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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.

Sunday Drive: And now for something completely different

This past week played host to a wide assortment of automotive news, highlighted by our first drive of the 2018 Volvo XC40. The Swedish crossover is targeted at young, successful Millennials, but it offers cool styling, fun dynamics, and all of today's must-have technology, so we think it ought to appeal to a much wider swath of the automotive marketplace. From there we answer the question, "What are hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" as we take a look at the next Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. We expect the German automaker's flagship luxury SUV to remain boxy on the outside, but the interior is going to be soft, supple, and luxurious. And then there's the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, which starts at starts at $34,290 and boasts 212 total system horsepower, 232 pound-feet of torque, 47 miles of electric driving range, and a total range of 340 miles. EPA rates it at 110 MPGe in EV mode, and 44 city/40 highway/42 combined overall. We compare it to other plug-ins like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime. And finally we have some more spy photos of the 2019 Ram 1500. It doesn't have a traditional crosshair grille, but it's got plenty of chrome and an attractive upright stance that's sure to tempt future truck buyers looking for some sophistication to go with their work gloves. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week to see all the automotive news that's fit to print. 2018 Volvo XC40 First Drive Review | The Masspirational crossover Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets the luxe, high-tech treatment 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review | It's what's on the inside that counts 2019 Ram 1500 shows chrome grille and more production parts Green Honda Mercedes-Benz RAM Volvo Technology Truck Crossover SUV Luxury Performance Sedan volvo xc40 sunday drive

Volvo EX30 city car to launch next year as entry model

At the end of the presentation for the battery-electric 2023 Volvo EX90, automaker CEO Jim Rowan gave everyone a tease of a smaller model to debut next year. Sitting in the dark next to an equally dark EX90, the new model looked like a Mini Me version of the EX90 down to the chunky stance and taillight signature. There were rumblings among media that this was the new EX30. In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Rowan confirmed suspicions by calling the new small car by that name. The EX30 will take up the entry slot in the Volvo lineup, offered as part of the Care by Volvo subscription service to keep the price down for its Gen Z target market of first-time car buyers. Dimensions are unknown, but the EX30 sits on the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) as the new Smart #1. The Smart is 168.1 inches long, 72 inches wide, and 64.4 inches wide. Our XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, both sitting on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), are 174.8 inches long, 75.2 inches wide, and 65 inches high. Dimensions roundabout those of the Smart seem like a good starting point for the EX30's size. Staying there for a moment, the Smart packs a 66-kWh battery, one motor making 268 horsepower, and can go up to 273 miles on a charge on the WLTP cycle. Rowan said Volvo will offer a choice of batteries in the EX30 "so a customer can choose the range that best fits their lifestyle and their budget." Remember, the Honda-e sells in markets like Europe with 35-kWh battery good for a range good for about 135 miles on a charge. The CEO said these Gen Z buyers "still want top safety equipment, a fantastic ride and high quality." A lower price for a battery with a local range keeps that demographic in the loop, which also helps Volvo reach its goal of selling 1.2 million vehicles globally by 2025. That year is also important from Rowan's perspective because that's when he believes ICE vehicles and EVs will reach price parity. At the moment, the ICE XC40 starting price is $17,200 less than the XC40 Recharge. Barring further global upheavals, Rowan said, "I still think we are very much on track for price parity, because prices will come down pretty quickly when supply starts to meet demand again. In addition, we are starting to see some really interesting things when it comes to anode and cathode materials and battery chemistries such as the use of LFP (lithium iron phosphate) in certain cases.