Volvo has had the first V90 roll off the production lines and is heading towards it's new owner.

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, started production of the new V90 premium estate at its manufacturing plant in Torslanda, Sweden this week.

The first customer-bound V90 rolled off the production line only weeks after the first S90 premium sedan was built. This means all new models in the top-of-the-line 90 series, based on Volvo’s in-house developed modular vehicle architecture SPA, are now being produced in Sweden.

The SPA-related investments in Sweden have had positive effects on employment at the company. Volvo has almost doubled its staff numbers at the Torslanda plant in the last two years, to a current total of around 6,300 employees. The company has also hired approximately one thousand engineers over that period, and continues to recruit in its R&D department.

Furthermore, so-called multiplier effects have created numerous new jobs at suppliers to the company and other businesses in the region, providing a boost to the automotive manufacturing cluster in Gothenburg and the wider economy in Western Sweden.

“Taking the new V90 into production is an important milestone for Volvo,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “We have invested heavily in preparing the Torslanda plant for building SPA vehicles and it is encouraging to see the positive response to the new 90 cars. We are going from strength to strength, as our transformation plan continues to bear fruit.”

The three new 90 series cars are part of a USD 11 billion transformation program launched by Volvo in 2010. Over the next three years, Volvo will revamp its entire car range. The introduction of the new cars have resulted in significant sales and profitability growth at Volvo.

Helped by the new XC90, Volvo Cars in 2015 sold over 500,000 cars for the first time in the company’s 89-year history. Annual operating profit trebled to SEK 6.6bn, with a profit margin of 4 per cent.

For 2016, Volvo expects another record year in terms of sales, as the new S90 and V90 arrive in dealerships around the globe and XC90 has its first full year of production. In the first five months of 2016, Volvo Cars posted a 10.4 per cent increase in global sales, with growth in all major regions.

Full-year revenue and operating income are also expected to improve further.

“While the new XC90, S90 and V90 have helped us rejuvenate the brand, Volvo’s transformation is far from complete,” said Mr Samuelsson. “Three years from now, the XC90 will be the oldest car on the showroom floor. In other words: the new 90 series are only the start of the new Volvo.”

Last month, Volvo officially launched its global small car strategy by revealing two concept cars based on its new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA). Specially created for smaller cars, CMA will underpin the next generation of Volvo’s 40 series cars. The first new car on CMA is expected to be launched in 2017. The next-generation cars in Volvo’s 60 series will be built on SPA.

AUTOCAR AWARDS - The Volvo XC-90 is another car awarded with the title, "Game CHanger", it too is worthy.

• Seven-seat XC90 SUV praised for 'transforming Volvo's standing'
• Honoured for combining cutting-edge technology with comfort, practicality and desirability
• Tablet-style infotainment system and ground-breaking safety aids standard on every XC90
• Priced from £46,850 and offered with diesel, petrol and innovative plug-in hybrid powertrains

The Volvo XC90 has been named an Autocar Game-Changer at the 2016 Autocar Awards. Autocar's Game-Changers are those cars that have done the most to move the car industry, or their makers, forwards in the past year – and the XC90 has certainly done that. 

Built on Volvo's all-new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the XC90 was the first evidence of the Swedish brand's global transformation. 

Combining Volvo's world-renowned safety, comfort and practicality credentials, it also moves the game on in terms of connectivity and its range of powerful yet efficient Drive-E powertrains.

Commenting on the award, Autocar's editorial director, Jim Holder, said: "The XC90 has transformed the standing of Volvo in the most striking fashion, combining practicality, comfort and cutting-edge technology in a hugely desirable package."

That cutting-edge technology includes the nine-inch Sensus touch screen control system. This is no ordinary touch screen, however: not only does it include pinch, zoom and swipe functionality – unlike many rival systems – it even works when you're wearing gloves. It provides access to the internet and a range of cloud-based apps and internet radio stations, too.

The Drive-E powertrains also showcase the future of Volvo's engines. The XC90's four-cylinder, 2.0-litre units use sophisticated fuelling and boosting technologies to combine efficiency with power. The D5 diesel engine benefits from an innovative solution to increase responsiveness at low revs. Called PowerPulse, it uses compressed air to spool up the turbocharger when it would otherwise be inactive, which helps give the XC90 impressively strong performance from a standing start. The T8 Twin Engine petrol-electric hybrid, on the other hand, combines a total of 407 hp with CO₂ emissions of just 49 g/km. It can also travel for up to 27 miles in zero-emission electric-only mode.

