XC90 wins ‘most user-friendly tech’ and ‘best audio system’ awards at the inaugural Car Tech Awards.

• Volvo honoured for its innovative in-car technology and pioneering tech partnerships
• XC90 wins ‘most user-friendly tech’ and ‘best audio system’ awards
• Intuitive Sensus touchscreen system and ground-breaking Drive-E powertrains also praised

Volvo has been voted Tech Brand of the Year at the inaugural Car Tech Awards.

The new awards recognise the best in automotive technology, as voted for by the experts at Carbuyer, the car review and advice service, and technology website Alphr.com. 

Volvo was recognised for its ground-breaking technology, such as the pioneering Sensus touchscreen control system in its new large premium models, the S90, V90 and XC90. Its all-new Drive-E powertrains, designed to offer efficient power using a mixture of advanced injection technology and electrification, impressed the judges, too.

The company was also praised for its forward-thinking approach to technology partnerships, such as the collaboration with Uber, which will result in Volvo’s sophisticated SPA platform underpinning Uber’s next generation of autonomous-drive vehicles.

Stuart Milne, editor of Carbuyer, said: “For years, Volvo has been synonymous with safety, but it is now becoming a tech brand in its own right. It’ll use autonomous technology to ensure no one is killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020 – a remarkable goal. It has used technology to downsize its engines with no impact on performance, and has delivered a market-leading infotainment system in Sensus. Yet it’s still finding time to partner with Uber and bringing itself to the heart of Silicon Valley as a result. It’s the blend of thinking about the technology of today as well as the tech of tomorrow that makes Volvo our Tech Brand of the Year.

The XC90 SUV won two further Car Tech Awards. It was awarded ‘Most user-friendly tech – over £25,000’, while its phenomenal Bowers & Wilkins sound system was voted ‘Best audio system – over £25,000’.

Everything Volvo does is ‘designed around you’, which means that every piece of technology is as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. So not only are most of the XC90’s functions controlled via its advanced Sensus touchscreen or the intelligent voice-control system (both of which are fitted as standard), you won’t be baffled by whichever you choose to use.

The Bowers & Wilkins audio system sets new standards for the automotive industry. It combines the expertise of premium British hi-fi equipment company Bowers & Wilkins with cutting-edge sound processing software from Swedish audio company Dirac Research. The 18-speaker system produces a huge 1,400W, and can be tailored, at the touch of a button, to mirror the precise acoustics of the Gothenburg Concert Hall, a recording studio or a live stage environment.

Jon Bray, Reviews Editor at Alphr.com, said: “We were hugely impressed by the XC90’s Bowers & Wilkins audio system that, while a significant investment for the buyer, betters systems costing far more. We also found Sensus to be a very effective tool to operate the car’s many and varied functions.”

Commenting on the awards, Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “These award wins recognise the fact that Volvo is a technological leader – not just in the field of safety, but in terms of connectivity and in-car entertainment, autonomous drive and efficient powertrains. They also show that no matter how sophisticated Volvos get, the way in which we interact with the technology needn’t be complex.”

Volvo Cars have announced the launch of the quickest cars they have ever made, the Polestar S60 & V60

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, and Polestar, the performance brand owned by Volvo Cars, have announced the launch of the quickest cars they have ever made – the new 367hp Polestar S60 sedan and V60 wagon.

Both cars make the zero to 60MPH sprint in 4.7 seconds and are limited to a top speed of 155MPH, powered by a specially-enhanced version of Volvo’s award-winning four cylinder Drive-E powertrain.

Polestar has taken an original V60 and S60 and added a bigger turbo, a supercharger, new conrods, new camshafts, a larger air intake and a higher capacity fuel pump to augment the engine, and matched it with a BorgWarner four-wheel drive system and the new Polestar-optimised eight-speed Geartronic automatic gearbox.

On top of this new performance-optimized equipment, Polestar has radically reduced the car’s weight. The Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar are 53 lbs. lighter over the front axle and 44 lbs. lighter in total compared to the previous model years.

“These cars are properly quick,” said Niels Möller, Chief Operating Officer, Polestar. “But they are more than that. They combine Polestar’s 20 years racing pedigree with Volvo’s inherent pragmatism and engineering heritage. These are very quick cars that you can use every day of the year.”

These two new models also mark the globalization of the Polestar brand.

The first road legal Polestar cars were launched in 2014 to limited markets. Today, Polestar is delighted to announce that it is expanding the number of markets where a Polestar will be sold from 13 to 47 and doubling production volume from 750 cars a year up to 1500.

Both cars trace their heritage to the new Volvo S60 Polestar TC1, the all-new FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) race car from Polestar Cyan Racing. The new road cars use the same base chassis, engine and philosophy of the team behind the development.

“While used in vastly different ways, these cars share more than just technology. The core philosophy is the same, developed by people with the same passion. It is about creating performance that can be used in all situations, no matter if it’s about winning a championship or being able to enjoy a safe, functional and fun-to-drive car all year,” said Thed Björk, Polestar Cyan Racing race and development driver.

The race and road car feature a further developed four-cylinder Drive-E engine, with the two-liter, twin charged engine of the Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar producing 367 horsepower and 347 ft. lbs.. The changes compared to the standard T6 engine include a bigger turbo, new conrods, new camshafts, a larger air intake and a higher capacity fuel pump.

