2021 Volvo Xc40 T4 Momentum on 2040-cars

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2025 Volvo S60 the last model year for the sedan in the U.S.

Once Volvo finally got the EX90 headed down assembly lines at the automaker's South Carolina plant, the plant's other product, the S60 sedan, was on borrowed time. A few days after the EX90 news, Instagram account volvo.forlife posted a pic with the caption, "Did you know that with the start of production of the @volvocars #VolvoEX90 at the Charleston, South Carolina plant, the production of the #VolvoS60 will also be coming to an end?" The S60 got about three more days of borrowed time, Volvo telling Road & Track that "After five years Volvo Cars is ending production of the S60 sedan in Ridgeville, South Carolina at the end of June 2024 for the U.S. and some other markets to focus on the all-new EX90." We suspect the sedan would have died earlier if EX90 production had commenced on time. The reprieve could have given the news more time to infiltrate the back channels, and might help explain why S60 sales are up 255% so far this year. Volvo's Chengdu, China plant that also makes the S60 will continue to do so, but those cars aren't coming here. The South Carolina facility can now concentrate on ramping up output of the Volvo EX90, already underway, and the Polestar 3, which commences local shortly. We haven't had an S60 sit through Autoblog exams for a bit, but the the sedan's seen no major revisions since we last drove the current third generation introduced in 2019. We lauded it for fantastic styling, a luxurious interior, and robust tech, dinging it only for a braking system not totally prepared for a driver to enjoy the dynamic potential of a 4,000-pound sedan with 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.    That T8 Inscription trim is no more, but the rest of the S60's plaudits remain valid. Until inventory dries up, the S60 comes in three trims priced from about $45,000 to $53,000 before options. All are powered by turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder mild hybrid making a combined 247 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque, in front- or all-wheel-drive, and rated to tow 2,000 pounds.    

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.

Autoblog's June 2019 Editors' Picks

Each year we review, test and rate hundreds of brand-new cars, trucks and SUVs. We rate these vehicles using the Autoblog score, giving a select few our Editors’ Pick. Here are the best cars we drove in June 2019. 2019 BMW 8 Series Everyone on the Autoblog staff loves a good grand tourer, so we were excited to get behind the wheel of the revived BMW 8 Series, specifically an M850i Coupe. A good GT needs to be as fast as it is stylish and comfortable, and the new 8 Series delivers. We particularly like the 523-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8Â’s copious power and smooth ride quality, even on MichiganÂ’s pockmarked post-winter roads. We dig the interior design, too, though not everyone was in love with the exterior. ItÂ’s not the best-handling car in its class, and doesnÂ’t hide its sizable proportions very well, but itÂ’s still worth a look if youÂ’re looking for a big, fast cruiser.  2019 Ford Expedition Crossovers may be the hottest vehicles on the market, but thereÂ’s still a sizable demand for traditional body-on-frame SUVs like the Ford Expedition. These behemoths offer plenty of space in addition to truck-like capability. We like the Expedition's smooth ride, powerful twin-turbo V6 and sharp exterior design, though the interior can feel a bit cheap, especially on some of the more expensive trims. Adding options quickly puts it into Lincoln Navigator territory, and itÂ’s hard to recommend the Ford over the Lincoln when the latter packs the same capability into a far nicer package. Still, the Expedition is as good or better than the competition in most respects, and thatÂ’s why itÂ’s one of our picks. 2019 Toyota 86 Few cars at any price point are as much fun as the Toyota 86 (and its twin, the Subaru BRZ). We like the 86Â’s balanced chassis and sharp steering, and while itÂ’s not as nimble as its close rival the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the ToyotaÂ’s back seat and trunk make it a more usable vehicle. But while we like the 86Â’s driving position, the rest of the interior feels cheap and dated, especially the infotainment system. We complained about the anemic powertrain back in 2012, and itÂ’s only gotten worse as the years have gone by.