Naturally, safety is at the forefront of any Volvo, and the XC90 includes two world-first safety aids: automatic emergency braking at a junction, which will apply the brakes for you if you inadvertently turn into the path of an oncoming vehicle, and run-off road protection, which includes a collapsible section in the front seats to reduce the likelihood of spinal injuries if the car leaves the road.

Nick Connor, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: "We're delighted that the XC90 has been recognised as such a transformative model by Autocar. We're immensely proud of the car and what it heralds for Volvo – both in terms of our new-found style and desirability, but also that it is the first in an entirely new product range due in the next few years. Volvo is on a roll at the moment, and this honour for the XC90 is yet more proof that our transformation is well on track."

USA - The Volvo XC90 takes the Motor Trend SUV Of The Year for the Second Time, and well deserved it is too.

The Volvo XC90 has been named Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year for the second time.

Developed from the ground up on Volvo’s unique Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), with a 316 horsepower, supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E engine featuring an EPA rating of 25 mpg highway. 

A tablet-like Sensus control system, and understated Scandinavian design, the all-new 2016 XC90 sets a new standard for the luxury SUV segment. 

With its full suite of IntelliSafe features and two more world firsts for safety, the all-new Volvo XC90 is also the safest Volvo ever.

“Everyone at Volvo Cars is exceptionally proud to win the Motor Trend SUV of the Year award,” said Lex Kerssemakers, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “The all-new XC90 is a strong indicator of things to come at Volvo.”

Kerssemakers accepted the iconic Golden Calipers trophy at an award ceremony tonight near Motor Trend’soffices in El Segundo, California.

When it was introduced in 2002, the original XC90 won Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year as it redefined the seven-passenger SUV segment.

Motor Trend's Sport/Utility of the Year is not a comparison test, and is only open to all-new or substantially upgraded vehicles that have gone on sale in the 12 months from November 1 of the previous year.

To judge contenders for the award, Motor Trend's editorial staff conducted an exhaustive three-phase testing process. Phase one includes a full tech check and weigh-in, then full track testing to establish baseline data for acceleration, braking, and handling. 

Phase two involves three days of road loops offering a range of road surfaces and traffic conditions to evaluate ride and handling, engine and transmission smoothness and responsiveness, wind and road noise, and ergonomics. 

An off-road section tests traction, stability, and braking control systems. In the third phase, the judges debate and deliberate. The judging criteria include the following categories:

Design Advancement - well-executed exterior and interior styling; innovative vehicle packaging; good selection and use of materials.

Engineering Excellence - total vehicle concept and execution; clever solutions to packaging, manufacturing and dynamics issues; cost-effective tech that benefits the consumer.

Performance of Intended Function - how well the vehicle does the job its planners, designers, and engineers intended it to do.

Efficiency - low fuel consumption and carbon footprint, relative to the vehicle's competitive set.

Safety - a vehicle's ability to help the driver avoid a crash, as well as the secondary safety measures that protect its occupants from harm during a crash.

Value - competitive price and equipment levels, measured against those of vehicles in the same market segment.

USA SALES OCTOBER - VOLVO - A near doubling of sales this October gives an overall 12.5% increase YTD.

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, (VCNA) reported U.S. sales of 7,422 units, an 86.9 percent increase versus October 2014. Year-to-date sales are up 12.5 percent over the first ten months of 2014.

The top seller for the month was the all-new XC90 luxury SUV with 2,565 units sold. The XC60 showed continued growth with 1,912 units sold, a 15.7 percent increase versus October 2014. The XC60 also represents the top seller year-to-date with 20,546 units sold, a 32.1 percent increase.

“We are just starting to see the true potential of XC90 sales in the U.S. market which has led us to the best month we’ve seen since 2008 and the best October since 2007,” said Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “Strong performance across the 60 range continues, led by the XC60, which also significantly contributed to this month’s success.”