Despite the increased performance, fuel consumption and emissions are at a class-leading level of 7.8 l/100 km and 179 CO2 g/km, further proving the efficiency of Volvo’s Drive-E powertrain.

Part of the improved performance and especially handling compared to the previous model years is an optimized weight distribution.

“All changes made to the car are about improving drivability and efficiency. The base of the new engine carries motorsport technology with solutions like the combination of turbo and supercharger, lightweight materials and more. This works hand-in-hand with our core philosophy and has enabled us to evolve the Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar,” said Henrik Fries, Vice President R&D, Polestar.

Other new features on the cars include a new 20” lightweight rim, Polestar calibrated electro-assisted power steering and a new slotted brake disc of 371 millimetres.

Volvo Cars announces pricing and specification for the All-New S90 Saloon and V90 Estate.

• S90 priced from £32,555 (OTR); V90 from £34,555 (OTR)
• Tax-efficient D4 diesel version has CO₂ emissions of just 116g/km (S90) or 119g/km (V90)
• Luxurious specification as standard, including 9” touch screen, satellite navigation, leather upholstery, LED headlights and access to cloud-based apps
• Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive function fitted as standard to every S90 and V90

The new Volvo S90 and V90 are now available to order in the UK, with on-the-road prices starting at £32,555 for the S90 saloon and £34,555 for the V90 estate.

The S90 and V90 are the latest models to be built on Volvo’s all-new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform and benefit from Volvo’s ground-breaking Drive-E powertrains. Like the XC90 before them, they feature the new face of Volvo, including the T-shaped LED headlights that make them instantly recognisable.

Both models will initially be available with a choice of two 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engines – the tax-efficient D4 and the powerful and refined D5 PowerPulse – and in two trim levels, Momentum and Inscription.

The front-wheel-drive 190 hp D4 comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and offers combined fuel consumption of 64.2 mpg and CO₂ emissions of just 116 g/km in the S90. In the V90, these figures are 62.8 mpg and 119 g/km.

The 235 hp D5 utilises an innovative technology called PowerPulse to boost responsiveness. This uses compressed air, which is stored in a tank in the engine bay and refilled automatically, to spool up the turbo at low revs. This helps to overcome turbo lag, which is the short delay in the power delivery you experience in traditional turbocharged engines. To harness the engine’s power, the D5 PowerPulse comes with all-wheel drive. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is also standard.

Every version of the S90 and V90 is luxuriously equipped. As standard, even entry-level Momentum cars come with leather upholstery, LED headlights with active high beam, two-zone climate control with ‘CleanZone’ air-filtration system, keyless engine starting and heated front seats.

Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system is also standard. This brings a 9” touch screen, satellite navigation (including lifetime annual map updates), a sophisticated voice-control system, and access to the internet and a range of cloud-based apps such as TuneIn, Stitcher and Yelp.

The S90 gets a powered bootlid, too, while the V90 benefits from a powered tailgate.

Pilot Assist, Volvo’s innovative semi-autonomous drive feature, is standard on every S90 and V90. It automatically keeps you at a set speed or distance from the vehicle in front, braking and accelerating with the flow of traffic, and gives gentle steering inputs to keep the car within lane markings at motorway speeds up to 80 mph. Unlike previous versions of the system, it no longer needs to follow another car. Pilot Assist is another step towards fully autonomous driving.

The latest version of City Safety is also fitted to every S90 and V90. This includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and the world-first application of large-animal detection. This feature helps to avoid or limit the severity of collisions with large animals such as deer or horses both at night and during the day.

Moving up to Inscription adds Nappa soft leather upholstery, powered front seats, a 12.3” active TFT driver’s information display (Momentum cars get an 8” version), 18” diamond-cut/silver alloy wheels, keyless entry and handsfree boot/tailgate opening and closing. Additional premium touches include walnut interior inlays, rear footwell and side step illumination, and chrome exterior details.

The optional Xenium package is available across the range and adds a powered tilt and slide glass sunroof (panoramic in the V90), a parking camera system with 360^o surround view, and Park Assist Pilot, which includes automatic parallel and 90^o parking.

Apple CarPlay is another option and allows you to access certain functions of your Apple device and CarPlay-optimised apps directly via the car’s touch screen, voice control system or the buttons on the steering wheel. Also available is the exceptional Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system, which offers no less than 18 speakers and an output of 1,400W.

Both models are available to order now, with the first S90 customer deliveries expected in September and the first V90s in October.

S90	Trim level	HP	Nm	Combined fuel economy (mpg)	CO2(g/km)	BIK 2016-17 (%)	On-the-road price	P11D value
D4	Momentum	190	400	64.2	116	23	£32,555.00	£32,500.00
D4	Inscription	190	400	64.2	116	23	£35,555.00	£35,500.00
D5 AWD	Momentum	235	480	58.9	127	25	£39,555.00	£39,500.00
D5 AWD	Inscription	235	480	58.9	127	25	£42,055.00	£42,000.00

V90	Trim level	HP	Nm	Combined fuel economy (mpg)	CO2(g/km)	BIK 2016-17 (%)	On-the-road price	P11D value
D4	Momentum	190	400	62.8	119	23	£34,555.00	£34,500.00
D4	Inscription	190	400	62.8	119	23	£37,555.00	£37,500.00
D5 AWD	Momentum	235	480	57.6	129	25	£41,555.00	£41,500.00
D5 AWD	Inscription	235	480	57.6	129	25	£44,055.00	£44,000.00