2001 Volvo V70 Xc Awd Cross Country on 2040-cars

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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.

All-new Volvo VNL Class 8 tractor loads up on car-like features

A few months ago, we wrote about the public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and Class 8 truck makers to create concepts called SuperTrucks. The four manufacturers involved designed lighter, more aerodynamic, and more fuel-frugal trucks to hit escalating freight efficiency targets in each phase of the program. Daimler, Navistar, Peterbilt, and Volvo spent the past 18 months showing the results of the SuperTruck 2 phase while work gets going on SuperTruck 3. This month, Volvo becomes the first of that group to debut an all-new truck incorporating lessons learned in the SuperTruck program. Starting with a clean sheet of paper, the new Volvo VNL is said to be as much as 10% more fuel efficient than before, a stat to get fleet managers and owner-operators to pay attention. Even carmakers tout a 10% increase in fuel economy, and the benefit — like the size — is so much larger in trucks. Let's keep it easy and say a solo driver does 100,000 miles in a year in a truck that averages 7 miles per gallon. That driver needs 14,286 gallons of diesel to do those miles; at $4 per gallon, that's $57,144. If the VNL driver gets 10% better fuel economy and his truck returns 7.7 miles per gallon, this driver only needs 12,987 gallons of diesel, and pays only $51,948. Tell a fleet manager they can save $5,000 per truck, and assuming a sensible purchase price and consistent reliability costs, that fleet manager is going to want to set up a meeting. Just as with car redesigns, a lot of little changes went into this, some we'll recognize from the car world. The VNL's cab adopts a stronger wedge shape and sharper corners. Instead of the usual large, flat windshield sealed with a gasket, the new VNL gets a curved windshield bonded to the body. Tighter gaps between exterior components like the bumper and hood leave fewer spaces for turbulent, draggy air to develop. Volvo also reworked the area behind the cab to reduce one of the greatest aerodynamic maelstroms, the gap between cab and trailer. The D13 engine up front is said to be more fuel efficient and more durable, offering a range of outputs from 405 to 500 horsepower and from 1,748 to 1,947 pound-feet of torque. Considering that the first VNL generation lasted 22 years before a major redesign, from 1996 to 2018, Volvo incorporated powertrain flexibility into this one.

Two more Volvo Concept C Coupe teasers drop [w/videos]

Volvo is planning to take the wraps off its Concept C Coupe tomorrow ahead of an official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show. If you just can't wait until then, though, Volvo has released two more teaser videos for the new concept.
Like the video from earlier in the week, we get a couple more sneak peeks of the stylish two-door including our first glimpse of the interior. The highly conceptual concept likely hints at a future coupe for the Swedish automaker, and after dropping the C30 and C70 from its lineup over the last couple years, this can't come soon enough. Scroll down to watch both new teaser videos, and stay tuned to see more on this car tomorrow.