VOLVO C40 RECHARGE

The C40 Recharge coupe and XC40 Recharge SUV are Volvo’s first dedicated electric vehicles. Both arrived here in June 2022 and were upgraded in July 2023. Both vehicles come with the choice of the Pure with a single rear-mounted motor or the Twin Pure which adds a second motor mounted at the front. Our test vehicle was the C40 Recharge Twin Pure. STYLING The C40 Recharge’s shape is relatively subtle and it doesn’t shout out that it’s an electric vehicle. From the front to the B-pillar it’s quite tall in… Read more

VOLVO XC60, PLENTY TO SAY . . . MOSTLY GOOD

What’s in a name? Plenty for Volvo, the Sino-Swedish car maker with its new mid-size luxury SUV, the XC60, tagged with a string of descriptors to separate each model from one another. Take, for example our test vehicle, the Volvo XC60 Ultimate B5 Bright: phew! And that mouthful comes without mentioning vital specifications such as the powertrain – in this case 2-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine, plus eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. ‘Ultimate’ relates to the trim level, B5 to the engine, a turbocharged petrol motor enhanced by a… Read more

PRIME TIME COMES TO VOLVO

Volvo is making a big deal out of the fact it is bringing Prime Video to its car, with YouTube to come later. But we’d rather watch Prime at home in the comfort of our loungeroom. The app will be available to download in models with the built-in Google operating system. However, YouTube will be embedded in the OS. That’s hardly surprising considering Amazon is one of Google’s biggest competitors. Guess Google couldn’t quite go the extra mile. The news follows last year’s announcement that Volvo’s announcement will soon be… Read more

NEW POLESTAR 2 GETS LONGER RANGE, FASTER CHARGING

Polestar has improved the range, efficiency and performance of its Polestar 2 electric vehicle while simultaneously reducing its carbon footprint as part of significant updates for the 2024 model year. Four variants my 2024 Polestar 2 are available with standard or long range and either single or dual motors. Prices range from $67,400 for the standard range single motor variant through to $85,400 for a long range, dual motor model with an optional Performance Pack. Next-generation electric motors and inverters are fitted to all Polestar 2 variants, offering substantial increases… Read more

VOLVO S80 2007 – 2018

  The Volvo S80 is the model that changed the public image of the Swedish car when it was  launched in 1998. Once seen as the company that built safe, square, boring cars, Volvo is  now regarded as a style leader.    The Volvo S80 is a large sedan with a shape that can be described as ‘simple but  effective’, especially in the cabin where it’s distinctly Scandinavian and will never be  mistaken as one of its German or British rivals.    Indeed, we heard owners say their S80 can almost… Read more

EX30 IS VOLVO’S SMALLEST EV YET

Confirming the adage, Good Things Come In Small Packages, Volvo’s latest EV (and its smallest to date) packs a punch. Priced from $59,990, the EX30 will be offered in three versions: two with a single electric motor and a third high performance model with two electric motors. Single motor versions offer 200kW of power and 343Nm of torque; Twin Motor Performance delivers 315kW and 543Nm. A 69kWh high-voltage 400V lithium-ion battery is common to all three. Single motor variants have an estimated range of up to 480km; the twin motor… Read more

VOLVO EVS PILE ON THE KAYS

Volvo has boosted the range of its C40 and XC40 Recharge twins. Both models have received upgraded powertrains and larger batteries that deliver longer range and faster charging capability. The upgrades also see the introduction of rear-drive models for the first time in 25 years. The new rear-wheel drive powertrain features a single 175kW motor, three per cent more than the outgoing single-motor front-drive version. In the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric (single motor), the 69kWh battery carries over, but enhancements in cooling deliver increased range of up to 460km (WLTP)… Read more

VOLVO C40 RECHARGE

Swedish car maker Volvo designs vehicles that reduce emissions to cut global warming. They are engineered to be as safe as possible, both in avoiding a crash if possible, and in protecting occupants if a crash is inevitable. To show we are serious about Volvo’s attitude to safety we bought a Volvo XC40 T4 Inscription several years ago and will probably keep it until my wife and I are no longer able to drive. Hopefully that’s many years away… Anyhow, onto the Volvo C40 Recharge. This is a fully electric… Read more

VOLVO XC90 B6 AWD R-DESIGN

The XC90 is the largest of Volvo’s three SUVs. There are four grades: Momentum, Inscription, R-Design and the Recharge plugin hybrid. The current model dates back to 2015, while Volvo has been upgrading the tech and gradually replacing the original powertrains with hybrid or plug-in hybrid setups. One of the car’s defining features is the large, vertically mounted tablet-style infotainment touchscreen from which the driver is able to control most of the functions of the vehicle. Being a Volvo, safety and more recently reduced engine emissions are a given and… Read more

VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE PURE ELECTRIC TWIN

Recharge is the fully electric version of Volvo’s XC40 small-medium SUV. Until recently there was just the one electric model, but now you get to choose from two. One has a single electric motor, the other comes with two of them — or ‘twin’ motors as they are known. STYLING Volvo XC40’s exterior styling is chunky, compact and functional. The wheels are standouts. A blanked-out radiator grille signifies this is the fully electric version of the small SUV, in other words – no cooling required. Although designed to seat five,… Read more