1999 Volvo S80 T6 Sedan 4-door 2.8l on 2040-cars

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Volvo will reportedly dive into the minivan segment in 2023

Volvo will expand its range by entering the minivan segment for the first time, according to a recent report. The automaker is allegedly plotting an electric people-mover that will be built and sold in China and that will share numerous parts beneath the sheetmetal with an existing model. The yet-unnamed minivan appeared on a slide shown during a presentation made by Volvo's Chinese division, according to CarNewsChina. It's one of four new models due out in 2023; the others are the EX90, the EX90 Excellence, and a small SUV that may wear the EX30 name. Volvo hasn't confirmed plans to wade into the minivan segment, let alone published details about the model, but CarNewsChina speculates that the enigmatic family-hauler will land as a brand-specific version of the Zeekr 009 (pictured). Don't worry if that doesn't ring a bell: Zeekr was founded in 2021 and it mainly sells cars in China. It's part of Geely, however, so it's one of Volvo's sister companies. Designers will give Volvo's first minivan Swedish flair inside and out in a bid to differentiate it from the 009, but the Geely-designed SEA architecture and the electric powertrain shouldn't change significantly. That means the model will land with a 544-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. It will be fitted with a massive, 140-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack said to unlock over 500 miles of driving range. Volvo will present the van as a close-to-production concept in the third quarter of 2023, and the production model will go on sale in China before the end of the year, according to the report. It's too early to tell whether Volvo will export the van to other markets; the company hasn't commented on the rumor. Don't expect it to come cheap: Zeekr charges 499,000 yuan (around $74,000) for the entry-level 009.

Polestar looking to tune Volvo CUVs

Volvo is getting serious about emerging from the fringes and into the mainstream of the luxury automobile market. But if it's going to challenge the Germans, it's going to need a performance line. And that's just what it's developing with Polestar.
Building on the motorsport partnership that has seen Polestar represent Volvo in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercars series, Polestar has been charged with developing road-going performance Volvos as well. It currently offers comprehensively tuned versions of the S60 and V60, as well as engine upgrades for other models, but the latest word has it that Polestar will turn its attention next to tuning Volvo crossovers like the XC60 and the new XC90, pictured above in top-spec R-Design trim.
Details on how Volvo would modify those models remain to be determined, but it wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine the XC60 outfitted with similar enhancements to those offered on its sedan and wagon stablemates to mount a challenge to the Audi SQ5. As for the larger XC90, it seems Volvo is already squeezing as much out of its new 2.0-liter triple-charged inline-four as it can, but more aggressive handling, aero and brakes could stand to transform the flagship crossover in pursuit of performance utes like the Mercedes ML63 AMG and BMW X5 M, even if it couldn't quite match their impressive horsepower outputs.

Volvo rolls out new R-Design versions of S60, XC60 and new V60

Volvo has put together R-Design packages for its newly facelifted S60, V60 and XC60 models, and for those who want more bark to go with them, there's a power upgrade for the S60 and V60 courtesy of Polestar performance. The aesthetics start with new front and rear fascias, the grille going frameless and Tech Matte Black with a silk metal diagonal bar, the back end getting a finned diffuser and round R-Design tailpipes. On top of that, the S60 and V60 are lowered 15 millimeters and can be fitted with 19-inch versions of the company's Ixion wheel pattern.
The R-Design sport chassis stiffens things up, items like the rear dampers getting 20-percent stiffer while front bushings get a whopping 400-percent stiffer. Inside there's a black headliner, perforated leather mixed with nubuck and contrasting stitching on the sport seats, or a full leather option for those who love their cow, and the Adaptive Digital Display gets a blue hue when set to the Elegance appearance theme.
Buyers of the 3.0-liter T6 engine can add the Polestar performance option, which cranks things up to 329 horsepower instead of the standard 304 hp, and an exclusive accelerator pedal comes with it. More detail can be found in the press release below.