? The S60 is starting to look more and more like this year’s most underrated car. Now all Volvo needs to go is offer it with a proper six-speed manual and then they’ll have a clear winner for sure.

Click the video above to see the side crash test of the S60.

[Examiner.com]

I recently had the opportunity to review the 2011 C30 T5. My conclusion? A very capable, fun to drive hot hatch. The turbocharged 5 cylinder engine is quite good. But now Volvo is giving current T5 owners the opportunity to make it even better.

If you are the current owner of a 2008+ C30, C70 or S40 with the T5 engine, Volvo will upgrade your engine with 23 more horsepower and 29 more pound feet of torque for $1,295. That will give your Volvo a total of 241 horses and 236 pound feet of torque. Considering the price and the fact that it will not void your warranty, that’s a pretty good deal.

“Our performance-minded customers have demonstrated that there is interest in developing warranty-friendly performance upgrades for their vehicles,” said Carol Kitchen, vice president of customer service for Volvo Cars of Canada, “This Polestar tuning program allows driving enthusiasts to unlock the power potential of our engines.”

Volvo received immensely high praise when they teamed up with Polestar to produce the C30 Polestar concept earlier this year.

Sounds like Volvo is very close to perfecting the performance + safety recipe. Exciting!

Would you pay for the performance upgrade?

[Volvo Canada]

Well this certainly clears the rumours that the C30 was on its way out along with the V50 and S40, both of which have been confirmed to be discontinued after this year.

Volvo has been pondering the idea of a 5-door version of the C30 ever since its inception and now we have proof that it is indeed in the works. However, what isn’t clear is what the smallest Volvo’s nomenclature will be. Since the ‘C’ in all Volvo alphanumeric names designates coupes only, it’s likely this 5-door C30 will bare the name of V30 as V’s are typically reserved for wagon types. Then again, the C30 isn’t a wagon, it’s a hatchback. All very confusing, isn’t it? Regardless, this won’t be the only iteration of the 5-door C30 as a jacked-up crossover variant (like the XC70) is also reportedly in the works. It stands to reason that it would be called the XC30.

This is likely a smart move on Volvo’s part if they are truely wishing to compete with the big boys such as the Audi A3, Lexus CT200h, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and the BMW 1-series hatchback. Also, with rumours of Saab returning back to its hatchback roots (assuming Saab lives on long enough), Volvo will definitely need a competitor for its ultimate rival.

The 5-door C30 or V30 or XC30 or whatever you want to call it, is expected to debut in late 2012 or early 2013 along with a complete redesign of the C30 coupe.

[Autoblog]

Volvo must be listening to the people!

First Volvo listened when we all begged to make the S60 R-Design more than just a cosmetic upgrade, then we learned that Polestar had a mighty big hand in making that happen and now a recent report is suggesting that Volvo is ready to build the amazing C30 Polestar Concept.

Dubbed as a “junior Nissan GT-R” the C30 Polestar has wowed auto journalists alike with the only caveat that it was never to be put into production. Well through its recent relationship in making the S60 and XC60 R-Designs, Volvo will now in fact build the C30 Polestar concept. It will reportedly be dubbed the C30 PCP, which apparently stands for Performance Concept Prototype (not the hallucinogenic drug -although the C30 Polestar’s intoxicating performance may very well deliver quite the high).

I suggested that if Volvo wanted to truly take on zee Germans, they needed an dedicated performance division and it’s looking like the PCP nomenclature may very well fill the gap much in the same way BMW has its M division, Mercedes-Benz has it’s AMG division and Audi has its RS division.

The C30 PCP will reportedly have a very limited run (much like the BMW 1-series M) of about 500 examples made and will reportedly cost around $80,000 Canadian. That price, plus 400 horses makes it more of a BMW M3 competitor than a 1-series M competitor.

Regardless, it’s nice to see a car company that actually listens to the public. Thanks for actually building the C30 PCP, Volvo! Can’t wait to write a review for it!

[What Car?]

