2004 Volvo S60 R Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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California adapts ZEV mandate with PHEVs for smaller automakers

California is the nation's largest market for zero-emissions vehicles with over 100,000 of them estimated to be on the roads there. The state's goal is to keep that number growing every year. To that end, the California Air Resources Board is now tweaking its rules in a way that might not boost ZEVs but could mean more plug-in hybrids for the Golden State. Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo asked for an exemption to the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate last year due to their relatively small development budgets compared to larger automakers. CARB denied their request but did craft a compromise, according to Automotive News. Rather than being required to offer a ZEV in the state, companies with an annual global revenue of less than $40 billion, like those in this group, may instead sell plug-in hybrids to earn ZEV credits. The companies aren't completely off the hook, though. If these plug-in hybrids don't earn enough credits, the corporations must buy them on the market to make up the difference. Automakers with popular electric models like Nissan and Tesla have made a big business through this trading system by selling their surplus to rivals. Tesla alone pocketed $51 million in the first quarter from this part of its business, according to Automotive News. The changes to the regulations also aren't set in stone, yet. CARB is meeting in 2016 and could adjust things further at that time. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Government/Legal Green Jaguar Land Rover Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Volvo Emissions Electric Hybrid California zev credits zero emissions vehicle

2023 Volvo S60 and V60 get small updates

The Volvo S60 sedan and V60 wagon have been updated for the 2023 model year, their mid-life refresh. We don't know the specifics of how our U.S.-market models will be updated, a Volvo spokesperson telling Car and Driver that information comes this spring. We can look to Europe for the broad strokes, however, and it appears we won't have to look too long nor too hard. The S60 sedan hasn't changed in front, whereas the V60 gets a revised lower front fascia with slightly wider intakes accented by blades of chrome garnish, and a center intake that's a wee bit taller than on the current model. In back, both cars hide their tailpipes. There will be at least one new wheel option as well, six-spoke jobs cribbing from the aero rims designed for the XC40 Recharge. And that's all we have to say about that.  Inside, Google's Android Automotive infotainment software continues its propagation throughout the Volvo lineup, bringing the same functionality to the 9-inch display that we've sampled in a few other Swedish offerings so far.   We only get the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the United States, aided by 48-volt mild-hybrid (an update for 2022) or plug-in-hybrid electrical assistance depending on trim for the S60, while the V60 wagon — not the lifted V60 Cross Country — is only sold as the Recharge Polestar Engineered in the United States. Don't expect any deviations on the ICE side, but the PHEV trims benefit from a larger battery and more powerful motor.  In Europe, the B3 and B4 trims will enjoy a new seven-speed dual-clutch. We don't expect that gearbox to be headed our way. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. What makes the Volvo V60 Cross Country a Cross Country | Autoblog

Volvo announces a move away from wagons and sedans as SUV fever spikes

Volvo will move away from station wagons and sedans as it pivots towards an electric-only lineup. While it won't abandon either body style, it hinted it will pare down its presence in both segments as it launches more crossovers. "We need less variants of sedans and wagons. We have a lot of wagons today, with the V60, the V90, the Cross Country, and the non-Cross Country, plus a lot of sedans big and small, long, and extra-long. We need to move from wagons and sedans. We will still have them in the future, but probably not as many," warned company boss Hakan Samuelsson in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He pointed out Volvo's sales mix is about 75% SUVs. Volvo's portfolio in 2021 includes two wagons, the V60 and the V90. Each one is available as a regular low-riding model, or as a Cross Country-branded high rider with all-wheel-drive and rugged styling cues. Selling wagons in 2021 is difficult, even for a brand like Volvo that's been closely associated with the body style for decades. American motorists fell out of love with the long-roof years ago, and Chinese drivers never liked them to begin with. Europeans still buy lifted wagons, but low-riding models are a tough sell, even in Volvo's home country of Sweden. Reading between the lines suggests non-Cross Country-badged models will be axed from the range in the coming years. As for sedans, Volvo has two: the S60 and the S90. It's not too far-fetched to speculate that at least one won't be replaced at the end of its life cycle. While nothing is official yet, and this is just a guess, our money is on the S90. High-riding vehicles are what the market wants in the 2020s, and Volvo (like everyone else) is following demand. It added a fourth model to its palette of crossovers and SUVs when it introduced the 2022 C40 Recharge, an electric soft-roader with XC40 underpinnings and a fastback-like roof line. Unverified rumors claim a flagship model tentatively called XC100 is on its way, and Samuelsson confirmed an entry-level crossover called either XC20 or C20 is currently under development. The model's architecture will come from China-based parent company Geely. Samuelsson explained the shift to an all-electric range will have a profound effect on Volvo's design language. First, a lot of its upcoming cars will be taller, because it's easier to pack a bulky battery pack into a crossover than into a sedan. Second, the firm's future design language will be more streamlined.