Following an $11 billion investment, the positive momentum has materialized with the first all-new model off the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the XC90, with world-first safety technologies, a new design language, new powertrain architecture and a range of class-leading connectivity services.

Two weeks and counting till Volvo launches next generation XC90

Volvo’s all-new XC90 – which will be launched in two weeks’ time in Stockholm – will be the first car in its range to be built on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) modular chassis technology developed in-house.

SPA has been under in-house development at Volvo for the past four years and is the cornerstone of the company’s ongoing USD 11bn transformation plan. It will be introduced with the all-new XC90 and then rolled out across the product range in future.

The benefits of SPA are twofold. First, the flexibility of SPA liberates Volvo’s engineers and designers, allowing them to devise and introduce a wide range of new and alluring design features at the same time as improving driveability, introducing world-first safety features, offering the latest connected car technologies and creating more interior space.

“SPA and the XC90 are firm evidence of our Volvo-by-Volvo strategy. The XC90’s outstanding combination of luxury, space, versatility, efficiency and safety will bring the SUV segment into a new dimension, just as the original XC90 did in 2002,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.

Secondly, SPA will change the way Volvo builds cars in the future by allowing a wide range of cars, powertrains, electrical systems and technologies – all of differing complexity – to be fitted on the same architecture, generating significant economies of scale.

“SPA gives us a fresh technological start. Around 90 per cent of the components in the all-new XC90 and upcoming models are new and unique. We are raising the bar to the very top of the premium league when it comes to quality and technology level in every vital area,” says Dr Mertens.

Liberating technology

More freedom for designers

With SPA, previous design limitations in areas such as wheelbase, overhang, vehicle height and the height of the front are removed.

“This has created greater freedom for us to design cars with a confident stance, dynamic proportions and a number of distinctive design signatures. Our three recent concept cars have demonstrated this capability. Even though the all-new XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognise the connection instantly when it is revealed in two weeks,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design of Volvo Car Group.

Outstanding driving pleasure and flexibility

The new SPA chassis technology reduces weight and improves weight distribution, improving driving pleasure without compromising on ride comfort.

SPA also allows for far more flexibility inside the car. The new XC90 features innovatively designed seats that free up interior space for passengers in the second and third rows, helping make the new XC90 a genuine seven-seater.

The sliding function on all seats in the second row can be used to create more legroom for passengers in the third row – or to increase loading capacity. The seats in the third row offer class-leading comfort for passengers up to 170 cm tall.

“SPA has enabled us to create the world’s first no-compromise SUV,” says Dr Mertens. “You get the agility of a much smaller and lower car, an in-command feel and generous interior space, plus an adrenaline rush delivered by powertrains that offer an unrivalled combination of power and low emissions. Of course, it carries the Volvo badge, meaning world-class safety is standard.”

Unrivalled combination of power and fuel efficiency

The new XC90 offers a range of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency. This modular family of two-litre, four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines has several levels of turbocharging to cover the whole range from high power and torque variants to fuel-efficient versions.

The top-of-the-range XC90 ‘Twin Engine’ combines a two-litre, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and offers an unrivalled combination of power and clean operation – around 400 horsepower with carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).

SPA is also able to integrate electrification at all levels without intruding on interior space or load space. Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome with SPA.

Improved safety without compromises

SPA helps make it possible for Volvo to bolster the company’s world-leading reputation for safety without compromising on design, size or weight. Thanks to the extensive use of high-strength boron steel, SPA cars can be made more compact and safer at the same time.

SPA also includes an innovative electrical architecture that elevates the car’s intelligence level significantly. It is designed to make it easy to integrate new technology within fast-moving areas such as microprocessor, sensor and camera technology. This facilitates the introduction of new accident-preventing safety solutions – and enables rapid introduction of new multimedia and connectivity options.

“We have created a single nerve system with full control over all the connections in the vehicle. This is unique in the industry,” says Dr Mertens.

Industrial benefits

In addition to the significant product-related advantages of the scalable architecture there are also industrial benefits.

SPA allows Volvo to develop a model range consisting of cars based on the same joint modules and interfaces, scalable systems and components and built in a flexible production system. This means all Volvo models from the 60-cluster upwards can be built on the same production line irrespective of complexity.