Volvo’s R-Design for the better part of the past five years has been nothing but sporty cosmetic upgrades to models such as the S60. If you were looking for any added sort of performance like the previous S60 R had, you were plain out of luck. Then one day Volvo listened. They made the S60 R-Design more than just a looker, it now has the goods to walk the talk. If you check off the R-Design package for the 2011 S60, you’ll get 325 horsepower and 354 pound feet of torque over the S60 T6′s standard 300 horsepower and 320 pound foot torque.

Well apparently we can all thank tuning company Polestar for the added performance boost. If you don’t remember, Polestar were the ones that took a stock C30 T5 and turned it into a “junior Nissan GT-R”. High praise indeed. In fact, Jeremy Clarkson is also quite fond of Polestar’s creation. So, it seems Polestar definitely caught Volvo’s attention when they were getting such rave reviews and so Volvo enlisted them for the S60 R-Design.

So what does that mean? Will Polestar be to Volvo what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz or M is to BMW? It’s tough to say. Volvo has yet to comment on that, but I think it would be a very smart move if Volvo truly wishes to be mentioned in the same breath as those German heavyweights. I would snatch a C30 Polestar up in a second were it available for sale to the public.

Something to seriously think about, Volvo.

[Swedespeed.com]

By Kevin Harrison

Have you ever seen a flock of seagulls fight each other for a piece of bread crumb? Or if you don’t live on a coast, have you ever seen a flock of any-birds fight for a piece of bread crumb? There’s always that one lone bird that fights his way in there only to come up short. And then you end up feeling a bit bad for him because he worked so hard to get a measly morsel of someone else’s discarded lunch but the other seagulls were just more aggressive and driven to get that food.

Volvo is a bit like that bird that tried to get in but didn’t quite make it. It’s not as if they’re not trying, every single model in their lineup is now quite attractive, offers exceptional performance, plus boat loads of safety and luxury. Yet their sales numbers have not seen a whole lot of improvement. Volvo doesn’t usually get mentioned in the same sentence as BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz – the big seagulls that always get the bread crumbs.

The C30 is meant to help lure people into the brand and is marketed as a sporty alternative to the BMW 1-series, Audi A3 and Lexus CT200h. Has it got what it takes to grab a piece of the proverbial bread crumb?

The C30 was initially introduced back in 2007. The styling paid homage to the P1800ES – a hatchback from the 70′s that gained unique style from it’s glass hatchback. The C30 has the same rear end design complete with the glass hatch. In fact, the look of the C30′s rear is probably its best side. The long rear lights typical of Volvo wagons/SUV’s makes it completely recognizable as a Volvo all while the slanted forward glass hatch, large bumper, and short overhang give it a unique look from the rest of the family. Dual exhausts and a roof spoiler lets everyone know that the C30 means business. For 2011 the front facia is completely new and now works a lot better with the rear end styling. The side profile is also unique. Combined with aggressive alloys, the overall look gives the C30 a lot of road presence.

For 2011 the base 2.4i model has been dropped. The only model now available is the T5 which means a turbocharged 5-cylinder. Volvo has been using T5 engines ever since the 90′s and while it’s a unique engine, it works out quite well. It produces 227 horsepower and 236 pound feet of torque. It will go from 0-100 in 7.1 seconds with an automatic transmission or 6.7 seconds if you opt for the optional 6-speed close ratio manual transmission. If you choose the latter, which you really should, you’ll more than likely have to special order it. Apparently Volvo doesn’t sell many manual transmission vehicles period. In fact they account for less than 10% of their overall sales and that number is probably less now since the S40, V50 and new S60 don’t offer them anymore. The C30 is the only Volvo you can currently buy with a manual transmission. Anyway, if that 0-100 time seems sluggish for a small car with 227 horses the reason why is due to the C30′s weight. It’s quite heavy because, being a Volvo, it is jammed full of safety technology. This is good if you ever get T-boned by a Hummer, but not so great for fuel efficiency and performance.

