Another Reason To Hate it: Escalade Top Pick For Thieves

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]

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Oh Hi: 2011 Heico Sportiv Volvo S60

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]

Oh Hi: 2011 Volvo V60

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]

Test Drive: 2010 Volvo XC60 T6

By Kevin Harrison

What is the first thing you notice when you look at Volvo’s latest offering? The large signature LED tail lights?  The strong character lines in the side profile? The 18 inch multi-spoked wheels? There are lots of things that definitely catch your eye with this CUV, but would you believe that the first thing I noticed right away when I saw it in person was actually the emblem on the front grille?

It’s huge, at least in comparison to other Volvos.  A lot of manufacturers are growing the size of their symbols (most notably Mercedes-Benz). But I had to wonder, this vehicle is stunning to look at, why would Volvo want to distract me with a larger emblem?

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Volvo C60 Revealed!

Well this is a bit of a surprise.

To my knowledge (which is vast in terms of the auto industry – just a fact, not bragging) Volvo had no plans of replacing the C70 any time soon or making any coupe/convertible variants of the new 2011 S60. Apparently Volvo was quite secretive about this one though.

The image above was snapped at a private presentation of Volvo’s future models. Cell phones and cameras were banned for obvious reasons, but that didn’t stop a brave soul from sneaking one in and taking this pic.

We can see that Volvo will be retaining the hardtop that the C70 is famously known for (it folds in three pieces!). On top of that, it keeps a very simialr S60 front end, but it is expected to have revised tail lights.

For power, I’m happy to report that the new T6 that the C60′s four door brother has under the hood will make it over. One of the main gripes with the C70 was its lack of power. That should fix that issue just fine.

The C60 joins the 60-series lineup of the S60 sedan, XC60 crossover and V60 wagon.

[World Car Fans via Top Speed]

2011 Volvo S60 Priced, More Details Revealed

Volvo Canada has released pricing on the very stylish 2011 S60 and it will start at $45,450. That’s a lot of dough, but remember this is the top of the line T6. When compared the BMW’s 335i, the S60 T6 is a full 5 grand cheaper. Less powerful trim levels are likely to follow down the line as well. Volvo has a habit of introducing the top of the line trim levels first.

The T6 will get a turbocharged inline six cylinder engine capable of producing 300 horsepower and 325 pound feet of torque. Since the S60 has always been front wheel drive, that is an excellent recipe for torque steer, so to combat that, Volvo is making all-wheel drive standard on the T6. Sounds pretty sweet, right?

Well, here’s the bad news. Volvo has no plans of offering a maual transmission with this set up, at least not initially. That means it’s up to the consumer to make a  fuss about it and demand that a manual option will be available down the line. That’s what happened with the previous generation M5, remember? It was initially offered with automatic only, but then everyone complained and BMW then fitted it with a manual.

On top of all that, you’re going to get all the safety stuff that Volvo is known for including Volvo’s City Safety which is capable of stopping the vehicle by itself if it detects and immanent crash. This technology was first introduced on the XC60.

[Volvo Canada]

Junior Nissan GT-R? AutoCar Reviews the Volvo C30 Polestar

BMW’s M, Audi’s RS and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG divisions better watch out because it turns out Volvo and Polestar can make one mean performance car.

Basically the idea of the C30 Polestar concept is simple: make a hardcore performance car that is street legal. Sounds simple enough, right? Well in order to do that, the C30 Polestar has a tuned 2.5 litre inline five cylinder which churns out 405 horsepower. Obviously that’s a lot of juice to put to the front wheels so Volvo  used their Haldex AWD system. On top of that, it is fitted with massive brakes, a massive intercoolers and other custom internal bits.

All of this combined means that Volvo has just created a “junior Nissan GT-R” according to Autocar. Praise doesn’t get much higher than that.