The new face of Volvo: ‘Thor’s Hammer’ running lights

Today, for the first time, Volvo is revealing images of the front end or ‘face’ of the new XC90 SUV, which is distinguished by its T-shaped running lights, christened ‘Thor’s Hammer’ by the design team after the shape of the hammer used by the famous Norse god of thunder Thor.

“Anyone who looks in their rear-view mirror is going to know immediately that there is a new XC90 behind them,” says Mr Ingenlath. “The XC90 is a car that has presence on the road.”

New Volvo XC90: exclusive images, Well, Auto Express' own interpretation.

Our exclusive images show how the new Volvo XC90 could look when it debuts at the 2014 Paris Motor Show

Volvo is building up to the launch of its most important new car in a generation: the new Volvo XC90. The wraps will be pulled from the SUV at October’s Paris Motor Show – but we have the full story months before its official unveil. 

The second-generation XC90 will represent a landmark in Volvo’s development under Chinese owner Geely, and as our exclusive images show, it will get a chic new design inspired by the recent Coupe, XC Coupe and Estate concepts. 

The crisp new grille is flanked by slimmer headlamps, and bisected by T-shaped LED running lights. The pronounced step along the current car’s shoulder line has made way for a smooth crease, while kinked horizontal tail-lights give the rear an unmistakable signature at night. 

The XC90 is the first model built on the brand’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), which will underpin all future large Volvos. Plus, it’ll come exclusively with the new range of 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel Drive-e engines, and for the first time there will be a front-wheel-drive alternative to the standard four-wheel drive.  

Volvo XC90 2015: engine options 

Volvo has yet to release power and emissions figures for the XC90, but in the V40 the 187bhp D4 engine returns 74.3mpg economy and emits just 99g/km of CO2, while the 242bhp T5 petrol claims 47.9mpg and 137g/km. A flagship XC90 hybrid will use a supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine to drive the front axle and an electric motor at the rear for a total of around 400bhp and 600Nm of torque. 

All XC90s will get an eight-speed auto, but Volvo has confirmed the SPA platform will support a manual box for use in its saloons and estates. The SUV will also feature class-leading safety tech, with all the passive safety and collision avoidance systems standard on every model. Inside, Volvo’s designers have followed Tesla’s lead with a 9.3-inch portrait screen compatible with Apple’s new CarPlay interface. The sat-nav, audio, climate and car settings are controlled with swipe and pinch gestures, like on a smartphone. 

This clever screen tech will allow for a stylish, button-free dash design, so the cabin will take cues from the Concept Estate seen at last month’s Geneva Motor Show. Expect it to carry over the practical seven-seat layout, but with more space in each row as well as an increase in the current model’s 1,837-litre maximum boot capacity. 

The outgoing XC90 has been a huge success, with over half a million sold globally to date. And Volvo’s senior vice president of research and development, Peter Martens, has said the new car will be “just like the first time, but better”.

REPORT HERE

Volvo Concept Estate revealed ahead of Geneva show

Volvo has teased this Concept Estate design study ahead of the forthcoming Geneva motor show. It’s the last in a series of three concept cars that showcase Volvo’s new chassis platform, called Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

The concept is designed to preview the styling of the company’s next-generation estate cars, including the Volvo V70 replacement due in 2015. However, the Concept Estate will be shown in Geneva as a three-door ‘shooting brake’ model.

The first SPA-based design was the Concept Coupe revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in 2013. That model took inspiration from the Volvo P1800 sports car of the 1960s.

The Concept Estate takes cues from the company’s 1800ES estate of the 1970s, including a rising waistline that kicks up at the back of each door, and extends into a sharp crease over each rear wheel arch. The show car gets high performance tyres and 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels.

A glass rear hatch with a black surround takes inspiration from Volvo’s current V40 and V60 models. At the front, the grille looks identical to that seen on the 2013 Concept Coupe, albeit with gloss black struts rather than chrome. The Concept Estate should also have the same T-shaped daytime running lights.

The first car to be built on the new SPA platform will be the next XC90 SUV, with styling heavily influenced by the Concept XC Coupe seen in Detroit. We expect to see the production version later this year, although it won't go on sale until 2015.

The Volvo Concept Estate will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show next month, when we’ll be able to bring you a full set of pictures and more details.

REPORT HERE