As a result, acceleration is a bit interesting. The numbers on paper make it seem a bit slow and when you first get in and drive the C30 T5, the numbers seem accurate. However once you drive it a bit longer, the C30 actually ends up feeling faster than when you first got in. This sensation is surely driven (excuse the pun) by tire squealing every time you stomp your right foot down, even with the traction control on and even in my tester’s 5-speed automatic. The good news is, torque steer has no home here and neither does turbo lag. When you put the power down, it’s there and ready to go. Gear shifts in auto mode are a bit schizophrenic, as if it’s changing it’s mind when you stomp on the throttle. It can’t quite decide which gear is the best to be in for the amount of power you desire. Sometimes it switches between gears so fast that it feels like it’s a diesel engine set up. This problem is easily fixed in manual mode, and fixed even better with the 6-speed I would imagine, since you can get it to its 7,500 rpm red line much easier.

When the C30 is not being pushed hard, it feels like the base 2.4i used to feel like: comfortable & quiet – a real pleasure to drive. Only stomping on the throttle awakens the turbo and the C30 becomes a different animal.

Handling is good, but the C30 is outdone a bit by its competitors here. It feels sure-footed and stable, but it’s almost as though the C30 is working hard to achieve those results where it just comes more naturally to, say, the BMW 1-series. With that said, the C30 does not disappoint for thrills when pushed to the limit, it just feels as though it could be a bit tighter. It’s almost like going to Subway then realizing halfway through that they’re out of pickles. The sub will still end up tasting good, but you know if could have been a bit better with the pickles.

The interior is excellent with quality materials, good ergonomics and a unique overall design. The “waterfall” centre stack looks cool and allows for storage space in behind. My only real gripe is that the steering wheel felt a little too big, as if it was taken from a bus or something. But the interior of the C30 is a very nice place to be. Being a 4-seater, rear space isn’t exactly plentiful but four adults could definitely be comfortable for shorter trips, especially since the rear passengers get bucket seats like the front passengers do. And my goodness are the seats ever comfortable. Orange stitching around the seats help give liven up the interior a bit with a more sporty look. As comfortable as they are, though, they could use a bit more side bolstering for aggressive driving. Volvo would be well advised to offer some sort of sport seat option in the C30.

The rear hatch won’t give you insane amounts of cargo room, but it is quite adequate for every day driving, especially with the rear seats folded down. Watch when loading and unloading objects however. The unique rear design means it’s pretty easy to accidentally scratch the paint of the rear bumper.

So then, I’d say the C30 is a very good car completely worthy of your consideration. It is, however, that lone seagull that couldn’t quite get at the crumb of bread in terms of performance; it is outdone by its competitors (if only slightly). But maybe it’s being stacked up against the wrong competitors. Volvo very much wants it to compete with premium German cars, however with the C30 T5′s relative low starting price and decent power, it seems to be more of a Volkswagen GTI, Mazdaspeed3, Mini Cooper S and Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback competitor. And when it’s stacked up against that lineup, it very much is the seagull that was able to get the bread crumb. It is an excellent, comfortable daily driver that can offer up satisfying doses of performance should the mood strike you.

Do yourself a favour and put the C30 T5 on your shopping list if you want a good looking, comfortable daily driver with a light under its bushel.

Base Price: $30,995

Pros:

• Eye-catching exterior styling
• Excellent interior layout/quality materials
• Very comfortable seats
• Decent performance when desired
• Virtually no torque steer/lag
• Low starting price
• Standard safety features galore

Cons:

• Rear seat room is tight
• Big steering wheel
• Inconsistent automatic
• No sport seats available

Overall: 8.5/10

When Volvo redesigned the S60, many purists were hoping that the ‘R’ versions would carry over as well. The previous generation S60 R generated a decent 300 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque which made for quite the sleeper and very shocked and confused faces of most people when they realized they were beat from the lights by a Volvo.

However, Volvo didn’t carry over the S60 R for the new generation. Volvo said the new S60 T6 already made 300 horses and 320 horsepower so an R version wasn’t needed. With most of us scratching our heads wondering why 300 horsepower is apparently the cut off for Volvo, they tried to appease us by offering the “R-Design” which essentially gave the S60 the cosmetic appearance of the old S60 R, and tightened everything up to increase handling abilities. But still, there was no bump in power. Until now.

