2018 Volvo Xc90 Momentum on 2040-cars

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Volvo considering offering V60 wagon in the US

For the 2014 model year, the Volvo product line is shrinking to just five models in the United States: the S60, S80, XC60, XC70 and XC90. This comes following the death of the C30 hatchback and C70 convertible, which are being discontinued after the 2013 model year. The S40 sedan and V50 wagon were axed two years ago, as was the larger V70.
That may not be the case, however. According to Automotive News, Volvo is rethinking its decision to not sell the V60 wagon, pictured, in the United States. The automaker had originally decided to not offer the V60 in our market due to declining American wagon sales. A decision is expected to be made sometime in the next quarter, and if approved, sales of the V60 could begin in the US within the next year.
At the Geneva Motor Show last week, Volvo showed off refreshed versions of nearly every vehicle in its lineup. In the US, these will be the only changes coming to the Volvo brand over the next two years. The next big product launch in the States will be the all-new XC90 crossover, developed under new parent company Geely. The range-topping SUV will ride on the company's new flexible SPA platform, which will also underpin the next-generation versions of the S60, S80 and XC60.

Volvo S80 nip/tuck spotted in China

An early look at the new face of the Volvo S80 has made its way to the web. The Chinese site Auto Sina spotted a revised version of the country's S80L out in public and in plain view. Not too long ago, Doug Speck, the global head of marketing and sales for Volvo, said designers were working on a mild facelift for the S60 and S80, and while it is possible the Swedish manufacturer will roll out a different front fascia for the US market, the move seems unlikely.
The S80L seen here boats a tweaked grille and a Passat-inspired lower valance. New wheels and side-view mirrors also appear to be part of the update, as does a modified rear bumper and exhaust outlets. Volvo is set to debut the facelifed S80 next year, and while the manufacturer hasn't delivered an exact time frame, good money is on the vehicle showing up at the Detroit Auto Show in January or the Geneva Motor Show in March. Stay tuned for more information.

Junkyard Gem: 1976 Volvo 244 DL

Volvo did well enough selling the PV444/544, Amazon and 140 in the United States, but it was the Volvo 200 Series that really launched Goteborg iron into the American big time. Introduced here as a 1975 model, the 200 stayed in production for nearly two full decades and remains the most instantly recognizable Swedish car ever made. Here's an early-production 244, found in a Denver-area car graveyard not long ago. The 200 Series could be considered an update of the late-1960s-vintage 140 Series, since it's essentially the same car from the A pillars back. The main difference between the two is the MacPherson strut front suspension in the 200 Series. Volvo went through several naming systems for U.S.-market 200 Series cars over the decades, with the initial one being the easiest to decipher: a three-digit number followed by a two-character trim-level designation. The first digit in the number represents the series, the second represents the number of engine cylinders and the third the number of doors. There were six-cylinder 262s, 264s and 265s sold in the United States from 1976 through 1981, powered by the same PRV V6 engine that went into the DeLorean DMC-12, so it's incorrect to refer to all 200 Series Volvos as 240s. This car is the best-selling member of the 200 family, with a four-cylinder engine and four doors. This is a fuel-injected 2.1-liter SOHC straight-four, rated at 98 horsepower and 110 pound-feet; the 1975 240s received the 2.0-liter pushrod engine from the 140. There were two transmissions available in the 1976 240s: a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. This car has the automatic. Even thought it's a base DL model, this car's first owner paid an extra $456 for air conditioning (about $2,580 in 2024 dollars), on top of the $500 premium for the automatic transmission ($2,829 after inflation). That pushed the cost for the car up to $7,551, or $42,717 in today's money. You could get a swanky new 1976 Buick Electra Limited four-door hardtop for just $6,852, but those sensible Volvo buyers knew it was worth paying a premium for genuine Scandinavian safety and build quality. European-market headlights were strictly forbjuden on American roads during the early Malaise Era, according to federal safety regulations, so Volvo had to install these unsightly sealed-beam rigs on their cars here.