2000 Volvo Sedan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volvo Cars reports theft of R&D data by hackers

STOCKHOLM — Volvo Cars said on Friday it had launched an investigation into a cyber security breach and the theft of some research and development data that could impact the company's operation. A spokesperson for the firm, majority owned by China's Geely Holding, said it had been approached by a third party, but declined to give any further details. "Investigations so far confirm that a limited amount of the company's R&D property has been stolen during the intrusion," the Swedish carmaker said in a statement. It added that "there may be an impact on the company's operation," without specifying what that might be. It said it did not see an impact on the security of its customers' cars or their personal data. The Gothenburg-based company said it had implemented security countermeasures to prevent further access to its property, while notifying relevant authorities. "Volvo Cars is conducting its own investigation and working with a third-party specialist to investigate the property theft," it said. Shares in Volvo Cars, whose IPO on Oct. 29 was the biggest in Europe this year, were down 3.2% at 1555 GMT.  

Volvo won't entirely give up on sedans and station wagons

Volvo, like an overwhelming majority of its peers and rivals, sells more SUVs and crossovers than sedans and station wagons. It confirmed plans to pivot away from low-riding models in 2021, but it stressed that it's not ready to throw in the towel in either segment quite yet. "Yes, the [V and S lines] will be replaced with something even more attractive to customers," affirmed company boss Hakan Samuelsson in an interview with British magazine Autocar. His comments come as a relief for Volvo wagon fans around the world, given that in 2021 he had said that the company needs "to move [on] from wagons and sedans." There's a catch, though: Future V and S models will look quite different than today's. Samuelsson (who will step down from his position in March 2022) acknowledged that Volvo needs lower-riding cars but noted that their design will evolve and become "maybe a little less square." It's not just about style, either. "Cars will be less boxy in the future, when we need to have lower air resistance. You could call it coupe-ish. We talk a lot about range in electric cars, but I think we will start looking at energy efficiency, and of course air resistance will be very central to that," he said. It helps that sleeker designs help keep buyers interested in sedans. Volvo's S90 and V90 were introduced and 2015 and 2016, respectively, so they're expected to be replaced in the not-too-distant future. One point that's still up in the air is what they'll be called. The Swedish company is preparing to ditch its alphanumerical naming system in order to give its cars an actual name, so both nameplates will die with the current-generation models. We'll have a better idea of what the future has in store when the XC90's replacement arrives later in 2022 with a new name, a new architecture, and a large serving of new technology. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.