The kicker is Volvo and Polestar have no plans on actually turning it into a production vehicle. My guess is that it would likely be way too expensive if they were to sell it to the general public. Find a way to deal with that, Volvo. Nissan was able to keep the price down with the GT-R, so it is possible. This is definitely the hottest Volvo ever made and no one being able to experience it would be a travesty!

Judging by the video, it very well could be a junior GT-R. It looks extremely sure footed and planted in the corners and it has a tremendous exhaust note. Check out the Autocar’s test above.

Oh Hi: Volvo C30 Polestar Performance Concept

Meet the C30 Polestar Performance Concept from Volvo. It’s one of the more attractive Volvos that you likely will never see on the streets because it won’t be available for sale. Bummer.

Its existance is purely for just-for-the-hell-of-it reasons because Volvo and Polestar were curious about what they’d end up with if they built a race ready C30 without the regulatory body getting in the way. The end result? Stunning. Even though it’s not the colour I’d choose (though I could easily warm up to it), this is the most interesting Volvo to come along in a long time. And those wheels are just fantastic.

It has the same T5 engine found in the roadgoing C30, but Polestar has tuned it to 405 horsepower thanks to a much bigger turbo, a massive intercooler and custom internals.  Volvo’s AWD system makes sure the Polestar C30 stays planted.

In addition there are brakes supplied by Brembo, an Ohlins suspension set up and a quick ratio steering rack.

Has this got you drooling yet? Me too. Volvo & Polestar aren’t nice at all for teasing us like this. Build it, Volvo!

This is What the New Volvo S60 Should Have Been

Well, not exactly like this, we mean mechanically it should have been like this.

To eleborate, the pic you see above is Volvo’s entry into the Belgian Touring Car Championship starting on April 11th. It shares very little with the production 2011 S60 sedan. The S60 racer is going to get a V6  which will produce 410 horsepower,  6 speed manual transmission and it will be rear wheel drive. Yup, the civilianized version should defintely have this set up.

Still, the new S60 can supposedly hold its own, but we’ll reserve judgement on that until we try one out for ourselves.

The S60 Racer will be Volvo’s first crack at the Belgian Touring Car Championship which includes two 90 minute heats and a 12 hour endurance race.

Volvo V60 Caught Completely Naked

Volvo has recently announced that starting in 2011, the V70 wagon would no longer be sold in the United States. Although they have not confirmed the same fate for the V70 in our market yet, it is also expected to get the axe. Volvo only sold 1800 units in the States last year. The XC70 on the other hand has been doing much better and it will try to fill the V70′s shoes. The V70 will continue on in Europe.

But those who prefer their wagons to be at a normal height, i.e not jacked up like the XC70, don’t need to fret as the V60 is going to take the V70′s place.

For the first time ever, Volvo has let the V60 out and about without any comouflage whatsoever – very unusual for any automaker, but especially unusual for a European automaker. They tend to be quite secretive about new upcoming models.

Anyway, we can see that the V60 is basically going to be a wagon version of the S60 sedan. The lines are quite nice for a wagon. It’s very sleek, it has a high belt line and and classic Volvo tail lights.

The V60 is expected to get the same 300 horsepower and 325 pound foot torque that the  S60 T6 will get, and other engine variants are rumoured.

Check the jump for a rear view shot.

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Done Deal: Volvo Will Be Sold to Geely

Guess Li Shufu was just being over dramatic?

Ford announced at a press conference in Sweden today that that country’s biggest automaker will find itself with a new owner.  Chinese company Geely, had long been considered the front runner for the bid, and is now the official owner.

The deal sees Volvo going to the tune of $1.8 billion dollars as expected including other physical assets. Ford will also have no stakes left in the brand as Geely will take 100% ownership.

Any Ford technology that found itself into Volvo models will be licensed for use by Ford.

Shufu has promised to keep Volvo separate from Geely, so hopefully we won’t be seeing Volvos with any Geely technology in them.

The Chinese government has yet to approve the sale, however they are expected to do so shortly.

