2001 Volvo V70 2.4t Wagon, Timing Belt Done, Service Records, No Reserve! Nice! on 2040-cars

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2021 Volvo XC40 Review | What's new, pricing, where it's made, pictures

Most subcompact luxury models feel a bit like cheap knockoffs of their bigger, pricier brand mates. The 2021 Volvo XC40, by contrast, is a break from the Volvo norm in a good way. It rides on a different platform from other Volvos, resulting in a small SUV that's a bit more playful to drive, but still possessing the solid, refined feeling one expects from the brand. Its design is more utilitarian and youthful, eschewing luxury materials like chrome and wood in favor of elements like contrasting roofs and more vibrant colors (you can get orange carpet!). Importantly, it's also one of the larger, more versatile vehicles in the segment and provides more features for the money. Basically, it's a desirable vehicle to buy on its own merits in a segment that often feels like you got it cause you couldn't afford something pricier.   And for 2021, it stands out from the crowd even more thanks to the addition of the XC40 Recharge all-electric model. Admittedly, its 208-mile range and overall efficiency are modest, but there are so few alternatives that it still merits consideration, especially for those who intend to stay closer to home. What's new for 2021? The XC40 gets some minor feature content changes, but the big news is the addition of the XC40 Recharge all-electric model (it was supposed to arrive last year). Besides its powertrain, the Recharge gets subtle styling differences and the same Android Automotive tech interface found in the Polestar 2. What's the XC40 interior and in-car technology like? Volvo’s interiors are very tidy and architectural in terms of design, and the XC40 is no exception even if its specific design diverges from the 60 and 90 series norm. ItÂ’s pleasingly simple, using nice materials, comfort and conservative modernism as its foundation. Leather is even standard, though we would like to see an alternative provided, such as the beautiful woven textiles found in Volvos' other cars. Besides its design, one of the ways the XC40 differs from its siblings (and indeed its competitors as well) is its clever center console design. It features numerous large, grippy bins to store, secure and charge devices, plus useful cupholders and a sizable under-armrest bin. There's even a little compartment specifically designed to act as a garbage can. Clearly lots of care and thought went into the XC40. ThereÂ’s a lot of tech baked right in, too, from the standard vertically oriented infotainment screen to the digital instrument panel.

Volvo recalls handful of vehicles for risk of false alarm

Volvo’s latest tech updates have made its vehicles easier to live with and safer, but as with any significant change, there are bumps in the road. The automaker recently recalled a handful of 2023 model-year vehicles for an issue that could cause false warning lights in the gauge cluster. The recall covers the Volvo S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and C40, with build dates that range from late 2022 to March 2023, depending on the model. An issue with the Telematics Connectivity Antenna Module (TCAM) could falsely trigger an error related to communications between the infotainment head unit. The driver receives an “e-call service required” message in the gauge cluster, but the system will continue to operate normally with the error. Though thereÂ’s no real problem or immediate danger when this happens, the false message can obscure a legitimate problem. The e-call feature is part of VolvoÂ’s onboard safety equipment that communicates information after a crash or other incident, so itÂ’s important to know when itÂ’s functioning correctly. There has been only one report of this problem in the U.S., and the recall only involves 329 vehicles. Thankfully for the affected owners, the fix is a simple software update to change the TCAMÂ’s logic. The update is ready to go, and dealers have been notified. The NHTSA said owners would be notified by mail in mid-May, but if your Volvo is acting up, itÂ’s a good idea to call the dealer when you notice. This is the third recall for several 2023 Volvos since last October. All three have involved software issues. The first involves a loss of drive power due to an error in the software that prevented the combustion engine from starting when the vehiclesÂ’ plug-in hybrid batteries were depleted. The second happened in January and related to diagnostic errors in the braking control module that could cause the electronic stability control, antilock brakes, and traction control to malfunction. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Recalls Volvo Ownership Safety

2024 Volvo C40 and XC40 Recharge First Drive Review: Back to the RWD future

The 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 EVs will be available with rear-wheel drive, replacing the front-wheel-drive version that has been the fraternal pairing’s single-motor base model. This is obviously newsworthy — why else would I be writing about it? But does it actually mean anything? After driving both of these vehicles around the lakes, seaside, perfectly-maintained highways, and cobblestoned urban streets proximate to the brandÂ’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, I can say that the answer is, not really. But thatÂ’s not really VolvoÂ’s fault. The last time Volvo sold a rear-wheel-drive vehicle in the United States was 1998 when the cushy, brick-like 960 was retired (officially S90 and V90 in their final year). Everything thereafter was front-wheel drive or at least on a front-drive-based platform, in no small part due to the additional all-weather traction and stability afforded by the additional weight of an internal combustion engine and transaxle over the drive wheels. In short, it was safer, and even as Volvo moved away from decades of arcane, rectilinear design, safety remained its raison dÂ’etre.   That hasnÂ’t changed, but according to Volvo, EVs have fundamentally changed vehicle dynamics, centers of gravity, and weight distribution to refute the front-drive argument. A Volvo spokesperson told me that this new one-motor layout in the XC/C40, driving the rear wheels, with contemporary advanced driver assistance systems, is better in inclement weather than a gas-engine/FWD combo. That explains why the switch to a standard rear-drive layout doesnÂ’t run afoul of VolvoÂ’s established ethos, but why make the switch in the first place? Whether it was the plan all along, or just an advancement of next-generation technology to prolong and extend the relevance of these vehicles, is not something Volvo would comment on. In any event, many of the base EVs that are in or near the XC/C40Â’s competitive set — the VW ID.4, the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 — feature rear-wheel drive in their single-motor setup. It is notable that all of those cars were developed from the ground up as EVs and could be optimized for the aforementioned dynamics. The XC40 and C40 were built on a platform capable of accommodating gas-only, plug-in hybrid and full-electric powertrains.