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Weekly Recap: Volvo buys Polestar, makes performance a priority

Volvo is taking its performance business in-house, and the Swedish carmaker announced Tuesday that it bought tuning company Polestar, which has long been known for producing sporty Volvos. The move allows Volvo to ramp up its performance business, and it plans to increase Polestar-branded vehicle sales to 1,000 to 1,500 annually, up from the 750 total projected for this year. The companies have been working together on motorsports projects since 1996. Financial terms of the sale were not released, and Polestar workers will move over to Volvo. Former Polestar owner Christian Dahl will keep control of the Polestar racing team and operate it under a new name. In addition to sales volume, Volvo has ambitious plans for other parts of Polestar, including its aftermarket business. Volvo also said it will use its twin-engine hybrid technology for Polestar models in the future, though specifics and timing were not revealed. Meanwhile, Volvo announced it will offer a run of 265 total Polestars in the United States for the 2016 model year, with S60 and V60s available. "Driving a Volvo Polestar is a special experience. We have decided to bring this experience to more Volvo drivers, placing the full resources of Volvo behind the development of Polestar as the model name for our high performance cars," Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, get nose jobs Automakers tend to refer to light updates as 'facelifts,' and that's exactly what Chevy gave the 2016 Silverado and GMC Sierra. Chevy slightly changed the front end of the truck. Using the one photo released of the new Z71 model as a guide, we can see that the headlights went from a stacked vertical design to single bulbs, and they are set on top of LED running lights. The grille has more body-colored elements instead of shiny metal, and the hood has a new line running down the middle (look really closely). The design theme will be similar across the portfolio, though materials and details will vary, a spokesman said. Some models, like the High Country and LTZ will have more chrome, and the LEDs are only for the upper trims. Chevy also said it will use the eight-speed automatic transmission on more versions of the Silverado, and it updated the MyLink feature to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Ford halves summer shutdown, ramps SUV production

For the third consecutive year, Ford is reducing the length of its summer shutdown for several factories to keep up with high demand for some models. This year, the decision means 40,000 more units of popular trucks and crossovers like the F-Series, Edge, Escape, and Explorer. Rather than the normal two-week break, workers at the Chicago, Dearborn Truck, Kansas City, Kentucky Truck, Louisville, and Oakville factories will only get a week off starting on June 29. Additionally, 10 plants for producing components to support these assembly lines will also have the shorter vacation. The rest of the Blue Oval's manufacturing locations will shutdown from June 29 to July 10 for maintenance and retooling. According to Ford, the decision comes because of low inventories and high demand on some of its popular models. The 2015 F-150 is lasting around 20 days at dealers, and the Edge spends an average of 10 days before being sold. Ford is hardly alone in deciding to keep locations open during the normal summer break, though. FCA recently made the decision not to shutdown four assembly plants and all of its factories for components to keep up with demand for models like the Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Dodge Durango. Related Video: FORD REDUCES SUMMER SHUTDOWN TO MEET DEMAND FOR FORD F-SERIES TRUCKS, EDGE, ESCAPE AND EXPLORER JUN 2, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH. In response to increased customer demand, Ford will add capacity this summer to produce its most popular trucks and utilities Ford will shorten its summer shutdown from the traditional two-week summer shutdown to one week for a majority of North American assembly plants, increasing production by close to 40,000 units In April, Ford F-150 was turning at just 20 days on dealer lots, Edge sales were up 78 percent, and Escape and Explorer remained in tight supply. 2016 Explorers are now hitting dealer lots In response to customer demand for Ford's newest products, the company this year will produce close to 40,000 extra units by idling select plants for only one week during what has been the traditional two-week summer shutdown.. "To meet surging customer demand for our top-selling trucks and utilities, we are continuing to run our North American facilities during the traditional two-week summer shutdown in order to add close to 40,000 units," said Bruce Hettle, Ford vice president, North America Manufacturing.

Ford recalls nearly 1.3 million Fusions, Lincoln MKZs for brake hose leaks

Ford Motor is recalling nearly 1.3 million Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans built from the 2013 through 2018 model years because their front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid, which could affect stopping ability and increase the risk of a crash. The company notified the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration and says that in the event a leak occurs, the brake fluid warning light may illuminate on the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge, and notification letters to owners are to be mailed in mid-April. A second letter will be mailed once replacement parts are available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12. The vehicles affected were manufactured between Feb. 3, 2012, and July 19, 2017. In mid-2020, Ford recalled 488,594 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX SUVs for a similar problem regarding leaking brake lines.   Recalls Ford Lincoln Safety