1996 Volvo 850 R Wagon 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Volvo wants this car to be the Crown Vic of global police fleets

It has been years since the last Ford Crown Victoria rolled off the assembly line, but these body-on-frame sedans are still the most recognizable police cars in the US. Volvo is making a strong push in hopes that its XC70 can attain the same level of success as a global police car. As it is, Volvo is a popular choice for police cars in its home country of Sweden, but its cars are also used in police fleets in the UK, Belgium and Switzerland.
With an upgraded chassis, Volvo is looking to attract agencies from around the globe, including the rest of Europe, Asia and even the Americas. Changes over a stock 2014 XC70 include a beefier suspension setup, and the automaker has also tested the police-spec version of the jacked-up wagon in just about all conditions it could encounter in Europe - from the high speeds of the German autobahn to the low traction of Sweden's snowy, winter roads. We doubt we'll see many, if any, of these Volvos policing the streets of the US, but if we do, we're sure it will be in New England, Colorado or North Carolina.

Driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime | Autoblog Podcast #651

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick. This week, they talk about driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime. Then they discuss James' experience testing the new Yakima CBX cargo carrier, Autoblog readers' preference for the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck, and Mercedes-Benz taking a larger stake in Aston Martin. Lastly, they help James' father find a new car in the Spend My Money segment. Autoblog Podcast #651 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2020 BMW M2 Competition 2021 Honda Odyssey 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Testing the Yakima CBX Cargo Carrier on the Subaru Outback 75% of Autoblog Twitter follower prefer the GMC Hummer EV over the Tesla Cybertruck Mercedes-Benz to boost stake in Aston Martin to 20%, lend it some tech Spend JamesÂ’ fatherÂ’s money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Volvo V90 wagon is beautiful, but it's dead in America [UPDATE]

Update: Roadshow reported that the V60 T5 variant is joining the V90 on its way out the door for the 2022 model year. However, the V60 T8 Polestar Engineered and V60 Cross Country will continue on, ensuring that the V60 nameplate does not disappear entirely from the U.S. We contacted Volvo about the news, and a spokesperson confirmed Roadshow's report. We're glad to hear that the performance variant of Volvo's V60 is sticking around, and if you want something more affordable, the lovely and lifted V60 Cross Country can check that box. The original story continues below.   Volvo, a brand practically synonymous with wagons in the U.S., is pulling the plug on one of the last great examples of the form. For Americans, at least. The beautiful and excellent Volvo V90 wagon will no longer be sold in America after the 2021 model year. Its demise was reported by Motor Trend, which didn't quote a source, so we reached out to Volvo for the official word: "Volvo will offer V90 Cross Country in MY22, but simplify the range and no longer offer the standard V90." The move has been foreshadowed for a long time, as Volvo has moved only 1,453 V90s from the car's debut in 2017 through the end of the 2020 model year. The figures don't break out the standard V90 versus the lifted V90 Cross Country, but we would bet that the V90 portion of that figure is infinitesimal.  As we've said in the past, it's a chicken-and-egg problem: The V90 wagon is available only via special order and is not marketed; you can't just walk onto a Volvo lot and choose from stock, as you can Volvo's hot-selling SUVs. Sales of the wagon have been slow for a long time, and earlier this year Volvo head honcho Hakan Samuelsson said the company would move away from wagons and into the arms of the in-demand crossovers. To be clear, the V90 Cross Country will still be available, as will the smaller V60 T8 Polestar Engineered wagon and V60 Cross Country. The loss is a gut-punch to wagon-loving enthusiasts. The V90 was universally well-reviewed, a competent and competitive car — and stunning to behold. It was a pure wagon form, unfettered by unnecessarily lifted suspensions or extra body cladding to make it appear more rugged. It handled better than its crossover cousins thanks to a lower center of gravity, and carried the torch for a long line of great wagons. We are in an arms race for taller, bulkier cars that handle worse and are indistinguishable from one another.