2005 Volvo Xc90 V8 Sport Utility 4-door 4.4l on 2040-cars

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Volvo working to allow groceries delivered to your car, even when you aren't there

Volvo cites research showing that 60 percent of online shoppers had problems with their deliveries in 2013, and that missed first deliveries cost the industry roughly one billion euros ($1.37B US) in re-delivery costs, as impetus for its "Roam Delivery Service" that delivers packages to your car. The service uses Volvo On Call and Sensus Connect car-connectivity and telematics apps already installed in vehicles, and a digital key with a timed window of operation.
The car owner is notified if delivery to or pickup from the car would be the best option, which they then have the option to approve or decline. If approved, the position of the vehicle is sent to the delivery driver, as well as a digital key that can open the car. Once the delivery has been made, the owner is notified and the digital key is erased, leaving only a time stamp to record when the car was opened and then locked.
The technology will be shown to the public at the Mobile World Congress later this month. There's a video and a press release below with more on the details.

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

2025 Volvo EX30 First Drive Review: Little big time

BARCELONA, Spain — Priced from $36,245, including $1,295 for destination, the new EX30 is VolvoÂ’s least-expensive car. But make no mistake, thereÂ’s nothing cheap about this subcompact electric crossover. From its solid road manners to its clever use of interior textiles, this little cutie is comfortable, competent and bursting with charm. We'll get the EX30 in Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance variants when it goes on sale in the U.S. early next year. Both models are powered by a 69-kilowatt-hour battery pack – 64 kWh of which is usable – that can be replenished at a maximum charging rate of 153 kW. Volvo says youÂ’ll only need 27 minutes to take the EX30 from a 10% to 80% state of charge, but thatÂ’s assuming the battery is properly preconditioned, the charger youÂ’re plugged into actually works correctly, the planets are all aligned, etc. The Single MotorÂ’s, um, single motor is mounted to the rear axle, producing 268 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. ThisÂ’ll get the EX30 to 60 mph in a perfectly respectable 5.1 seconds, and Volvo estimates a 275-mile driving range for this configuration – though not if youÂ’re testing that aforementioned launch time on the regular, of course. The Twin Motor Performance has the same rear drive unit, but adds a second motor to the EX30Â’s front axle for a total output of 422 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. ThatÂ’s a whole heck of a lot of power – even for a 4,140-pound crossover – and my goodness, does this EX30 scoot. Put the EX30 Twin Motor into its Performance AWD setting, stomp the throttle and youÂ’ll hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. That makes the EX30 VolvoÂ’s quickest accelerating production car ever. Nifty as that is, however, after a day of driving the EX30 on winding Spanish country roads and darting through traffic in BarcelonaÂ’s busy city center, I think the Single Motor is the way to go. Remember, even the pokiest EVs still feel quick thanks to instant electric torque, and at no point does the Single Motor EX30 ever feel like it canÂ’t get out of its own way. Beyond that, though, the EX30 Single Motor is simply more fun to drive. At 3,858 pounds, the rear-drive EX30 is 282 pounds lighter than the AWD version, and all that weight comes off the front end. This makes VolvoÂ’s tiny EV feel more playful and agile while cornering, especially with the well-weighted steering – not to mention the fun-to-handle squircle wheel.