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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.

Apple CarPlay drawing early safety concerns [w/video]

Apple's CarPlay infotainment system hasn't made it into a single vehicle yet, and it's already drawing criticism for distracting drivers among safety advocates. The new tech unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show pairs users' iPhones with the car's dashboard display to make calls, dictate messages and listen to music. Some automakers, like Volvo, also let users interact with the HVAC system from the screen.
"The idea that people want to be on their phones, and therefore let's give them a way to do that -- that's not putting safety first, that's putting convenience and the desire to be in touch first," said Bruce Hamilton, manager of research and communications at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, to CNN Money.
Distracted driving is a huge concern on modern roads with more vehicles allowing drivers to use their smartphones through Bluetooth and infotainment systems. A Texas A&M study found that drivers' reaction time doubled while dictating text messages, according to CNN Money. The new tech is certainly not making drivers pay more attention.

Volvo to finally replace XC90 in 2014

There's not a whole lot of life left in the current Volvo XC90, but it seems a replacement is on the way. According to What Car?, Volvo will launch its new flagship crossover sometime in 2014, riding on an all new platform that will eventually underpin several models in the company's range.
According to Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson, this new architecture will eventually underpin the next-generation S60, V70, S80 and XC60, all of which will be getting mid-cycle enhancements over the next year. In speaking to What Car?, Samuelsson said that Volvo would not try to follow the paths set by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, instead focusing on "safety, elegant design and user-friendly functionality" for its next round of new cars.
The new XC90 will remain a seven-passenger vehicle and will be powered by a range of four-cylinder engines. Volvo will soon be dropping the five- and six-cylinder powertrains from its lineup.