2002 Volvo V70 2.4t Wagon 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Volvo teases refreshed XC90, EX90 updates and 'a surprise or two'

Volvo will show the world the updated XC90 crossover on what the company is calling "90/90" day, which to the rest of us is simply September 4th. The day will also "mark a big moment in the launch of the EX90," which accounts for the second "90." But what's far more interesting was the cryptic teaser Volvo tacked onto the end of its announcement, suggesting that "there might be a surprise or two …" in store for us too. Well, then.  The announcement was accompanied by an equally cryptic teaser image that appears to depict the hoods of the EX90 (top/right) and XC90 (bottom/left). There's not much to see here apart from the differentiating hood creases and some details in the headlights. From what we can make out, the updated XC90 will have a different take on the "Thor's Hammer" LED signature. Anything else is merely speculation. While Volvo hasn't officially put a sunset date on the XC90, we expect this will be the last major update before it is put out to pasture in favor of its all-electric sibling. The writing has been on the wall since Volvo originally unveiled the EX90 in 2022.  As for Volvo's surprises? We're not really sure what to expect. With the EX30 launch dragging on much longer than expected, Volvo is unlikely to be in a position to announce any major new product introductions for the U.S. market. We can't rule out the possibility of some Polestar Engineered variants of existing models; Volvo has already demonstrated a willingness to offer them on crossovers, so why stop now? In any event, we've only about a week to wait. Plus, you'll be able to watch the whole thing live on Volvo's 90/90 Day microsite. 

Leno drives Volvo P1800 from Roger Moore's The Saint

Outside of a few notable exceptions, Volvo usually isn't associated with making beautifully curvaceous vehicles. But in the 1960s and early '70s the company proved with the P1800 that its cars didn't only have to be safe but staid family transportation. Underneath that shapely styling were a lot of components from the brand's parts bin, but that didn't bother Roger Moore when he drove one of these in the TV series The Saint. Actually, the future James Bond actor didn't just get behind of one of these; he owned this exact 1967 P1800 S. It's this week's highlight on Jay Leno's Garage.
Moore was the car's original owner, but it also appeared in studio scenes of The Saint. Despite its famous provenance, when owner Bill Krzastek bought the P1800 in England, it was in pretty rough shape. The Volvo underwent a nine-month restoration to get it back into shape, which included some new body panels and wheels. Krzastek claims that much of the interior is original, though.
Krzastek comes off has a little bit nerdy, but you have to give him credit. He absolutely loves his Volvo and knows something about practically every detail of his car's history. Krzastek even refinanced his house to fund the purchase and restoration of the P1800. Although, with the right maintenance these old Swedes have been known to go millions of miles. Enjoy this look at one that was a star of the screen in the '60s.

Volvo finds a way to turn body panels into batteries [w/video]

One of the problems with designing an electric vehicle is figuring out where to fit the battery pack. Volvo - as a part of a European Union research project - is working on a way around this issue by replacing standard parts with lightweight components that double as batteries on both conventional and plug-in vehicles. The image above shows one such piece on a Volvo S80. While looking like nothing more than a carbon fiber plenum cover, the piece is actually a battery pack that can store and supply enough energy for the car's entire 12-volt power system.
The parts are made by sandwiching super capacitors (which can charge faster than standard batteries) in between layers of carbon fiber. They can then be formed to replace numerous body panels such as the decklid, roof or door panels. Volvo says that the replacing the body panels and batteries with these nano batteries can help reduce the vehicle's weight by as much as 15 percent. It has taken more than three years just to design the batteries, so there's no telling when, or if, we'll ever see this technology used on a production vehicle. Scroll down for a video and press release on Volvo's innovative battery technology.