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2024 Volvo XC40 and XC60 won't offer front-wheel-drive trims

There's more movement in the Volvo lineup. The year has already seen the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge get rear-wheel-drive powertrains, more powerful motors, and better range, plus the introduction of the EX30 city crossover. Apparently, now it's time to take some options away. Car and Driver reports the gas-powered XC40 and XC60 crossovers won't be available with front-wheel drive anymore. The 2023 XC40 offers a B4 mild hybrid drivetrain with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder sending 194 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque to the front axle. That goes away, leaving the B5 AWD mild hybrid powertrain, its 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 247 hp and 258 lb-ft. The B5 upgrade adds $2,000 to the cost, meaning the 2024 XC40 will likely run at least $39,645 before potential model-year price increases are applied.     The 2023 XC60 comes in three trims. One of them utilizes a front-wheel-drive version of the above mentioned B5 mild hybrid setup, another employs the B6 AWD mild hybrid powertrain centered around a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 295 hp and 310 lb-ft. Both of those will be dropped in the coming model year. The sole remaining trim gets down the road with the B5 AWD powertrain. Before any possible price increases, the 2024 XC60 will run $47,045. The S60 sedan gets in on the pruning as well, shedding the limited-volume Polestar Engineered variant. Introduced for the 2019 model year as a flourish to Volvo completing its all-new lineup, the S60 Polestar Engineered's retuned T8 plug-in hybrid system paired a supercharged and turbocharged two-liter four-cylinder with a rear-mounted electric motor for a combined 415 hp and 494 lb-ft. In the five years since introduction, output has climbed to 455 hp and 523 lb-ft., and the purchase price went from a subscription-only $1,100 per month to an MSRP of $68,050. The equipment chosen to harness such potential includes adjustable Ohlins dampers, six-piston Brembo front brake calipers behind forged 19-inch wheels — those wheels an inch smaller than on the debut version, a change likely made because of the notably stiff ride. At this point, the only Polestar Engineered trims left in the Volvo lineup next year will be be found on the V60 and XC60.

This Volvo truck is for the birds... literally

If you were mentally scarred by the Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Birds, you may not want to watch this video. For everyone else, this is a rather perplexing event. It appears that thousands of pigeons are released from a Volvo truck at the command of a whistle. It looks visually stunning, but for what purpose? Well, we're not entirely sure, but it looks to be the simultaneous release at the start of a major pigeon race.
Now, we don't suspect that Volvo has eschewed its self-titled Volvo Ocean Race for a more avian-inspired competition. We're also not quite sure where this competition is being held, but it may be an annual event, as we also found a similar video with a different MAN rig on YouTube that was posted in 2011. but if you have even the slightest case of Ornithophobia, you best steer clear of this feathered mob. Otherwise, check out the video of this massive flock on the move in the video below. We've even thrown in a video of the gas station scene from Hitchcock's 1963 classic to get you in the mood.

Volvo EX90 will provide SunLike sunlight for occupants and cargo

Volvo says another one of the human-centric features coming to the EX90 battery-electric wagon is a sun-like light. A few years ago, Korean firm Seoul Semiconductor developed a range of LEDs called SunLike, the heliotropic name derived from the non-flickering LEDs producing illumination close to the spectrum of planetary daylight. The science bits include a new diode architecture, a purple emitter and different phosphors in place of the usual yellow. The upshot for EX90 occupants is said to be in-car light that's easier on the eyes, less low-light reflection, and color and texture reproduction closer to nature — all that Nordico recycled synthetic fabric, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, and wool from sustainably-raised sheep will look more natural.. The lights have found their way into some museums, curators looking for improved color rendition from the artworks. The Swedes say they're the first to use these lights in an automotive application. There will be 72 SunLike LEDs placed throughout the vehicle, being all the non-decorative lights in the cabin ceiling, floor, and door pockets, and the trunk. The design lead for color and materials said, "By utilizing the spectrum of light emitted from the SunLike LEDs, the progressive materials and interior design of the Volvo EX90 stand out more clearly and without colour distortion. Complementing our wood deco and other natural materials inside the cabin, the lights are central to our Scandinavian design language." The Polestar 3 will get the same treatment. The seven-seat, twin-motor EX90 with up to 300 miles of range starts rolling down lines in Volvo's South Carolina plant later this year. The crossover will make safety as important as comfort, the EX90 incorporating cameras, radar, lidar, and Nvidia-powered software to take stock of the vehicleÂ’s surroundings plus the driverÂ’s gaze and attention. The lidar can detect objects ahead to centimeter accuracy from 250 meters (about 820 feet) away in glaring sun or total darkness, Volvo says. Volvo describes the EX90 as “a highly advanced computer on wheels” with the ability to improve over time thanks to over-the-air software updates. Preorders are open now, with "well-equipped" configurations said to come in "at  under $80,000." Deliveries begin in early 2024. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.