It seems Volvo is finally listening and is giving the S60 more go with its show. The S60 R-Design will now make 325 horsepower and a sizable 354 pound feet of torque. This now positions the S60 R as a credible contender against the 333 horsepower Audi S4 and the 320 horsepower BMW 335is.

Now, the only missing piece of the puzzle is to give this car a proper manual transmission. Get to it, Volvo!

[Volvo]

Much to the dismay to most North American Volvo wagon enthusiasts, when Volvo debuted the V60, they also said it would not be coming to North America due to poor V70 sales. However it now seems there is a possibility of the very stylish V60 being available for sale here.

Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby recently indicated that it’s possible for the V60 to come to this side of the pond as a sort of niche vehicle. He suggested that perhaps the V60 could be a hybrid only if sold here. The goal would be to keep Volvo loyalists happy all while ensuring they don’t jump ship for the Toyota Prius, Lexus HS 25oh or Audi A3 TDI should they want something more efficient. This would also help Volvo achieve its CAFE standards as they currently offer no hybrid or diesel models in North America.

Volvo is currently working on electric vehicles and has also hinted at a deisel powered C30 coming to our market as well.

Would you buy a hybridized V60 or would you rather just a pocket rocket version in T6 form? Maybe beggers can’t be choosers.

[Swedespeed]

For the first time ever, Car Driven will be announcing its Car of the Year (COTY). Mostly because this is the first year for this blog, but also because unfortunately I don’t have the means to test every new vehicle myself this year. But that never stopped me from making my own pics for AJAC’s COTY awards last year, so why not?

So with much thought and deliberation I’ve narrowed down the nominees to five cars overall. Every new 2011 vehicle, no matter what the segment, is considered. However to keep things simple, I’ve opted to not separate them by categories this year. That means the new Honda Odyssey was technically considered alongside the Ferrari 458 Italia. Since both are obviously very different vehicles made for very different purposes, I decided to choose all nominees based on how well each vehicle is suited for Canadians. That means everything from performance, price, quality, safety, fit & finish were considered. However to keep it fair, each of those criterion are relative to the vehicle segment. So for example the Ferrari 458 Italia is compared against other supercars. And the Honda Odyssey against other minivans. The vehicle that presents a clear, absolute best case for itself wins.

I’ll probably do categories next year, but for now we’ll go with this. And I’m working a lot harder to try to test all the new vehicles for next year to make a more informed decision, press vehicles are pretty hard to get your hands on (in the meantime, check out all the vehicles I’ve tested so far). And to keep it simple, I’ve narrowed it down to 5 vehicles.

Find out what they are after the jump.

Here are Car Driven’s nominees for 2011 Car of the Year (in alphabetical order):

1) Cadillac CTS-V Coupe: There isn’t much to explain other than 555 horsepower, rear wheel drive, a six speed manual all for just over $70K. That’s tremendous value. But the big reason is Cadillac’s dedication to true performance with its V-series and now with a coupe in the line-up, the CTS can now finally look the part. And boy is it ever a looker. Love it or hate it, it definitely turns heads. But more importantly, Cadillac has proved that it has the balls to hang with the big boys from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

2) Ford Edge: Ford has been steadily adding credibility back to its lineup and the Edge is an excellent example of their hard work. Don’t let the ridiculous name fool you, the Edge is a very capable vehicle in its segment. Jam packed with loads of cool tech such as Ford’s sync technology, the Edge definitely, um, edges out its competition for being more driver friendly and more advanced. On top of that, the Edge improves immensely on overall looks, gets high safety scores, has a decent ride for a CUV and the capabilities to carry all your stuff.

3) Mazda2: The Mazda2 may be beat by its non-identical twin, the Ford Fiesta, in the looks department, but it can certainly hold its own in almost every area. The Mazda3 is currently Canada’s top selling vehicle because it provides a “zoom zoom” experience without breaking the bank. The Mazda2 promises to deliver the same “zoom zoom” experience except for even cheaper in a smaller more nimble and efficient package. And if there’s one thing Canadians love, it’s small efficient cars that can haul lots of stuff and are fun to drive. The Mazda2 delivers on all front and it even does it without that stupid grinning face design language that seems to have affected it’s big brothers, the Mazda3 and Mazda5.

