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Polestar looking to tune Volvo CUVs

Volvo is getting serious about emerging from the fringes and into the mainstream of the luxury automobile market. But if it's going to challenge the Germans, it's going to need a performance line. And that's just what it's developing with Polestar.
Building on the motorsport partnership that has seen Polestar represent Volvo in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercars series, Polestar has been charged with developing road-going performance Volvos as well. It currently offers comprehensively tuned versions of the S60 and V60, as well as engine upgrades for other models, but the latest word has it that Polestar will turn its attention next to tuning Volvo crossovers like the XC60 and the new XC90, pictured above in top-spec R-Design trim.
Details on how Volvo would modify those models remain to be determined, but it wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine the XC60 outfitted with similar enhancements to those offered on its sedan and wagon stablemates to mount a challenge to the Audi SQ5. As for the larger XC90, it seems Volvo is already squeezing as much out of its new 2.0-liter triple-charged inline-four as it can, but more aggressive handling, aero and brakes could stand to transform the flagship crossover in pursuit of performance utes like the Mercedes ML63 AMG and BMW X5 M, even if it couldn't quite match their impressive horsepower outputs.

Volvo's latest export from Sweden: paid parental leave

STOCKHOLM — Volvo Cars will offer all its employees worldwide 24 weeks paid parental leave in a bid to support female executives and equal parenting. The carmaker, which is based in Sweden but owned by China's Geely Holding, has over 40,000 employees. From next month, all staff who have worked in Volvo plants and offices for at least a year will be entitled to the leave each time they have a child and will receive 80% of their base pay during the period, the company said on Tuesday. Sweden is one of few countries that already offers leave by law for either parent. "Some countries do not offer any paid leave to new parents, or exclude certain groups of parents – the latter is particularly true for fathers," the company, which previously did not have a global policy but adapted to local regulations, said in a statement. Around a third of Volvo's senior managers are currently female. The company aims to raise that share to 50%, a spokeswoman said, adding that Volvo's new policy will improve conditions for staff on parental leave not least in China and the United States. "When parents are supported to balance the demands of work and family, it helps to close the gender gap and allows everyone to excel in their careers," said Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson. The global policy applies to either parent and the leave can be taken anytime within the first three years of parenthood. In Sweden, new parents are in general entitled by law to around a year of parental leave on up to 80% pay.  

Volvo XC40 Recharge Luggage Test: How much fits in the cargo area?

Note: This post has been updated because, well, I goofed a bit. Turns out it can probably hold just a wee bit more than I originally thought. Oh, and I added a bit about the frunk. The Volvo XC40 Recharge is the all-electric version of Volvo's subcompact SUV that is also available in gas-only versions. According to the uniquely extensive cargo dimensions Volvo shares for its vehicles, every XC40 regardless of power source has the same 20.4 cubic-feet of cargo space as measured from the floor to the headliner with the front seat "limited by vertical plane tangential to the rear side of the second seatback." Like I said, uniquely extensive. There is 16 cubic-feet when measured to the top of the seatback, which is probably more applicable to my luggage tests, but other car companies don't provide those measurements, and if they do, they don't actually indicate as such — and make it seem like their SUVs are smaller and less competitive than they actually are.  One such example is Mercedes-Benz and the GLB/EQB, which is one of the XC40's chief competitors. Its specs say it has 24.0 cubic-feet of cargo space (almost certainly the top-of-the-seatback measurement), but it definitely has more than that since it can hold roughly the same amount of stuff inside its boxy cargo area as a Subaru Outback. In other words, the XC40 is very unlikely to be getting best-in-segment status here. But who knows, let's see! This is a pretty hatchbacky space, so still not looking good for the XC40 toppling the GLB/EQB. It does look pretty similar to the Q4 E-Tron, so let's bring that into the equation.  As you can see, the XC40 has a large, hatchback-style cargo cover. That means I'll have to test with and without that cover.  As with every Luggage Test, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). So yeah, I neglected to take a shot of the bags with the cargo cover attached. Sorry. Nevertheless, as you can kinda see here, I could fit the four biggest bags with the cargo cover being propped up by them. This would be worse than the Q4 E-Tron, which could fit all but the fancy bag.