2006 Volvo S60 R Loaded! Ipod, Sat Radio, Tinted Windows & Radar Detector on 2040-cars

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How the new Volvo EX90 electric SUV adds revolution to the evolution

The all-new, all-electric Volvo EX90 does not appear to be radically different from the XC90, the vehicle it will eventually replace. It has nearly the same dimensions, inside and out. It sports familiar, familial design cues, including T-shaped “ThorÂ’s Hammer” headlights, a squared-off hood and roofline, sharply-swaged and deeply-scalloped flanks and tall taillights that fringe the hatch. Inside, three accessible rows of seats are done up in an upscale Scandinavian Modern motif, like an Arne Jacobsen furniture showroom. But if one looks closely, one begins to notice key differences. First, there is the blunt, closed snout up front. It may be grille-less, but itÂ’s still bedecked with VolvoÂ’s Iron Mark. Then, dead centered above the rearview mirror, like a pair of reading glasses canted atop oneÂ’s forehead, is a protruding hump. These hint at the EXÂ’s most comprehensive distinctions from its predecessor. The new full-size crossover is engine-less, the first Volvo to be built on an all-new battery-powered electric vehicle platform. And housed in that hump, is another first, the initial consumer vehicular integration of a functional lidar — like radar, but using light instead of sound waves — used to allow the carÂ’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to “see” further down the road, even around bends and through some objects. Eventually, allegedly, it will also allow for “unsupervised driving” capabilities. Both of these features are signifiers of VolvoÂ’s latest, but ongoing, missions. The first is its commitment to a full electrification of its entire passenger car fleet, which it plans to accomplish by the end of this decade. The second is the brandÂ’s well-known leadership in vehicular safety. Volvo claims that its new suite of sensors (16 ultra-sonic, eight cameras, five radars and the lidar) can help prevent 10% of vehicular collisions and 20% of serious injuries, part of the brandÂ’s mission to prevent anyone from being killed or seriously injured in a Volvo. ThereÂ’s even a group of sensors monitoring the driverÂ’s wellbeing to make sure theyÂ’re not sleepy or wasted, while concurrently scanning the passenger compartment to ensure that no child or pet was left behind due to that aforementioned tired or inebriated state. If they forget, theyÂ’ll get an alert on their phone, which is also their key, and the A/C or heater will automatically turn on so the precious (yet forgotten) cargo doesnÂ’t bake/freeze.

Next Volvo XC90 design teased

When Volvo took the wraps off its Concept Coupe yesterday, the Swedish automaker said that while "the all-new XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognize the connection instantly when it is revealed next year." We raised our eyebrows at this upon first read, but after seeing these photos, posted on Feber.se, Volvo certainly wasn't joking.
During a press conference where the Concept Coupe debuted, teaser images of the next XC90 were shown, and the connection between it and the conceptual two-door are obvious. The long, T-shaped lighting elements in the slim headlamps are certainly the most noticeable tie between the two vehicles, but the angular lower fascia openings seen here can also be found quite prominently on the Concept Coupe.
Feber.se also has a few images showing the new taillamp and interior designs of the XC90, as well. And not surprisingly, those two facets of the new crossover's DNA are also surprisingly close to the elements found on the Concept Coupe. It's interesting to see how the concept's C-shaped taillamps have been massaged for the more upright design of the XC90's rump, and inside the cabin, it appears Volvo is serious about this vertically oriented infotainment display.

Volvo 850 T5 R pickup conversion is ready for a cool yule

There are plenty of ways to get your holiday tree home from the farm, but few are so classy as this Volvo 850 ute. Built in Sweden and shipped to Belgium, the car wears all of the necessary kit to pass as a 850R, and with a turbocharged 2.3-liter five cylinder under the hood, this creation should have no trouble dashing through the snow. Looks like a mighty fine use of an otherwise derelict Volvo wagon to us, though we have to imagine all that torque steer and no weight over the aft would make for all sorts of silliness once the roads went slick.
Still, if it were our Sawzall, we'd be happier with the keys to a certain BMW M5 utility in our pocket. Or, you know, the 3 Series conversion BMW whipped up not too long ago. You can head over to Autofans.be for a closer look at the 850 ute.