2001 Volvo V70 X/c Wagon 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Wagons make a bit of a comeback, with new models, sales on the rise

Consider this an official invitation to hop on the wagon bandwagon. There's still tons of room because, well, it's a wagon (and market share is still extremely small). But according to new data, the segment is growing. According to a report from Bloomberg, using data from Edmunds.com, roughly 211,600 Americans purchased wagons in 2018. That is technically down from the 237,600 sold in 2017, but wagon sales in the U.S. are up 29 percent from where they were five years ago. It's also the third year in a row that wagon sales broke the 200,000 mark. The sales trends have been somewhat representative of the availability of wagons. New models have debuted during the past 5 years and therefore offer more opportunity at more brands to buy wagons. In addition to more modest cars such as the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, several luxury and performance brands are offering wagons today, such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Volvo and Buick. (Bloomberg's headlines make the point that "crossovers are for the Kardashians," and wagons are just, well, classier.) This uptick in brand-name availability, as well as extremely well-executed design on most of the wagons currently available, has helped increase the segment's desirability. That, and its ability to better accomplish the same tasks at hand while standing out from the crossover and SUV crowd. Still, the posted numbers represent a small fraction of the total vehicles sold. According to the data, wagons only held a 1.4 percent market share in 2017, the segment's best recent year. Wagons hold a steadfast place in America's past, and they're writing an interesting new story. With the downturn in traditional cars, they may continue to create an unexpected narrative. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg, Edmunds Audi BMW Buick Volkswagen Volvo Wagon station wagon

Limited-edition Volvo S60 Polestar priced at $59,300*, V60 at $60,900*

You saw their US reveal at this year's Chicago Auto Show and read our driving impressions from Sweden. Now, if you act fast, you can actually own one of the very limited 2015.5 Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar models coming to the United States. The order page for these slick Swedes is now online, but the slots are filling up about as quickly as these cars accelerate.
Volvo plans to build a combined 750 of these Polestar models for the world, but the US is being allocated just 120 of them. Prices start at $59,300 for the S60 or $60,900 for the V60 (*plus a $925 destination charge). The only option is color - either Black Sapphire or Rebel Blue. If rarity is playing a part in your decision, you might want to pick the S60. According to the reservation site, only 20 of the sedans in each color are making it over here; the rest are V60s.
As the top versions of their respective models, both Polestars are packed with features. They share a turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine rated at 345 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. Acceleration to 60 miles per hour is claimed to take 4.7 seconds for the S60 or a tenth more for the V60 with a top speed of 155 mph. They are about more than just a hotter engine, though, with Öhlins shocks, six-piston brake calipers and 20-inch Polestar wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Check out the gallery for the full, official specs, and get to the order page soon, if you decide you need one of these limited Swedish sportsters.

2022 Volvo C40 Recharge First Drive Review | All electric, all Swedish

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Volvo doesnÂ’t rock the design boat often, but the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge is an exception to the Swedish car companyÂ’s staid, yet handsome norm. The C40 is a fully-electric crossover coupe, and it is VolvoÂ’s first vehicle to adopt this fastback shape. Not only that, but itÂ’s also VolvoÂ’s second electric car, following closely on the heels of the XC40 Recharge, a vehicle weÂ’ll drive soon. With the C40 Recharge being a new shape for Volvo, the design and technology teams are using it to debut some new ideas both inside and out. The rear end features new LED taillight technology from Volvo that features segmented LEDs and sequentially activating turn indicators for a different look than the typical fully-lit Volvo taillight. Its grille is debuting a new “Iron Mark” that houses a brand-new (and improved) suite of radar for the driver assistance systems — the logo is also now heated to ensure that neither ice nor snow buildup will stop the systems from functioning.  As for the crossover coupe part of this design, youÂ’ll notice the rear is full of spoilers. VolvoÂ’s head of design, Eric Beak, tells us that the dual, fin-like rooftop spoilers are there as aerodynamic aids in a bid to increase range. Meanwhile, the big spoiler jutting out on the carÂ’s trailing edge is designed to give the car greater stability at high speeds by reducing lift. The 20-inch wheels you see pictured here are the only option, so hopefully you like them. We do, and we like the look of this car overall. Photographs donÂ’t properly capture the angularity and shape of the body panels, but the C40 is a striking crossover coupe when you get up close to it. What could ultimately be even more controversial than the exterior design are the interior material choices. You wonÂ’t find an inch of leather covering the C40Â’s interior. Instead, Volvo is focusing on sustainable materials made using recyclables. For example, the seats are constructed of VolvoÂ’s suede-like Microtech material that is made of recycled polyester. Ditching leather is great, so long as the replacement is suitable for a luxury vehicle at a luxury price, and in this case, it works in nearly every area. Our one complaint is the steering wheel, for the synthetic leather substitute used here feels too much like plastic and is nowhere near as nice or supple to hold as quality leather is. When it comes to driving and charging the C40, the experience is a vaguely familiar one.