4) Suzuki Kizashi: Suzuki claims the Kizashi will outperform an Audi A4, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a Volvo S40. While I’m not convinced of that, I am convinced it can outperform its more immediate competition: the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy, Chevrolet Malibu etc. Suzuki is obviously trying very hard to make itself a real player in the car world and they’re using the perfect recipe. And my goodness, does it ever look good. Easily the best looking car in the mid-sedan segment. And it’s also among the safest. That means it’s big and safe enough to drop the kids off at school, and then on the way to work you can satisfy that performance itch with a tight suspension, available AWD and a six-speed manual coming in the near future. All that for under $30 grand and you’re wondering why you never considered Suzuki before.

5) Volvo S60: Volvo has come an extremely long way in the past two decades and a good example is the redesigned S60. Now with cleaner, more eye catching styling, Volvo is proving that safe doesn’t have to come at the expense of style. But more importantly, Volvo is also proving that safe doesn’t have to come at the expense of performance either. With 300 horses and 330 pound feet of torque, Volvo’s new T6 engine is even more powerful than the BMW 335i’s and according to most critics, it actually rival’s BMW’s N55 engine for performance and smoothness. It even picked up an award for engine of the year this year. Combine that with torque vectoring, available AWD and a tuned suspension, you’ve got quite the attractive package in an attractive car. And it’s a Volvo. Who would’ve thought.

Congrats to all the nominees! Check back on New Year’s day to find out the winner!

Now under the control of Geely, Volvo apparently will be going through a bit of restructuring in order to make themselves more competative against BMW. Seems that everyone is targetting BMW, eh? Volvo’s first shot against the Bavarian automaker is with the new S60.

Now comes news that Volvo will drop both the S40 and V50 from its lineup in order to make room for a BMW 1-series competitor. But wait. Volvo has marketed the C30 as a 1-series competitor for years. Perhaps they realized the only similarity between the two is that they’re both four seaters.

Indeed Volvo needs to beef up its performance abilities if they truely wish to compete with BMW. This new model could also spawn a platform for an X1 fighter, likely to be called the XC30. Bring it on!

Unfortunately this restructuring process means a few other casualties as well. The V70 will be discontinued and replaced by the V60 in 2011, however we will not be getting the V60 in North America. It’s always sad to see another wagon go.

[AutoWeek]

Remember the old S60 R? It was quite the sleeper. Douchebags in their Cobalt SS’s didn’t know what hit them when they got schooled by an S60 R. It came with 300 horsepower, 300 pound foot torque, AWD, an advanced suspension altering system and a six speed manual. Oh and it looked damn good too. Yet, despite that delicious combination, Volvo didn’t sell too many S60 R’s. Why? I think it’s because Volvo marketed it to be an ‘M3 killer’. Which it really wasn’t. The S60 R was good, yes, but not nearly as capable as the E46 M3 which it was pitted against.

Volvo then dropped the S60 R from its lineup, which was quite unfortunate. Since then, Volvo has offered ‘R-design’ packages on the C30, XC90 and XC60. While they made the appearance of those models look spectacular, unfortunately that’s all the R-design package was – purely cosmetic.

Now, though, Volvo is offering the R-design package on the redesigned S60 and it’s a bit more than just side skirts and nice alloys. The R-Design will now also get you an upgraded suspension including firmer bushings all the way around, a strut-tower brace, and stiffer coils on all four corners.

You’ll also get torque vectoring. What’s torque vectoring? Well it basically allows for enhanced cornering abilities by sending and appropriate amount of torque to each individual wheel depending on the speed and aggressiveness the driver has in taking the corner.

Sadly, there will be no boost in power from the engine. With the standard S60 T6 making 300 horsepower and 325 pound foot torque however, Volvo probably figured that would be adequate. Um, not if you wanna take on the M3 again Volvo. However, those numbers do put it right in line with the 335i and the Volvo is also significantly cheaper.

Good to see the re-incarnation of the S60 R.

