Must Sell...like New...2012 Volvo S60 T5 Sedan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volvo EX90 exterior teased further, goes heavy on glass and aero

How about six more teasers of the battery-electric, seven-seat Volvo EX90 SUV? We've heard about the new interior materials, seen renderings of the minimalist instrument panel and read about a massive commitment to safety inside and outside the SUV. Now we have scraps about what it took to put everything together within the aesthetic Volvo sought and a mission statement of "confident, sophisticated, and seamless." The rounder grille-less front fascia flows over the hood to a greenhouse heavy on flush glass. A large, tinted panoramic glass roof lets in just enough light without superheating the cabin and without robbing headroom. The side glazing is flush with the pillars and nearly flush with the sides of the car to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Flush door handles emerge as the keyholder approaches. Volvo says the EX90 posts a drag coefficient of 0.29, a figure that compares to 0.26 for the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and 0.24 for the Tesla Model X that, admittedly, offers tiny optional third-row seats. Speaking with Motor Trend, lead Volvo exterior designer T. Jon Mayer said the other side of letting lots of light in the cabin is creating an inviting atmosphere when there's lots of dark in the cabin. "We’ve put a lot of effort into the illumination inside the EX90, trying to create a warm interior and a somewhat colder expression for the exterior," he said, making an analogy with the Swedish climate and Swedish people.  The Lidar sensor plays its part in a new level of safety and in aerodynamics. Placed at the leading edge of the roof, the Luminar sensor sits under a teardrop-shaped glass enclosure about 18 inches wide, under two inches tall. The laser system comes standard, helping provide 360-degree awareness so that the EX90 can always pay attention and take appropriate safe actions at those times when the driver isn't paying attention. Volvo says that tying exterior sensor safety logic to in-cabin cameras that can tell if a driver is focused on the task "can reduce the risk of death or serious injury by up to 20%." We've just seven days to go until Volvo mandarins gather in Stockholm to reveal the car to launch the automaker's next phase. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Automakers want to stop the EPA's fuel economy rules change, and why that's a shortsighted move

With a Trump Administration looming, the EPA moved quickly after the election to propose finalizing future fuel economy rules last week. The auto industry doesn't like that (surprise), and has started making moves to stop the EPA. Ford CEO Mark Fields said he wanted to lobby Trump to lower the standards, and now the Auto Alliance, a manufacturer group, is saying it will join the fight against cleaner cars. The Alliance represents 12 automakers: BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, VW, and Volvo. Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance, told Automotive News that the "EPA's sudden and controversial move to propose auto regulations eight months early - even after Congress warned agencies about taking such steps while political appointees were packing their bags - calls out for congressional action to pause this rulemaking until a thoughtful policy review can occur." The EPA was going to consider public comments through April 2017, but then said it would move the deadline to the end of December. That means that it can finalize the rules before President Obama leaves office. The director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, said on a conference call with reporters last week when the EPA originally announced its decision that it is unlikely that President Trump will be able to roll back these changes. Gillis also said on the same call that any attempt by the automakers to prevent these changes would be history repeating itself. "These are the same companies that fought airbags, and now promoting the fact that every car has multiple airbags," he said. "These are the same companies that fought the crash-test program, and now are promoting the crash-test ratings published by the government. So, it's clear that they're misperceiving the needs of the American consumer." There are more reasons the Allliance's pushback is flawed. Carol Lee Rawn, the transportation program director for Ceres, said on that call that the automotive industry is a global one, and many automakers are moving to global platforms to help them meet strict fuel economy rules around the world.

U.S. denies GM tariff relief request for China-made Buick SUV

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has denied a General Motors Co request for an exemption to a 25 percent U.S. tariff on its Chinese-made Buick Envision sport utility vehicle. The denial of the nearly year-old petition came in a May 29 letter from the U.S. Trade Representative's office saying the request concerns "a product strategically important or related to 'Made in China 2025' or other Chinese industrial programs." The midsize SUV, priced starting at about $35,000, has become a target for critics of Chinese-made goods, including leaders of the United Auto Workers union and members in key political swing states such as Michigan and Ohio. GM said on Tuesday it was aware of the denial and has been paying the tariff since July. GM has not raised the sticker price to account for the tariff. Buick Envision sales fell in the United States by nearly 27% to 30,000 last year and fell another 21% in the first three months of 2019. Only a small number of vehicles are built in China and sold in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office also denied a request by Chinese-owned Volvo Cars for tariff exemptions for mid-size SUVs assembled in China after the automaker sought an exemption for the XC60, its top selling U.S. vehicle. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, argued in its request that Envision sales in China and the United States would generate funds "to invest in our U.S. manufacturing facilities and to develop the next generation of automotive technology in the United States." GM said last year the "vast majority" of Envisions, about 200,000 a year, are sold in China. Because of the lower U.S. sales volume, "assembly in our home market is not an option" for the Envision, which competes with such mid-size crossover vehicles as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Cadillac XT5. Ahead of the July 2018 start for higher import tariffs, GM shipped in a six-month supply of Envisions at the much lower 2.5 percent tariff rate, Reuters reported in August 2018.