Volvo-Geely Deal Gets Rocky

For some reason, Ford is trying to get rid of Volvo right when they are starting to make interesting product. The new 2011 S60 has shown that it’s got some soul, their wagons and SUV’s are still doing quite well, and the C30 is expanding to get more people into the brand. Sounds quite promising, no?

Well the truth is, Volvo really hasn’t been too profitable for Ford even though they have benefited tremendously from Volvo platforms and safety technology.

Still, Volvo is leaving Ford with some bad indegestion like a Swedish meatball and as a result, the brand has been up for sale since 2008.

Chinese car company Geely, has been the front runner in the deal and it was though that the deal would become officially, uh, official back in February.

This obviously didn’t happen and now comes word that the deal has reached a bit of a snag.

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Volvo to Expand C30 series

Volvo has been fairly successful with its cool little hatch, the C30 as its job is to bust any myths about Volvos being ‘uncool’ and too expensive.

After realizing this success, Volvo has decided to add a few more models to the C30 range.

They are planning on introducing a 5 door C30. While the 3 door is pretty cool, this is desperately needed if Volvo wishes to truly take on the likes of the 5-door GTI, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

Also, Volvo plans on building on their apparent talent for making SUV’s. They are going to make a small size SUV to compete with BMW’s upcoming X1. Volvo’s version will likely be called the XC30,  making it the fourth installment of the XC range behind the XC90, XC70, and XC60.

With these new plans for expanding their model range, and Volvo’s latest success in the SUV department, it’s a wonder why Ford is still willing to part ways with the brand.

Let’s Try This Again: Next Lexus IS to Spawn Wagon

We called it just a few posts down, and Lexus is helping to prove us right. We said to expect to see more wagons coming in the near future.

You may be forgiven if you’ve forgotten all about the IS 300 SportCross you see pictured above. But it did indeed exist from 2001 to 2005  and it sold badly. So badly that Lexus had decided it was wasting its valuable time and money on it and the SportCross swiftly got the axe.

But AutoCar is reporting that the next generation IS will see the return of the wagon. Whether or not they’ll call it SportCross again is anyone’s guess, but we’re going to go on record as saying they won’t call it the IS wagon. Wagon is such a taboo word for some reason.  Also, the next IS is rumoured to receive a hybrid variant.

So, let’s take a look at the wagon list. BMW has the 3 series wagon, Audi has their A4 Avant, Volvo has their V60 coming, Acura has just announced a TSX wagon will debut this year, and now we have Lexus. Expect Mercedes-Benz to re-examine their decision not to sell the new C-Class wagon here very soon.

Wagon Comeback: Acura TSX To Get More Junk in the Trunk

Call us crazy, but we are going to predict a swift return of the wagon. That’s not to say the end of the SUV, but CUV’s are definitely becoming all the rage, and let’s face it, they’re just jacked up station wagons. The term ‘station wagon’ is pretty taboo in the car world so you’ll hear car companies come up with new cooler sounding names such as ‘Sportcombi’ or ‘Avant’. Call it whatever you want, they’re wagons.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you just need to haul more stuff more often than not and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice performance and fuel consumption (like an SUV) in order to get it. Hence, our prediction of the return of the wagon.

Honda has officially announced that the Acura TSX wagon will make its debut at this year’s  New York Auto Show. You don’t debut a model at a U.S auto show unless you plan on selling it in the U.S, so it’s safe to say it’s on its way and insiders are whispering rumours or a fall debut at dealerships. No word yet on powertrain options, but the RDX’s turbo’d  4-cylinder is a strong possibility along with SH-AWD. If they make a stick available then colour us officially intrigued.

Acura is just the latest to step up to the wagon plate with Cadillac introducing a wagon version of their CTS (with rumours of a CTS-V wagon in the works), Saab continuing on with 9-5 and 9-3 wagons, and Volvo slotting a new wagon in their lineup as well.