[Volvo]

HEICO SPORTIV – The all new Volvo S60. from heicofilm on Vimeo.

Video has just been released of the Volvo S60 Heico Sportiv. Wow. It looks terrifically sexy! And being a Volvo, it’s super safe.

The Heico Sportiv S60 boosts power to 330 horsepower and 339 pound foot torque. That’s good enough for a 0-100 time in 5.8 seconds. If I’m honest, that number seems a bit disappointing. All that power with only a 5.8 0-100 time? I guess the AWD system must be really heavy. It’s not like 5.8 seconds is anything to sneeze at.

Plus, when your car looks this good, you’ll want to give people enough time to look in awe anyway.

[Heico Film]

Isn’t it just the best when people get what they have coming to them?

Well the likeliness of that ringing true has just increased for Cadillac Escalade owners because the Highway Data Loss Institute has just released its list of vehicles with the highest and lowest insurance claims or thefts. You guessed it, the Cadillac Escalade took top honours for most stolen. Another reason to hate it!

But wait, you must be asking yourself “how can the Escalade be such a hot item for thieves? What about GM’s infamous Onstar?” Well, car thieves are quite crafty these days. All they do is take a flat bed truck, and load it on. By the time the douchebag owner realizes that their sweet ride has been stolen, the thieves have already deactivated the Onstar system which means the Escalade is now untrackable.

Which car is least likely to be stolen? Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Volvo S80. While that may be good news for S80 owners, wouldn’t that make them wonder why no one even wants to steal their car? Just sayin’.

Hit the jump to see the rest of the top 10 highest stolen and least stolen vehicles. Is your car on the list?

[Highway Data Loss Institute]

Top 10 highest stolen vehicles:

1) Cadillac Escalade
2) Ford F-250 crew 4WD
3) Infiniti G37 2-door
4) Dodge Charger HEMI
5) Chevrolet Corvette Z06
6) Hummer H2 4WD
7) Nissan Pathfinder Armada
Chevrolet Avalanche 1500
9) Chevrolet Silverado 1500
10) GMC Yukon

Top 10 least stolen vehicles:

1) Volvo S80
2) Saturn VUE 4WD (2008-09)
3) Nissan Murano (2009)
4) Saturn VUE (2008-09)
5) Honda Pilot 4WD (2009)
6) Subaru Impreza (2008-09)
7) Toyota Prius
Mini Cooper
9) Toyota Tacoma
10) Toyota Sienna 4WD

Even though the 2011 Volvo S60 is not officially available for sale yet, that hasn’t stopped tuning company Heico Sportiv from having a go at Volvo’s latest stylish offering.

They took the standard T6 engine and boosted output by 30 horsepower. As a result the Heico Sportiv S60 develops 330 horses and 300 pound feet of torque. In addition, Heico Sportive revised the front facia, gave it some big gunmetal coloured wheels, and a rear diffuser with a quad tailpipe set up. Nice.

They also plan on reconfiguring the exhaust and suspension to more sporting tastes. If they give it a six speed manual transmission too, I’d say they have a winner. I’ll take mine in the matte black pictured above too!

[Autoblog]

We’ve known about the V60′s existence for a while, we’ve even seen pics of it without any camo, so there aren’t really any surprises here, but now we have an official reveal and I must say it looks fantastic.

The very shapely and sporty looking wagon apparently enjoys being taken by the scruff of the neck. The video Volvo has released above shows just how well the wagon can handle the elements. Volvo has bragged about the new S60′s handling capabilities, so it’s safe to say the V60 can pull off similar tricks, only with more room for all your stuff.

Even though Volvo has had huge amounts of success with its SUV’s (I came away quite impressed with the XC60 for instance), I really appreciate that they haven’t given up on their wagons, which have really helped to catapult Volvo’s sales in the past.

This new V60 will replace the V70 & V50 (at least in our market). The XC70 will still stick around for those who want a bit more space and a bit more off-road capability. As you would expect, you get all the usual Volvo safety bits as standard.

In any event, looks like another winner from Volvo.

Check out some pics at Autoblog

[Volvo via Autoblog]