1979 Volvo 240/244 Dl on 2040-cars

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Volvo shows inflatable child seat concept [w/video]

Volvo is bringing its emphasis on safety and design to the littlest members of the family with its concept for an inflatable, rearward facing child safety seat. The design is meant to help traveling families by offering a lighter and less bulky alternative to traditional car seats.
The design is quite ingenious. The seat is covered in drop-stitched fabric, which fills with air to create the form of the seat. An electric motor in it allows inflation and deflation in less than 40 seconds, according to Volvo. It weighs less than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and folds small enough when collapsed to fit into a bag. It even has a Bluetooth connection, so parents can begin expanding it remotely.
The inflatable seat in the brainchild of Lawrence Abele, Volvo's design manager at its Monitoring and Concept Center in Los Angeles, CA. "For many, travelling with young children is a challenge; any assistance to simplify the parents' life with young children is a great thing," he said in a statement released by Volvo. The chair remains a concept for now, and the automaker isn't saying whether it's going to put it into production, but it's a clever solution to a common problem. Scroll down for a video showing it in action and to read the release.

Volvo brings a whole new 2014 showroom for Geneva's approval

Sometimes it takes smaller automakers a bit longer than the industry average to rotate and freshen their product lineups. Volvo has taken a big swing for the 2014 model year in that regard, and has brought along a full product portfolio of new cars.
In the main, this means that the Swedish brand has fast-tracked facelifts for its already-attractive assemblage of sedans, wagons and crossovers. Volvo mainstays S60 and S80 have both gotten appearance modifications to freshen them for dealer lots, as well as added features inside the car. We're particularly happy to report that the spirited "60 cluster" models - S60, V60, XC60 - can now be had with optional paddle shifters on new, three-spoke steering wheels.
Below you'll find a whole bunch of image galleries of the revised Volvos, live and in person from the show floor in Geneva. For a bit more background on the Volvo updates, feel free to read our original announcement of the news or scroll down to catch the press release.

Volvo shows off 345-hp S60 and V60 Polestar

We showed you the hot, new Volvo V60 Polestar a few months back and raved about the fact that this long-roofed family car can hit 60 miles per hour in just 4.9 seconds. Now, we're seeing it and its four-doored brother, the S60 Polestar sedan, in person for the first time.
As we told you when the V60 Polestar was unveiled, both cars are motivated by a 3.0-liter, turbocharged six-cylinder that generates 345 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, with peak twist arriving between 2,800 and 4,750. Power is channeled to a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and launch control.
Both Polestar models benefit from a suspension that features Öhlins shocks, while they ride on 20-inch "bespoke" wheels. Six-cylinder Brembo calipers clamp down on 14.6-inch rotors in front, meaning these Volvos should come to a stop as quickly as they get going.